(There are Spoilers) Refreshingly honest, for it's time 1957, movie about the horrors that were facing the African countries who after the Second World War were emerging from the colonialism imposed on them by the European Colonialist Powers.
Obam,Sidney Poitier, has been doing his best for his people through the all black or African political labor party he's been leading and has now been accepted by the white colonial government as a member of it's legislator. Feeling that his brother has sold out to his country's colonial establishment the hot headed Kanda, Clifton Macklin, is now not only stirring up hatred against the government but implicating his brother Obam, who's name in African means hawk, by hanging dead hawks all over the countryside. To make things even worse Kanda has been hanging the dead hawks in front of white settlers homes.
Obam trying to get his brother to see that violence will only beget violence later ends up seeing things his brother way instead. This happens when the government refused to give his people the right to vote with the exception of land owners! Land which Obam's people by law are not allowed to own!
As Obam, seeing that there's no hope in negotiating with the white establishment, turns radical his good friend and mentor Christian Missionary Bruce Craig, John McIntire,tries to get him to see that he's, as well as his brother Kanda, being manipulated by the Communists in his labor party. The Communist who's aim is rule by violence not freedom only want power for themselves not freedom for Obam's people. At first Obam is anything but receptive to Craigs pleas for love and understanding and goes full tilt into revolutionary mode. Going along with the radical Kanda in stirring up trouble Obam's wife Renee, Eartha Kitt in her first major movie role, also tries to get him to to see that what he's doing will only lead to death and destruction for his people and nation!
With the dye now cast for an native uprising against the colonial powers in control of their country Craig in a last desperate effort to get Obam to see his way reveals what happened to him and his wife Barbara, Helen Horton, back in China before and after the Communist took over. Obam is shocked to hear what happened there, after the Communist takeover, and now knows what will happen now when the Communists, who have now taken over Obam's labor party movement, take control of his country!
Bittersweet ending with both Obam and Kanda getting caught up with the madness and violence that swept across their country. It was Craig and his fellow Christian Missionaries Amugu and Sandar Lei, Juano Hernandez & Marne Mathland, that in the end get Obam to see the light in that what he, and Kanda, were doing will only play into the hands of the terrorist-controlled Communist elements. With the Communists getting their way they in the end, like in Communist China, will destroy everything that both Obam & Kanda fought for all these years.
Obam now seeing what he's done in lending a hand in his brother ill conceived revolt tries to stop the uprising against the colonialist government before it's too late. Craig for his part put his life on the line running out into the line of fire, between the rampaging Africans and defending white settlers, to stop this madness from getting out of control!
Outstanding performance by the 30 year-old Sidney Poitier that was as good if not better as his Academy Award effort in "Lillies in the Field" or as a back Philadelphia detective in the deep south in the film "In the Heat of the Night". The fact that "The Mark of the Hawk" is almost unknown to the movie going public in not being shown on TV for at least 30 years or available, until recently, on DVD or video tape has people not realize what a great and timely movie it really is.
P.S The multi-talented Eartha Kitt in her first staring movie role as Obam's wife Renee also sings the movies team song "this Man is Mine" referring of course to her husband in the film Obam.
Obam,Sidney Poitier, has been doing his best for his people through the all black or African political labor party he's been leading and has now been accepted by the white colonial government as a member of it's legislator. Feeling that his brother has sold out to his country's colonial establishment the hot headed Kanda, Clifton Macklin, is now not only stirring up hatred against the government but implicating his brother Obam, who's name in African means hawk, by hanging dead hawks all over the countryside. To make things even worse Kanda has been hanging the dead hawks in front of white settlers homes.
Obam trying to get his brother to see that violence will only beget violence later ends up seeing things his brother way instead. This happens when the government refused to give his people the right to vote with the exception of land owners! Land which Obam's people by law are not allowed to own!
As Obam, seeing that there's no hope in negotiating with the white establishment, turns radical his good friend and mentor Christian Missionary Bruce Craig, John McIntire,tries to get him to see that he's, as well as his brother Kanda, being manipulated by the Communists in his labor party. The Communist who's aim is rule by violence not freedom only want power for themselves not freedom for Obam's people. At first Obam is anything but receptive to Craigs pleas for love and understanding and goes full tilt into revolutionary mode. Going along with the radical Kanda in stirring up trouble Obam's wife Renee, Eartha Kitt in her first major movie role, also tries to get him to to see that what he's doing will only lead to death and destruction for his people and nation!
With the dye now cast for an native uprising against the colonial powers in control of their country Craig in a last desperate effort to get Obam to see his way reveals what happened to him and his wife Barbara, Helen Horton, back in China before and after the Communist took over. Obam is shocked to hear what happened there, after the Communist takeover, and now knows what will happen now when the Communists, who have now taken over Obam's labor party movement, take control of his country!
Bittersweet ending with both Obam and Kanda getting caught up with the madness and violence that swept across their country. It was Craig and his fellow Christian Missionaries Amugu and Sandar Lei, Juano Hernandez & Marne Mathland, that in the end get Obam to see the light in that what he, and Kanda, were doing will only play into the hands of the terrorist-controlled Communist elements. With the Communists getting their way they in the end, like in Communist China, will destroy everything that both Obam & Kanda fought for all these years.
Obam now seeing what he's done in lending a hand in his brother ill conceived revolt tries to stop the uprising against the colonialist government before it's too late. Craig for his part put his life on the line running out into the line of fire, between the rampaging Africans and defending white settlers, to stop this madness from getting out of control!
Outstanding performance by the 30 year-old Sidney Poitier that was as good if not better as his Academy Award effort in "Lillies in the Field" or as a back Philadelphia detective in the deep south in the film "In the Heat of the Night". The fact that "The Mark of the Hawk" is almost unknown to the movie going public in not being shown on TV for at least 30 years or available, until recently, on DVD or video tape has people not realize what a great and timely movie it really is.
P.S The multi-talented Eartha Kitt in her first staring movie role as Obam's wife Renee also sings the movies team song "this Man is Mine" referring of course to her husband in the film Obam.