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Flaming
Star (1960)
Reviewed
by Nikarius |
 |
Rating:
For
Elvis fans!
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| Director |
Don
Siegel |
| Stars |
Elvis
Presley
Steve Forrest
Barbara Eden
Dolores Del Rio |
| Length |
96
minutes |
| Country |
USA |
| Genres |
Western
Drama |
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Flaming
Star is a western, and a pretty grim one at that. In fact there’s
hardly an Elvis song to liven the mood either – the only one
is played right at the start over the opening credits. This
is truly a Sunday afternoon movie when you’ve got nothing else
to do.
The movie theme is kind of cowboys verses Indians with a twist.
Elvis plays Pacer Burton, a man with mixed race white-native
Indian heritage. His character is caught between a proverbial
rock and a hard place when tensions between the white settlers
and the local Indian are running high. Things are further complicated
with rivalries between Pacer and his brother, who is not of
mixed race heritage.
The central question is on which side do Pacer Burton’s loyalties
lie? His reluctance to get involved with the troubles gets him
the label of coward and half-breed. Violence results and, overall,
it’s all pretty grim stuff really.
What is interesting about this movie is the fact that Elvis
is not playing his usual character – this one is much more character
driven than others he has played, and without the music, there’s
nothing to fall back on. It’s kind of a unique curiosity and,
generally, he does as good a job as a singer can but this reviewer
was left ambivalent by the whole experience.
Is there a happy ending? You’ll have to find out for yourself…
DVD Extras
The DVD contains quaint trailers for Flaming Star, Wild in the
Country and Love Me Tender.
Flaming Star was released on 4th November 2002.
Other Elvis reviews:
Love Me Tender
Wild in the Country |
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