Review of Flaming Star (1960) by Kevin R — 08 Jan 2016

The central premise involving a half-white/half-American Indian torn between the two halves of his ancestry consistently fails to work due to the fact that the very white Elvis Presley was chosen to embody this paradox.

The direction is average, simple pans and shot/reverse-shot norms adhered to throughout, but Presley does well in the lead role, his ethnicity aside. This was made with good intentions, the central narrative revolving around an indictment of racial bigotry, but the tone-deaf casting decisions effectively nullify this commentary (in another groan-worthy misstep, the Native American mother is played by a Mexican actress who attempts an awful accent to embarrassing results).

It's passable as a piece of filmmaking, but as a commentary on race relations it fails before it even begins thanks to the aforementioned casting problems.