The McMasters (1970)
Directed by Alf Kjellin / Harold Jacob Smith
Genres - Western, War |
Sub-Genres - Revisionist Western |
Release Date - Aug 1, 1970 (USA - Unknown) |
Run Time - 90 min. |
Countries - United States |
MPAA Rating - PG
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Synopsis by Hal Erickson
Set in the immediate post-Civil War era, The McMasters stars Brock Peters as a black Union soldier who finds he must figuratively fight the war all over again. Returning to his southern hometown, Peters quickly learns that nothing has really changed: he is a "free"man in name only. Peters' ex-master Burl Ives magnanimously gives the former slave a plot of land, but only Native-American David Carradine and his tribesmen are willing to work for a black man. The "invasion" of Indians serves to stir up the racial divisiveness even farther, thanks to local rabble-rouser Jack Palance. The McMasters was originally released in two versions with two different endings, succinctly summing up the film's "no easy answers" stance.
Characteristics
Themes
Keywords
Black [race], Civil-War [US], hometown, master [slaveowner], Native-American, race-relations, veteran [military]