Buck and the Preacher

Movie Review: Buck and the Preacher

Year of Release: 1972
Country of Origin: USA
Director: Sidney Poitier
Cast: Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, Ruby Dee

Plot outline: A con man helps a group of former slaves survive the perils of the wild West in their search for the promised land (IMDb).

Sidney Poitier's directorial debut, Buck and the Preacher is a slowly paced western that mixes action and comedy. His effort here is commendable, but the script ineffectively blends the two elements. Namely, the action is missing. The story builds slowly, but that isn't a bad thing; the characters are developed enough that viewers will want to stick around and see what happens to them. But, until the end, there is little but plotting and suspicious eyeing between Buck (Poitier), who used to be a sergeant in the Union Army, and the Preacher (an ex-con, played by Harry Belafonte). Despite excellent performances by Poitier and Belafonte, it never quite clicks. Nice, though, to see the Indians riding to the rescue instead of the Cavalry. (HP)

My judgement: **1/2 out of 4 stars