Movie spotlight
A super-model begins to question her glitzy, frenetic lifestyle when she awakes after a all night party to find a strange man in her bed. She sees a surfer riding the waves below, follows him to his tented camp on the banks of a river. 'Leatherlip' earns a living making leather goods and roaming around on an extraordinary 'trike' with his worldly goods and surfboard strapped on an overhead rack. They fall in love and she abandons her previous life. Then inexplicably she disappears. Leatherlip sets off on a cross-country odyssey to find her, knowing only that her father lives on a boat on the West Coast...
In this gritty Western, a Native American warrior named Leatherlip seeks vengeance against the white settlers who wronged his people. As he embarks on his brutal quest, he encounters both allies and enemies, blurring the lines between justice and savagery. The film explores themes of revenge, cultural conflict, and the harsh realities of the American frontier.
Leatherlip is a lesser-known Western that received a mixed to negative reception upon its release. While some praised its attempts at a more complex portrayal of Native American characters and its gritty atmosphere, many critics found the film to be slow-paced, violent, and thematically muddled. Audience reception was similarly lukewarm, with few memorable elements standing out.
The film attempts a more nuanced depiction of its Native American protagonist but often falls into Western tropes.
Praised for its gritty realism and atmosphere, but criticized for a predictable plot and excessive violence.
Performances, particularly Michael Ansara's, are noted as a strong point, though the material is deemed uneven.
Google audience: Information regarding specific Google user reviews for Leatherlip (1972) is not readily available. However, general audience sentiment for films of this era and genre often appreciated straightforward action and performances, while potentially overlooking deeper thematic elements.
The film was shot on location in Utah, providing a visually authentic backdrop for the Western setting.
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As far as I know, this is a lost film. If anyone knows of an existing copy, please contact me. My thanks to 2nd Unit director **Josh Spencer** for supplying the info on this film. (Most of it from memory!). For those who are interested,...