Willie Boy

source: Willie Boy

Tell Them Willie Boy Is Here

the first time i saw this movie i was a pre-teen, and it always haunted me. i think it should have gotten a much higher rating also. yes, it raises all the cross-culture misunderstandings, thats what makes it so tragic and so good. it makes you stop and think before you make that next assumption about someone you don't know....whose culture your only vaguely familiar with..not a bad thing to do today, then or anytime.

I consider Robert Blake's performance in this movie to be one of his best, and this comes from someone who has always thought he was a fine actor. Robert Redford, too, shines here as the sheriff, and almost all the supporting cast keeps up with the two male leads. Blake's character is a Paiute Indian who is the object of a manhunt which is sensationalized by the press because of its concurrence with a visit by President Taft. The sheriff is pressured into hunting down the Indian and the girl he loves but whose father has forbidden the match. It's a good solid early-1900s Western with much better-than-average acting. But it's not so much an action film as it is a character study -- of Blake's character and, to a lesser degree, Redford's. It brings to life the racism and exploitation that white Europeans brought with them to America.

A drifting Paiute Indian in 1900s Southern California kills the father of his Indian girlfriend in self-defense; the couple escape into the desert, but a sheriff and his posse are on their trail. Critics were overly kind to this dull western in 1969; despite being based on fact, it has not aged well. The depiction of relations between the Indians and the white man has historical interest, but aside from Robert Blake as macho Willie Boy, these actors do not look comfortable in their roles. This may be Katharine Ross' most embarrassing hour, and Robert Redford as Sheriff Cooper is either squinting in the sun or looking at his boots. Abraham Polonsky's low-keyed direction is certainly no help. *1/2 from ****

This under-rated gem of an anti-Western deserved much better than it got. Abrahom Polonsky's return to film-making was swept under the carpet, as are so many heartfelt, thoughtful films (even in 1969). Robert Blake, with the exception of In Cold Blood and Electra Glide in Blue was never more determined or intense as Willie. Redford gives a subtle and layered performance. Katharine Ross is gorgeous but doesn't look like a Native American (her eyes are bluer than Paul Newman's). An 8 out of 10. Best performance = Robert Blake with able support from Barry Sullivan, Susan Clark, and Charles McGraw. I'm sure this flick must have it's own cult following by now. If not, it should.