EAGLE'S WING

UK, 1978, 99 minutes, Colour.
Sam Waterston, Martin Sheen, Harvey Keitel, Stephane Audran, John Castle.
Directed by Anthony Harvey.

Eagle's Wing refers to the speed of a fine white horse that symbolises the conflict between Indian and white man. This is a story of myth and reality, an outsider's view of the West, a British production filmed in Mexico, directed by Anthony Harvey (Lion In Winter, Players) with an international cast including Stephane Audran - barren landscapes with isolated Indian groups, wandering and solitary whites and the isolated hacienda of Spanish grandees and their servants and workers. Finally the clash (set in the language and image of chivalry) between American Pike (Martin Sheen) and Indian White Bull (Sam Waterston) images the white invasion of Indian territory, success and futility.

1. The focus of the title, its symbolism, reference to the horse? The themes illustrated in the prologue? Themes of power, struggle, greed? The filming of the horse and its movement?

2. A British production, British director, a non-American view of the West? The impact for American audiences, non-Americans? The presentation of Indians as individuals and isolated groups, the wandering individual Americans, the Spanish in Texas? The lack of background of American frontier towns?

3. Use of colour, Panavision, locations? The atmosphere of this West, space, seasons, mountains and plains, desert? The variety of moods of the West? The use of tableaux for presenting the people within these landscapes? The frequent use of profiles? The use of editing for impressions of the West and the conflicts? The use of icon-type imagery? The score and its range of mods?

4. How symbolic a western? How realistic? The narrative about the early days and the pre-myth period? The presentation of the Indians as primitive and only partly touched by white men? The Christian attitude towards the Indian and labelling them as heathen? The contrast of the Indians with the Americans, the Irish, the Spanish? The symbolism of possessions, weapons, horses? The background of life, death, killing, burial? Wealth? The atmosphere of ritual?

5. The background of chivalry and its use? The focus on the horse? The men as the equivalent of two knights? Pike wanting to be his own man once he had the horse? White Bull and his determination to win the horse? The vigils, the skirmishes? The ritual initiations of warriorship? Judith as the damsel in distress? The build-up to the duel and its looking like a mediaeval tournament?

6. The structure of the film: the prologue about the West itself, the Indians and their movement. the reliance on the horse, the Indian attack and the stealing of the horse? The build -up of White Bull as a character and his story, the contrast with Pike and his friend and Pike's story? The bringing together of the two characters and the conflict over the horse? The introduction of the coach full of Spanish grandees? The code of the white West, the code of the Indian West?

7. How important were the spaces of the West, its emptiness and loneliness, the desert, exploration, means of survival? The importance of water, food, hostile reptiles and scorpions etc.? The intrusion of the gun into this atmosphere? The contrast with the deadliness and silence of arrows?

8. The presentation of the Indians - the initial Pursuit and killing? Indian manhood? The attack on Henry and Pike? The attack on the wagon? Death, robbery? The abduction of Judith and White Bull's treatment of her? The other Indian groups with their burial parties and their being murdered? A harsh West with the Indians?

9. The parallel with Pike as representing the white man, the explorer, the military background, the horse, the burial ground, his pursuit and fight of White Bull to the death?

10. The flavour added by the introduction of the Spanish, the Irish priest and his sister? Their discussions in the coach, the strange sight of the coach and the coffin moving through the desert? The interaction of the group and snobbery? The attack, White Bull's treatment of the women and taking their jewellery and humiliating them? The rescue party? The priest riding with his cloak flying like an ominous icon-figure? The pursuit of the group, the two men pursuing White Bull, their greed and murder and violent deaths?

11. The character portrayal of Pike - as an ordinary American, his military background, his history, bonds and friendships and clashes with Henry? His weaknesses? The clashes with Henry? Henry teaching him ? His winning of the horse and its effect on him, training it and the exhilaration of riding it?

12. Pike and his capacity for survival, for defying the elements and the Indians? The experience of joy with the horse? White Bull's ruse in taking it and his appearing from the pool? The obsession of Pike's pursuit? His being left alive? White Bull's defiance of him? How was this signified in Pike's relentless pursuit through all kinds of dangers and hardship? The jewels in the tree? Judith as needing to be rescued? The final fight and Pike's reaction to White Bull moving away?

13. White Bull and his final victory? The fact of the Indians winning, the whites invading Indian territory and losing, not taking over, not being at home?

14. How well did the film use the conventions of the western? Transcend them or use them differently from expectations?