Sidney Poitier is a Civil War veteran who makes a living helping freed slaves travel to new land in the west. He's opposed by a troop of ex-Confederate soldiers lead by Cameron Mitchell, who are trying to drive them back to the South and force them back to plantation jobs.
Fleeing Mitchell, Poitier encounters Harry Belafonte, a con man posing as a travelling preacher. Poitier initially distrusts him ... and with good reason ... but after a particularly vicious attack on a wagon train, Belafonte and Poitier team up to get the settlers to safety.
Poitier initially hired Joseph Sargent to direct this film, but took over the reigns after a few days to help give the film a more authentic perspective. It was a good call, since other than really good lead performances, the perspective on the lives of the freed slaves seeking new lives is the only thing that really distinguishes this from your average western of this period. I don't really mean this as a knock on the film, since it's a well-directed and acted film, but it's also a fairly routine western.
Things do really pick up in the last act, which has some pretty tense action sequences. All and all, it's a fine directorial debut and one of the classiest Blaxploitation westerns of the period.
Fleeing Mitchell, Poitier encounters Harry Belafonte, a con man posing as a travelling preacher. Poitier initially distrusts him ... and with good reason ... but after a particularly vicious attack on a wagon train, Belafonte and Poitier team up to get the settlers to safety.
Poitier initially hired Joseph Sargent to direct this film, but took over the reigns after a few days to help give the film a more authentic perspective. It was a good call, since other than really good lead performances, the perspective on the lives of the freed slaves seeking new lives is the only thing that really distinguishes this from your average western of this period. I don't really mean this as a knock on the film, since it's a well-directed and acted film, but it's also a fairly routine western.
Things do really pick up in the last act, which has some pretty tense action sequences. All and all, it's a fine directorial debut and one of the classiest Blaxploitation westerns of the period.