said that the one disappointment in the ending was that they didn't pause to morn the death of John Wayne's dog or his Indian friend Sharpnose. I agree that there should have been some even if only briefly. But that didn't ruin the movie which is a great one indeed and well worth watching. Any other opinions?
shareYeah, I kinda thought it was a bit odd that they didn't mourn the dog or his friend. But, like you said, it didn't ruin the movie for me. :)
shareI also agree. There should have been a brief moment to acknowledge the man who gave his life to help save little Jake. The dog also. The movie doesn't have a long running time--a minute or so to cover this ground would have been fine.
But I also agree that this flaw does not ruin an otherwise fun movie.
Yeah, one of my favorite John Wayne movies, but I also was upset that the dog and the Indian friend died. Never really thought about the fact that they didn't acknowledge the deaths, now that it's been mentioned it does seem odd, but still one of my favortie movies.
Having thought about this again, my first thought is that a lot of dogs will give their lives to protect their owners. It doesn't make it any better, but that's what the dog was doing, he wasn't sacrificed, he was protecting his family.
I don't remember exactly how this saying goes, but I think it explains the Indian dying. "There is no greater love than that a man should lay down his life for a friend."
Maybe it's on the cutting room floor? Perhaps when they make an anniversary edition dvd they will add it;)
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I posted this on another thread, because this subject alway gets to me.
I can't watch that scene. I get physically ill.
Having said that, I always took his willingness to sacrifice Dog and his Indian friend as his nod to how important his grandson's life was to him. Or human life, maybe. Remember, as much as he cared about and respected his friend, during this time in history, he was "still and Indian", not necessarily "human."
Interestingly, that theme is prevalent in many JW films, although usually with JW as the protector of the Indians.
Of course, he might have been afraid to bring Dog and Indian home to his wife!
I don't think the dog should've been killed off at all. It's like killing Lassie, for Pete's sake. It gives the movie a bummer ending that spoils the fun.
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Dear wvsarafan,
I meant "still an Indian" explicitly in quotations, as during the time this movie was made, and during the time the movie was depicting, Native Americans were often considered "still Indian," and often expendable.
It's not my bias - I'm 1/4 Coushatta Indian; it's my observation of the portrayal of Native Americans in American cinema during a specific period of time. I've also been involved in animal rescue for over 20 years, so let's say, I'm keen on the how animal treatment is portrayed in movies and television.
It's been said that John Wayne was dedicated to humanitarian rights for Native Americans and animal rights. Let's take this film for what it's worth.
Terry
It was definitely out of character for Jacob. Indian or not the man was his friend. Worse than not mourning him, they didn't even check his condition.
If I had to guess, I would say this is more the fault of the director or the editor - rather than the writer.
blktoptrvl -
Absolutely agree with your observation. The ending felt a little rushed and left a few loose ends.
Take care,
Terry
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Yeah, the freeze frame ending was slighty weak, although you can presume they will mourn their losses and clean up the mess. Maybe the final line could have been "let's bury good old Sam and the dog, and then let's go home..."
shareI always felt the movie should have ended with Jake, James and Michael returning Little Jake to Martha. That would put the rest about the mourning over Sam and Dog. However, the early part of the movie sorta makes up for this. When Martha tells Jake about Moses, Jake says, "He was always a lousy cook." Jake is not a man who feels easily.
shareI've felt this way since I first saw this film. I think little Jake kneeling besiade the dog with tears saying the dog had saved his life would have been sweet. As for Sam, all it would have taken was a couple of lines of dialogue. As James walks up, he could have said "Sam's dead, Pa..." Jacob could have said they'd take him home to his family. Then Michael or James could have asked if Jacob was going to go home himself. Jacob had great respect for native American culture so I'd say it's safe to assume they'd take Sam's body home.
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