Seldom does a film that depicts the plight of the American Indian avoid the cliches of how badly white men treat their red brothers, causing disillusioned Indians to retreat to their reservations and fill themselves with alcohol. A bit of this is in WHEN THE LEGENDS DIE, but it refrains
from hitting the viewer over the head and filling him with guilt. Forrest plays a young Indian who makes his first contact with whites through the rodeo, and especially through his relationship with Widmark, a no-good drunkard who has little respect for anything beyond his immediate pleasure.
Widmark notes the skill with which Forrest handles horses, a skill he learned while a young boy in the Colorado mountains. The older man makes the youth a star bronco rider, and in no time he is winning rodeo after rodeo. But Widmark's chance to make money soon comes into play, and he begins
fixing events and makes a killing on gambling. He squanders the winnings without Forrest ever seeing a cent. Before long Forrest resents Widmark's antics and takes off in search of success on his own. Allowing a driving desire for success to control him, Forrest makes it all the way to the World
Championships. After Forrest has a stint in the hospital because of his recklessness in the ring, he makes his way back to Widmark. The white man is closing in on death but feeling rejuvenated enough, by the mere presence of the youthful Indian, to steal the remains of Forrest's money and embark
on one last spree, which leaves him hopelessly ill and destined to die shortly. Forrest has one last chance to see the man who treated him so badly, and despite Widmark's abuse, he feels genuine loss when Widmark dies, and performs the Indian ritual of burning Widmark's belongings. Forrest then
returns to the reservation where he had always wanted to remain as a teacher of Indian customs, but had been sent away by the reservation's elders to learn first the ways of the white man. Having done this Forrest can now lead a peaceful life on the reservation.
Much of what is depicted in WHEN THE LEGENDS DIE was uncommon for the cinema of the 1970s, from the rodeo ring to the broken-down existence of many towns of the West. The strongest among these is the friendship that develops between Widmark and Forrest. Almost father-and-son in nature, their
relationship is complex, for the viewer is not quite sure what force keeps them together. As always, Widmark is brilliant, his grizzled exterior fitting in perfectly with the hardened and heartless character he portrays. leave a comment
