Sacred Ground (1983)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

A white trapper (Tim McIntire) and his pregnant young Apache bride (Serene Hedin) unknowingly build a home on a Paiute burial ground. The Paiutes don't like it. After some stuff happens, the trapper turns to crazy old Jack Elam for help. Not half-bad little western from Charles B. Pierce, best known for The Legend of Boggy Creek. Pierce clearly had an interest in all things Native American as he made a handful of westerns and, of course, the cult classic Vikings vs. Indians movie, The Norseman. One thing I can say about Pierce is that his movies intrigue me, even if they don't always fire on all cylinders.The main selling point of this one is the pretty scenery. The cast isn't terrible, either. Tim McIntire plays our "hero" and his performance is something else. Half the time he appears to be ad-libbing but it could just be that he forgot his lines and they didn't do multiple takes. Either way it adds a crudeness to his performance that winds up helping the film more than it probably should have. Vets Jack Elam and L.Q. Jones are fine in their scenery-chewing roles. Serene Hedin is lovely but not the greatest actress. She would make two more films with Pierce, including the notorious stinker Boggy Creek II.This isn't something I'd ever want to watch again but it's not bad. It's a little slow-going and the plot is hardly original but, as is often the case with Pierce movies, there are enough interesting things going on to keep my attention.

This story of a mountain man, his Indian wife, and their accidental violation of sacred ground, is both interesting and different. The movie has a gritty, authentic feel to it throughout. This really is minimalist entertainment, almost entirely filmed outdoors in southern Oregon. A couple of annoying glitches crop up, include disappearing and reappearing snow, and Indians who speak their native tongue or English at various times, without any rhyme or reason. Nevertheless, "Sacred Ground" is filled with authentic feeling characters, the standout being Jack Elam. Recommended for those seeking a story that you haven't seen before. - MERK

Do you want to feel the _real_ old West? "Sacred Ground" will show part of it to you. It is very much like being there. The characters are not posing or becoming legends. They are living on the screen. I don't care in this instance that the story and ending are only so-so... unusual but not deep. I rated this film a _9_ based upon: 1) almost perfect acting during 3/4 of the film; 2) authentic and beautiful outdoor location scenes; 3) worthwhile costumes; 4) very believable indoor sets; and 5) everything else being at least adequate. In the collision between European Americans and American Indians, this movie shows human values with more depth than "Little Big Man" or "Cheyenne Autumn." While they are struggling desperately in conflict, neither is given too much nobility nor too much shallowness. Who is the "hero" and who is wrong tends to shift organically as decisions pile up through time....more authentic even than some great movies like "High Noon" with Gary Cooper. ...... The editing tells the odd tale almost seamlessly with just a few glitches. One or two minor moments of "huh?" happen in the plot. Actor Tim McIntire lived several years in the wilds of Montana before electricity arrived. It seemed he was on "familiar ground" and not just "making a movie."

Story based in fact of a mountain man and his indian woman, who accidentally violate sacred burial mountain of the Piute's, the ensuing battle, and eventual truce after quite a few lost lives. A white man who CARES that he had encroached on these peoples sacred land, and would have liked to have just gotten off and gone away, but unfortunately doesn't get to. Very beautiful scenery shots of the Rocky mountains and some pretty nice music, make up for some of the acting. Along the lines of Grizzly Adams, Sellier does a good job on probably a rather tight budget. I enjoy rewatching this from time to time. Even if it is a bit of a dated piece.