Eagle's Wing
Encyclopedia
Eagle's Wing is a Euro-Western Eastmancolor film made in 1979. It stars Martin Sheen
, Sam Waterston
and Harvey Keitel
. It was directed by Anthony Harvey
, with a story by Michael Syson and a screenplay by John Briley
. It won the British Society of Cinematographers
Best Cinematography Award for 1979.
Travelling alone, he comes across the ritual funeral of the dead chief. He saves the white stallion from ritual slaughter, abandons his mule, and continues his travels. The Medicine Man conducting the ritual was accidentally killed while Pike was taking the horse. The war party finds the stage coach, attacks it, kills the driver, guard, and one of the passengers, and then leaves White Bull to ransack the coach and passengers of all valuables. He gathers a hoard of jewels and other valuable items,takes a white servant girl for himself, and leaves the survivors standing in the desert. One of the survivors,a priest, takes a coach horse and rides off to alert the hacienda.
The story then becomes a four-way chase. After gaining the white stallion from Pike, White Bull, the girl, the treasure and the stallion continue towards his village; Pike goes after the stallion; a posse from the hacienda sets out to recover the coach passengers and the girl, and members of the Medicine Man's tribe seek to avenge his death. After a series of to-and-fro adventures, the film ends with White Bull riding off alone with the stallion; Pike standing watching him go - utterly defeated; the girl behind him, still waiting to be rescued, and the hacienda party still trying to catch up with events.
Martin Sheen
Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez , better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands and Apocalypse Now , and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.He is considered one of the best actors never to be...
, Sam Waterston
Sam Waterston
Samuel Atkinson "Sam" Waterston is an American actor and occasional producer and director. Among other roles, he is noted for his Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Sydney Schanberg in 1984's The Killing Fields, and his Golden Globe- and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning portrayal of Jack McCoy...
and Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel is an American actor. Some of his most notable starring roles were in Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, Ridley Scott's The Duellists and Thelma and Louise, Ettore Scola's That Night in Varennes, Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, Jane Campion's The...
. It was directed by Anthony Harvey
Anthony Harvey
Anthony Harvey is a British filmmaker who started his career in the 1950s as a film editor, and moved into directing in the mid 1960s. Harvey has fifteen film credits as an editor, and he has directed thirteen films...
, with a story by Michael Syson and a screenplay by John Briley
John Briley
John Richard Briley is an American writer best known for screenplays of biopics. He won the Academy Award For Best Original Screenplay at the 1982 Oscars for Gandhi...
. It won the British Society of Cinematographers
British Society of Cinematographers
The British Society of Cinematographers was formed in 1949 by Bert Easey, 23 August 1901 - 28 February 1973, the then head of the Denham and Pinewood studio camera departments.The stated objectives at the formation of the BSC were...
Best Cinematography Award for 1979.
Plot
The story has three themes which run concurrently through the film. A stagecoach carrying a rich widow home to her family's hacienda. A war party of Indians, returning to their village; and two fur traders waiting to meet a different group of Indians with whom they trade. The war party attacks the other Indians, and kills their leader, who owns a magnificent white stallion. White Bull (Waterston) attempts to capture the horse, but it is too quick, and makes off carrying the dead chief. Pike (Sheen) and Henry (Keitel) wait in vain for the traders, and are then attacked themselves by the war party. Henry is killed, the Indians take the trader's horses, and Pike is left alone with only a mule.Travelling alone, he comes across the ritual funeral of the dead chief. He saves the white stallion from ritual slaughter, abandons his mule, and continues his travels. The Medicine Man conducting the ritual was accidentally killed while Pike was taking the horse. The war party finds the stage coach, attacks it, kills the driver, guard, and one of the passengers, and then leaves White Bull to ransack the coach and passengers of all valuables. He gathers a hoard of jewels and other valuable items,takes a white servant girl for himself, and leaves the survivors standing in the desert. One of the survivors,a priest, takes a coach horse and rides off to alert the hacienda.
The story then becomes a four-way chase. After gaining the white stallion from Pike, White Bull, the girl, the treasure and the stallion continue towards his village; Pike goes after the stallion; a posse from the hacienda sets out to recover the coach passengers and the girl, and members of the Medicine Man's tribe seek to avenge his death. After a series of to-and-fro adventures, the film ends with White Bull riding off alone with the stallion; Pike standing watching him go - utterly defeated; the girl behind him, still waiting to be rescued, and the hacienda party still trying to catch up with events.
Cast
- Martin SheenMartin SheenRamón Gerardo Antonio Estévez , better known by his stage name Martin Sheen, is an American film actor best known for his performances in the films Badlands and Apocalypse Now , and in the television series The West Wing from 1999 to 2006.He is considered one of the best actors never to be...
as Pike - Sam WaterstonSam WaterstonSamuel Atkinson "Sam" Waterston is an American actor and occasional producer and director. Among other roles, he is noted for his Academy Award-nominated portrayal of Sydney Schanberg in 1984's The Killing Fields, and his Golden Globe- and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning portrayal of Jack McCoy...
as White Bull - Harvey KeitelHarvey KeitelHarvey Keitel is an American actor. Some of his most notable starring roles were in Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, Ridley Scott's The Duellists and Thelma and Louise, Ettore Scola's That Night in Varennes, Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, Jane Campion's The...
as Henry - Stephane AudranStéphane AudranStéphane Audran is a French film and television actress, known for her performances in Oscar winning movies such as Le charme discret de la bourgeoisie and Babette's Feast and in critically acclaimed films like The Big Red One and Violette Nozière .She married...
as The Widow - John CastleJohn CastleJohn Castle is an English actor. Castle has acted in theatre, film and television. He is well known for his role as Postumus in the 1976 BBC television adaptation of I, Claudius and for playing Geoffrey in the 1968 film, The Lion in Winter. He also played Dr...
as The Priest - Caroline LangrisheCaroline LangrisheCaroline Langrishe is an English actress.In 1976, Langrishe appeared in the BBC production of The Glittering Prizes. In 1977 she played the role of Kitty in a BBC adaptation of Anna Karenina. Her first big part was in the 1978 British adaption of Les Misérables...
as Judith - Jorge RussekJorge RussekJorge Russek was a Mexican actor. He died of a heart attack on July 30, 1998.-External links:...
as Gonzalo - Manuel OjedaManuel OjedaManuel Salvador Ojeda Armenta is one of the most active actors of television and cinema in Mexico. He played the villain, Zolo, in the Hollywood film Romancing the Stone.-Career:...
as Miguel - Jorge Luke as Red Sky
- Pedro DamianPedro DamiánPedro Damián is a Mexican actor, television producer and director, who was executive producer for two teen telenovelas, Clase 406 and Rebelde, distributed within and outside Mexico.-Acting:...
as Jose - Claudio BrookClaudio BrookClaudio Brook was a Mexican actor. Born in Mexico City, Brook had a prolific career, making around 100 film and television appearances in his 38 years. He won two Ariel Awards. He died from stomach cancer in 1995....
as Sanchez - José Carlos RuizJose Carlos RuizJosé Carlos Ruiz is a Mexican film actor, born in the City of Jerez Zacatecas, Mexico who stars in Mexican movies and Mexican Telenovelas such as Soñadoras, Mariana de la noche, Sortilegio and Soy Tu Dueña....
as Lame Wolf - Farnesio de Bernal as The Monk
- Cecilia Camacho as The Young Girl
- Enrique LuceroEnrique LuceroEnrique Lucero was a Mexican film actor. Notable for such films as Macario and Two Mules for Sister Sara ....
as The Sharman