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The Mark of the Hawk

1958 1h 23m Drama List
Reviews 73% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
After attending school in England, Obam (Sidney Poitier) returns to his African homeland where he is elected to the legislative council. One of the only natives on the council, Obam soon finds himself caught in an impossible battle. On one side are the interests of the British colonists, on the other are those of his own people. It will take the help of Obam's wife, Renee (Eartha Kitt), and sympathetic missionary Bruce Craig (John McIntire) to keep the situation from boiling over.
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The Mark of the Hawk

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Ken R Mark Of The Hawk - Rare Look At Deadly Differences Not a lot seems to be known of producer/writer Lloyd Young but his remarkable original story and screenplay are earnestly brought to the screen in this unusually thoughtful story. With a Masters degree in writing, H. Kenn Carmichael (who was also moderator for the synod of Southern California and Hawaii) contributed to the complex screenplay. It details the early beginnings of racial unrest in 1940s-50s Africa. The powerful international cast includes Sidney Poitier, Juano Hernandez, Eartha Kitt, and John McIntire, along with an array of impressive British-based players. This unusual film and only feature directorial effort (of American dialogue director) Michael Audley - outlines the volatile mix involved in sparking the backlash between British and African nationals. The intelligent script highlights how a group of dedicated Christians (from both sides of the color bar) attempted to resolve a deadly uprising through a message of love and hope. A message that could have brought harmony to an unnecessarily deadly situation. Tragically to this day, through corruption and ignorance - it remains a message that promises a way out of the unending deadly hatred. Much of it is nicely filmed within African locations in Technicolour and SuperScope by noted cinematographer Erwin Hillier (A Canterbury Tale, The Dam Busters). Appears it's difficult to find a remastered DVD but some suppliers claim to be offering better transfers than others - so shop around & ask questions before buying. I bought the Elstree Hill release (Pickwick Group) that's taken from a poorish telecine taped transfer. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/27/21 Full Review Audience Member Hoooooly mackeral. You're going to have to see this film two or three times to get the full impact of it. One word describes it - Deep. I mean, really deep. The kind of film you walk away from with your head slung down going, "Dayum." The acting is top-notch and did I mention the story was deep. And nice use of symbolism in this film. :up: Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis After attending school in England, Obam (Sidney Poitier) returns to his African homeland where he is elected to the legislative council. One of the only natives on the council, Obam soon finds himself caught in an impossible battle. On one side are the interests of the British colonists, on the other are those of his own people. It will take the help of Obam's wife, Renee (Eartha Kitt), and sympathetic missionary Bruce Craig (John McIntire) to keep the situation from boiling over.
Director
Michael Audley
Producer
Lloyd Young
Screenwriter
Lloyd Young, H. Kenn Carmichael, Lloyd Young
Production Co
Universal/Universal Int
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 28, 2016
Runtime
1h 23m
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