Return of a Man Called Horse

The film begins with Harris returning to America, initially for a year, to visit the Lakota band that enslaved and later adopted him in the 1820's. He finds that his adoptive Yellow Hand people have been slaughtered by a group of trappers and an enemy tribe; the survivors enslaved or driven from their homeland. Harris eventually meets up with the survivors and helps revitalize their spirit enabling them to win back their homeland. If there is one fault with the film it is this; once again native people need a white man to save the day. If you can disregard this it is an excellent film - my favourite scenes being the Sun Dance and the Yellow Hand women getting the upper hand with the Arikaras!


The Sioux fight for their lands   December 6, 2005
Bomojaz (South Central PA, USA)
14 out of 16 found this review helpful


This is a sequel to the 1970 A MAN CALLED HORSE. In that movie Richard Harris is John Morgan, an Englsih baron captured by the Yellow Hand Sioux in the early 1800s and raised by them; being a great fighter he was given his freedom and returned to England in 1821.

Now, three years later, Harris is bored in England and decides to return to America. When he does he finds the Yellow Hand have been driven off their lands or enslaved by white traders. He leads them in a fight to regain their lands.

The movie is shot almost totally from the Indians' perspective, and great care has been taken to get it right and to treat the Indians and their ways honestly. There is a lengthy self-mutilation ceremony that is quite gory (but authentic); it was cut from some earlier prints as being too graphic, but it's essential as to why the tribe decides to fight for their land (they must purge themselves of the evil spirit first). The really memorable thing about the movie is the photography: the Dakota landscape is spectacular.


Still stands Up   November 25, 2004
Mr. P. Power (Chicago, Illinois USA)
8 out of 12 found this review helpful

The first movie was a departure from the everyday" Cowboy Indian movie with a few good twists albeit you could see them comming. Good story to be told, and Part 2 Still with Richard Harris is one of the best follow up movies to come down the pike for it's Genre. I owned and discoverd part 2 recently and was surprised how good it was, and stood up on it's own. All I'll say is in part 2 Harris becomes restless in England and revists his adopted indian family and it takes off from there. Harris is perfect for the role, an english Gentelman with a conscience.


What, More Horse Chunks?   December 15, 2004
Oslo Jargo (FINLAND)
6 out of 20 found this review helpful

Harris reprises his weak and tepid role of an 1800's gentleman who can't stomach modern life in England so he goes back to the Plains to find his adopted tribe of Sioux Indians. He finds them on the verge of extinction, starvation and he is there to lead them to new hope, which means bowing to his leadership. Why the Sioux didn't kill him in the first film goes beyond reason. More silly stuff from hippies in the 1970's in this second installment of the wildly popular but empty "A Man Called Horse" saga. Look for a psychedelic scene where Harris is "behind" naked while emerged in color shots of eagles flying in the sky.




Rescuing "Yellow Hands"   July 25, 2006
Maximiliano F Yofre (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
4 out of 6 found this review helpful

I'm always fascinated with books & movies that deal with the interaction of subjects from different cultures such as "Shogun", "Lawrence of Arabia", "Dances with Wolves" or "Broken Arrow".

The original film "A Man Called Horse" (1970) has had a very special place in my memory and heart. Its sequel "The Return of a Man Called Horse" (1976) wasn't so good, nevertheless is quite enjoyable.

It tells the story of Lord John Morgan's return to the plains around 1840. He was languishing at his states in England when suddenly he feels the urge to return to America.
He discovers that the Yellow Hands has been expelled from their sacred lands, her women enslaved and the rest of the tribe condemned to a miserable life due to the "in force" invasion of some fur traders.
The trader gang has constructed a stronghold including cannons and settling allied native around the fort.
Lord Morgan or Horse as he is known to his Sioux kin starts a new epic experience. Self imposing extreme hardships, first to attain a "vision", then he strengths very young tribesmen thru sacred rites, next he trains women to fight and finally devices a plan to expel the usurpers.
The final combat is film's culmination and a very good action piece.

Harris performs again with deep conviction even if the script is not as good as the original one he extract the maximum from his character.
This time Sioux warriors are fleshed by Mexican actors and actresses instead of the multinational cast of the first film, without lose.

Even with its flaws this film moves the spectator to admire and respect Native American culture.

Give this film a try, you won't be disappointed!
Reviewed by Max Yofre.