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Flaming Star

© Bob Stenbaugh

Flaming Star (1960) Dir: Don Siegel Wr: Clair Huffaker & Nunnally Johnson DOP: Charles G. Clarke

"Flaming Star" is as deadly serious as Elvis ever got. He sings a song over the opening credits, another in the first two minutes, and then has nothing but his acting to carry him the rest of the way. Using a fairly typical half-breed plotline, dramatic tenison builds as Elvis must choose between protecting his race and the people he loves.

It is unremarkable as a western, but rather extraordinary as an Elvis picture.

There are no easy answers provided. The ending is ambiguous, difficult, and somber. Included amongst many dark, angry scenes is an attempted rape--played just as directly as it might be today--and perhaps most surprising of all, Elvis is given no love interest.

Presley plays a sympathetic character, but he is no hero. He delivers the best performance of his career on demand--there are no moments of comic relief, no easy romance, no musical interlude. He achieves what may be one of the great feats of acting in Hollywood history: making the viewer forget that he is Elvis Presley, the king of rock `n roll. How do you make the biggest star in the world disappear?

Much credit must be given to Don Siegel, who rose to fame with the unforgettable "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" four years earlier, and went on to direct one of the ol' west's greatest stars Clint Eastwood, in a number of box-office successes. He eliminates nearly all of the "Elvis-movie" trappings, leaving no comfort zones, and no excuses.

The only aspect of the film which seems studio-motivated is the cinematography. Much of the script calls for night scenes, which doesn't exactly make it easy to see Elvis's face expressing all these Oscar-caliber emotions. The result is some of the worst day-for-night photography I have ever come across--if the crickets weren't chirping you would think it was high noon.

Western fans will be pleased with the action, as well as the generally intelligent depiciton of Indian life. Elvis fans will be amazed at his performance, but perhaps disappointed with the dark nature of the film, including one decidedly unhappy ending. This may be Elvis's best film. Is "Man on the Moon" Jim Carrey's best film? I don't know. "Liar, Liar" will always make me laugh and "Blue Hawaii" will always warm my heart.

Note: Barbara Eden has a small supporting role--the rest of the faces are familiar to genre lovers only.