When people talk about 1970s cinema, they usually go straight to The Godfather or Jaws. But if you grew up in that era or you're a massive fan of revisionist Westerns, you know that A Man Called Horse was a massive deal. It wasn't just another cowboy movie. It was weird, violent, and—for its time—obsessed with being "authentic." The a man called horse cast had to pull off something incredibly difficult: making a brutal, ritual-heavy story about the Lakota Sioux feel like more than just a gimmick.
Richard Harris was the big name, obviously. He was fresh off Camelot and had this wild, intense energy that made him perfect for playing an English aristocrat who gets captured and essentially treated like a beast of burden. But the movie’s legacy doesn't just sit on his shoulders. It’s the supporting players—the Indigenous actors and the European character actors—who actually ground the thing.
Most people don't realize that when this movie came out in 1970, it was marketed as a breakthrough in Indigenous representation. Looking back from 2026, we see the flaws, sure. But at the time, seeing actors like Iron Eyes Cody or Manu Tupou on screen in major roles was a shift away from the "John Wayne era" where white guys in redface were still a thing.
Richard Harris and the Agony of Being John Morgan
Richard Harris was a force of nature. Honestly, the guy was a bit of a madman on set. To play John Morgan, he had to go through the infamous "Vow to the Sun" ceremony. You know the one—where he’s hoisted up by pins in his chest. That wasn't just clever editing. Harris actually insisted on a level of physical realism that probably wouldn't fly with modern safety coordinators.
He played Morgan not as a hero, but as a man who is utterly broken and then rebuilt. His performance is mostly physical. Think about it: he doesn't even speak the language for most of the film. He has to communicate through grunts, stares, and eventually, a sort of desperate adaptation. This was Harris at his peak, before he became the beloved Dumbledore we all know. He brought a Shakespearean weight to a role that could have been very "B-movie" in the hands of someone like Clint Eastwood or Charles Bronson.
📖 Related: Donna Summer Endless Summer Greatest Hits: What Most People Get Wrong
The Indigenous Perspective: Judith Anderson and Manu Tupou
Here is where the a man called horse cast gets really interesting. Dame Judith Anderson played Buffalo Cow Head. Now, wait a minute—Judith Anderson was an Australian actress, most famous for being the terrifying Mrs. Danvers in Hitchcock's Rebecca. Having her play an elderly Lakota woman is one of those "of its time" casting choices that feels jarring today. However, her performance is incredibly disciplined. She’s mean, she’s haggard, and she treats Harris like a dog. It’s a bizarre bit of casting that somehow works because she’s such a powerhouse.
Then you have Manu Tupou as Yellow Hand. Tupou was actually from Fiji, not a member of the Lakota. This is a common theme in the film; the production sought "authentic looks" but often grabbed actors from various backgrounds. Despite that, Tupou brings a quiet dignity to the role. He isn't a villain. He's a leader. He views Morgan as a tool, then a pet, and finally a warrior. The chemistry—or lack thereof—between him and Harris is what makes the middle hour of the movie move.
The Real People in the Background
Director Elliot Silverstein actually used hundreds of members of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe as extras. This is the part people forget. While the leads were often "name" actors, the atmosphere was created by people living the culture the movie was trying to portray. They filmed on location in South Dakota, and the harshness of the landscape is a character in itself. You can feel the cold. You can see the dust.
Corinna Tsopei: From Miss Universe to the Plains
One of the most striking faces in the a man called horse cast is Corinna Tsopei, who played Running Deer. If she looked like a literal queen, it’s because she was—she won Miss Universe in 1964. Her role is the "love interest," but it’s handled with a bit more grit than the usual Western trope.
👉 See also: Do You Believe in Love: The Song That Almost Ended Huey Lewis and the News
She doesn't speak English. There are no subtitles for her dialogue. You have to figure out their relationship through their eyes. It’s a bold choice for a 1970 studio film. Tsopei hadn't done a ton of acting before this, and she didn't do much after, but her presence in the film is haunting. She represents the life Morgan is trying to earn a place in.
Why the Casting Choices Mattered (and Still Do)
Let's be real: the movie has its critics. Scholars like Vine Deloria Jr. have pointed out that the "Vow to the Sun" ceremony was actually a Mandan ritual, not Lakota. The a man called horse cast was caught in this weird middle ground between Hollywood artifice and a genuine attempt at ethnography.
- Jean Gascon played Batise, the "half-breed" captive who acts as Morgan's guide. Gascon was a huge deal in Canadian theater. His character is the tragic comic relief—the man who has been a "horse" for too long and has lost his mind.
- Iron Eyes Cody appears as the Medicine Man. Cody is a fascinating, if controversial, figure. He claimed Indigenous heritage for decades, though it was later revealed he was of Italian descent. Regardless of his personal history, he was the go-to guy for "Native" roles for half a century.
- Dub Taylor has a tiny role at the beginning as a hunter. If you like Westerns, you know Dub Taylor. He’s the grizzled old guy in every Sam Peckinpah movie.
The mix of high-brow stage actors (Harris, Anderson, Gascon) and "character" types created a texture that was totally different from the clean-shaven, Technicolor Westerns of the 50s. It felt dirty. It felt dangerous.
The Physical Toll on the Actors
This wasn't a "trailer and latte" kind of shoot. The a man called horse cast dealt with extreme weather and legitimate physical danger. Richard Harris reportedly hated the harness used for the suspension scene. It was painful. It was bloody. He stayed in that headspace for weeks.
✨ Don't miss: Disney Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas Light Trail: Is the New York Botanical Garden Event Worth Your Money?
The extras from the Rosebud reservation weren't just there for window dressing. They were consultants on the beadwork, the tipis, and the song. Even if the script got the tribes mixed up, the visual details provided by the local cast members gave the film a documentary-like feel that still holds up on 4K Blu-ray today.
Comparing the Sequels
If you really want to understand the a man called horse cast, you have to look at the sequels: The Return of a Man Called Horse (1976) and Triumphs of a Man Called Horse (1983).
Harris came back for both, but the magic dissipated. The first film worked because it was about a man losing his identity. The sequels turned him into a bit of a "white savior" superhero. The original cast had a balance. By the third movie, it felt like a TV production. If you’re going to watch this series, stick to the 1970 original. The casting of the first film is where the lightning was caught in a bottle.
How to Appreciate the Film Today
If you're looking to revisit the movie or watch it for the first time, don't just watch Harris. Watch the background. Look at the way the Lakota characters interact with each other when the "white man" isn't in the frame. That’s where the real heart of the movie is.
Actionable Insights for Cinephiles
- Check the Credits: Look for the names of the Indigenous consultants. Many of them were tribal elders who tried to bring as much accuracy as the Hollywood system would allow.
- Compare to Dances With Wolves: Watch A Man Called Horse and then watch Kevin Costner’s epic. You’ll see exactly where Costner got his inspiration, but you'll also see that Horse is much darker and less sentimental.
- Research the Vow to the Sun: Read about the actual O-kee-pa ceremony of the Mandan people. It helps you separate the Hollywood fiction from the real spiritual practices of the Plains tribes.
- Track Richard Harris’s Career: Notice the shift in his acting style after this film. It hardened him. He went from being a "pretty boy" lead to a rugged, weathered character actor.
The a man called horse cast represents a specific moment in film history. It was the bridge between the old-school Western and the gritty, realistic "New Hollywood" of the 70s. It isn't perfect, but the commitment of the actors—especially the Indigenous extras and the intense Richard Harris—makes it a landmark that can't be ignored. If you want to see a movie that isn't afraid to be uncomfortable, this is the one.
Go watch the 4K restoration. The cinematography by Robert B. Hauser is stunning, and it finally does justice to the work the cast put in under that South Dakota sun. It’s a brutal, beautiful piece of work that stays with you long after the credits crawl.