Watch The Stalking Moon For Free

Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

Pretty Good

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

In earlier generations, little boys played Cowboys and Indians, so the western was an enormously popular film genre up through the 1970s. The old stereotype of "cowboy-good, Indian-bad" has thankfully died out, and those types of movies aren't really made anymore. If you want a lesson in racist Americana, feel free to watch The Stalking Moon or any other "typical" western. If you're actually looking for a good movie, look elsewhere.Gregory Peck is about to retire from his job as a good cowboy who fights Indians for the army. His impending retirement is drummed into our heads quite often in the first ten minutes of the movie. During his last assignment, he and his side-kick, "The Breed", Robert Forester, rescue Eva Marie Saint from her terrible capture. Her young son, another "half-breed" is rescued as well, even though he clearly doesn't want to leave his people and the only world he's ever known. Nevertheless, despite his repeated escape attempts to go back home, Eva and Greg keep him close by. Eva, in a practically wordless performance, doesn't tell her rescuer that her son's father is a ruthless, evil murderer who will stop at nothing to get his son back. Then give him his son! The entire movie, I was shouting at the television, trying to convince Eva to return her son and save dozens of innocent lives.There's absolutely no reason why Greg continually puts himself in danger for this stranger and her son; he nor any other character in the film is given any character development to explain their actions. Greg is just "the good guy" and the vicious Indian is just "the bad guy". None of the Indians are given any spoken lines, but that's not very surprising in a film that actively perpetuates a bad relationship between the races. If that's not enough racism for you, here's one more tidbit: when Eva starts getting domesticated by Greg, her years-long tan starts to fade and her dusty blonde hair magically lightens. In other words, when she starts getting close with a white man, she starts looking "whiter" so the audience will be more likely to accept her.

This may sound strange, but, in some ways , this reminds me of Gregory Peck's much earlier and better remembered role in "The Yearling". Again, Peck is living in a primitive region, with a largely silent wife or woman companion and her half grown son. Of course, there are major differences. Here, the son is not his, and they don't understand each other's language., and the boy has divided loyalties toward his runaway mother and his brutal Apache father. The challenges are also quite different. Here, it's primarily a sandstorm, then several encounters with the woman's murderous husband, come to reclaim his son and perhaps wife. But, in the end, the family emerges stronger in their commitments to each other, having survived these challenges together....To some extent, this screenplay also reminds me of "Will Penny", as some others have mentioned.Eva Marie Saint, as Sarah, plays a very atypical European captive of the AZ Apache. She was captured as a married woman, traveling with her husband and several small boys, apparently as a single wagon. The husband and boys were killed, while she was spared, perhaps because of her blond hair and fair complexion. However, evidently she has been treated harshly during the intervening 10 years, causing her to shrink into the background and be minimally conversant when offered a chance at repatriation by a cavalry group, who discover her situation. Historically, she is very unusual, in that usually mature captured European women, especially with children, were raped and killed or occasionally kept for barter, by Native Americans of the Great Plains and Southwest. In contrast, captured children were often treated well, in hopes they would become loyal adult members of the tribe. Sarah is also unusual in that, when presented with the possibility of repatriation into European society after such a long absence, she is hesitantly enthusiastic, rather than fearful, and wants to bring her son with her. Apparently, this is because of the abusive treatment she has received from her husband and perhaps others. Sarah is also unusual in that captives who had spent some years living without contact with Europeans usually had forgotten nearly all their native language. Also, repatriated captives, especially women who had born children, were typically shunned as 'damaged goods'. Her Apache husband, by word of mouth, is portrayed as an unlikely superhuman: killing everyone by himself, at the isolated stage and train stations through which, Peck, Sarah and the boy passed, before trailing them to Peck's cabin in NW New Mexico.(How did he know where they were going or how to get there, especially since they traveled by train part way??.)Clearly, Sarah knew she was taking a big risk in bringing her son with her. Clearly, her son has divided loyalties toward her and his father, attempting to run away twice, once toward his father when he shows up outside Peck's cabin. She hoped she would obtain sufficient protective transport to some unknown destination beyond the practical reach of her husband. Like Peck's character, I don't understand why she didn't wait a few days to accompany the cavalry, rather than pressuring Peck alone to accompany her on an immediate flight toward public transport. Then, at the stage station, why did she accept Peck's suggestion that she change her destination from Topeka, KS: presumably beyond the range for her husband to find her, to Peck's isolated cabin in nearby NM, which might be within the practical range for her husband to find her? Yes, I understand that she had no idea how she might survive in Topeka or anywhere else, and that Peck seemed a kindly man, who offered an immediate home for her, but at the risk of endangering all their lives.In contrast to some of the other reviewers here, this film does not generally receive enthusiastic reviews from the professional reviewers, who complain it's too slow paced and lacking in action, except in the last part. Certainly , those who like fast action westerns , with bits of comedy and social gatherings thrown in, are advised to skip this one. On the other hand, Eva does as excellent job portraying a woman in a bad situation, who is confused what to do for her future and that of her son. The relationship between her, her son and Peck is realistically portrayed as initially rocky, but promising. In the parting scene, Peck is suffering from 2 serious gunshot wounds, as well as the loss of his 2 farm hands. In addition, Sarah presumably is still recovering from the severe beating by her husband. Thus, in the short run, they are in bad shape for running the farm/ranch, and Peck may well die soon of his wounds. But the mood implication is that he will recover.The rugged desert canyon scenery of southern Nevada, and Sonora, Mexico, enhances the feeling of isolation and danger from an unseen lurking enemy, as well as being interesting to the viewer.

I am very happy to see this film be released on DVD, because for years all a person could get was a VHS which had several scenes cut from the movie. (There must be a special place in Hell for those who edit great pictures!) Consequently, I threw my tape away, and only watched my homemade copy, which I had fortunately recorded off of TV before it was even released on VHS. This DVD contains the complete film. Hooray!The plot, the scripting, the casting, the scenery, and the acting were all superb,and the haunting music lends an unforgettable finishing touch. Robert Mulligan lives up to the high standard we have come to expect from him. All in all, a masterful western and a pretty authentic representation of the southwestern frontier.

THE STALKING MOON is one of the great "later" Hollywood westerns! Produced in 1968 it came at a time when westerns were losing something of their appeal. The picture had mixed reviews when it was first released but since then it has gained a sort of cult status and is now generally well praised by fans of the genre. I personally think more of it than that! I find it to be one of the finest westerns ever made and rate it among my top ten. So for me this release of the movie on DVD is more than welcome.From a splendid screenplay by Alvin Sargent and tight direction by Robert Mulligan "The Stalking Moon" is a highly charged suspense drama set in the west. Gregory Peck arguably gives his best performance in a western as the Arizona cavalry scout of 20 years who is now retiring to his newly acquired ranch in New Mexico. To keep house for him at the ranch he reluctantly takes on a woman (Eve Maria Saint) who has just been rescued from the Apaches along with her son - an Indian boy. The Indians had abducted her and was their prisoner for ten years. Peck feels for her plight and offers to hire her unaware that the boy's father, an infamous and murderous Apache by the name of Salvaje, wants his son back and leaving a trail of dead bodies in his wake has tracked them to the ranch. Edge of the seat tension and excitement then ensues as the Apache makes effort after effort to retrieve the boy with Peck just about deterring him at every turn but not before the deaths of any help he had mobilized. A game of cat and mouse develops between the two antagonists and excitement reaches fever pitch when finally alone Peck takes on his slippery foe in a fierce and climactic hand to hand fight to the death.It is all extremely well done especially never seeing what the fearsome Apache really looks like throughout the picture. Phantom-like he is only seen in fleeting glimpses now and then. Nathaniel Narcisco gives a superb performance of authenticity as the tireless Apache as does Noland Clay as the boy. The entire picture has a marvellous authentic thrust to it from its wonderful locations to the great characterisations of the cast. Excellent is Eve Maria Saint who's role is that of a browbeaten, tortured and sorrowful figure. Her performance is heartfelt and sincere! Also playing a good part is Robert Forster (never better) as the ill-fated half-breed friend of Peck who joins forces with him against the Apache and Russell Thorson as the caretaker of the ranch.This is a nail-biting thrill packed western thanks to a great cast, Mulligan's taut direction, Charles Lang's stylish Panavision/Color cinematography and an excellent atmospheric score by the underrated Fred Karlin who also provides a traditional and haunting whistled theme tune. A winner alright!