Elvis Presley was a hugely influential performer with one of the most distinctive singing voices of anybody. He embarked on a film career consisting of 33 films from 1956 to 1969, films that did well at the box-office but mostly panned critically (especially his later films) and while he was a highly charismatic performer he was never considered a great actor.'Flaming Star', to me and most likely many others, is in the top 3 of Elvis' films. The other two being 'Jailhouse Rock' and 'King Creole'. All three living proof that some of Elvis' early films are pretty good or more and that he could give a good performance when his material allowed it. Can definitely understand why his later films are not highly thought of generally. 'Flaming Star' is a different Elvis film, being grittier and more dignified than most of his films as well as one of his most emotional and it is much more of a western than it is a musical (with there only being two songs and both sung early on).Thankfully it is also a good different Elvis film. Sure the ending is abrupt and there are a few suspension of disbelief moments (i.e. in the desert). However Elvis gives perhaps the second best acting performance he's ever given after 'King Creole', giving a performance of great intensity and honest emotion.He is very well supported by a top notch cast, including Steve Forrest, Dolores Del Rio and John McIntire. As well as the brilliant direction of Don Siegel, one of the best directing jobs for an Elvis film along with Michael Curtiz's for 'King Creole'. The little songs there are are still hauntingly beautiful, and the rousing but affecting music score is a perfect fit.Advantaging things further are a surprisingly dignified and meaty script (two adjectives you don't associate often with scripts for an Elvis film) and a story that's gripping in its poignant tragedy and gritty violent nature. The tension is sustained beautifully while the photography and scenery are first-class.In summary, a different and very good Elvis Presley film. 8/10 Bethany Cox

This is definitely one of the best film Elvis Presley ever starred in; he delivered a great, dramatic performance in a superb action story. No doubt about it, in "Flaming Star," Presley is an ACTOR. And a damned good one too. (He only sings two songs, and they are presented right at the beginning so the film can then get down to business.)I've seen all of Elvis's movies, but Flaming Star is the one film whereby his talent as an actor in a dramatic role comes forth highly convincing on the screen. John McIntyre and Delores Del Rio; superbly cast as parents of two brothers who through racial conflict pull apart, then rejoin to save the life of the other. A classic western with Steve Forrest at his best and Barbara Eden in a role you can't easily forget. Too many great actors to mention here. And they all do a good job including one of my favorites LQ Jones.Directed by Don Siegel who directed Clint Eastwood in Dirty Harry and you have one fine film. If you're looking for an Elvis musical, with the rock star persona in full blast, go for "Jailhouse Rock. If you want a fun Elvis movie with good music, go for the charming "Via Las Vegas." If you want to see a plain great film with Elvis Presley showing his potential as a serious actor -- go for FLAMING STAR. You won't regret it.

Viewing the relatively recent release on Blu-ray of Elvis Presley's Flaming Star has provided a certain opportunity for reappraisal of the 1960 western. Technically, the transfer is quite stunning. The HD format truly enriches the viewing experience. The sense of frontier terrain is indeed very strong, emphasizing the troubled period setting of this powerful drama.The film is so far removed from any work in Elvis Presley's film canon. This was not his only example of portraying an edgy, troubled character, and although he is clearly the star, he was performing with actors who had as much screen time as himself - a truly outstanding ensemble cast. What Flaming Star amounts to is Elvis Presley in a Don Siegel vehicle. His engagement with the material, and with Siegel as director, placed him in an entirely different category from his other screen work. Don Siegel's comments on Presley's performance serve to reinforce this departure: "Presley surprised me with his sensitivity as an actor. He could have become an acting star and not just a singing star. If you could hire Elvis Presley to play a straight part, without having to worry about his golden voice or gyrations of the hip, I think he could do the most wonderful parts".Clair Huffaker, author of the novel Flaming Lance on which the film was based, added his weight to the perception of Presley as a dramatic screen performer when he offered: "Elvis Presley has accomplished in this film what Frank Sinatra accomplished in From Here to Eternity - become recognized as a serious, capable actor".The film's thematic structure, concerning racial tension in the Old West, has certainly been addressed on many occasions, with this particular story highlighting the escalating aggression on both sides of the racial divide. Although the Native Americans, Kiowa Tribe, in this story commit acts of horrific violence, there is a sympathetic slant to their plight. In protecting their land and their people, there is simply no other choice but to use brute force against their aggressors.Elvis Presley's role as the half-breed subjected to intense hatred by both sides presented him with the chance to deliver a meaningful, brooding performance. He was just twenty-five years old at the time, had not long completed his two-year army service, and had just recently achieved the status of black belt in karate. Flaming Star was possibly his most physical role and he engaged in violent fight scenes very believably. Don Siegel was incredibly impressed by Presley's skills:"When it came to karate Elvis had few peers. I hired a black-belt stuntman,who was an instructor for the Marines, but when they had their scene, a roughtough fight, Elvis proved embarrassing: he was twice as fast and twice as goodas the Marine instructor".Presley's management insisted there should be songs, despite the seriousness of the subject matter. Incredibly, four songs were recorded for the film. At a test screening, the invited audience actually laughed at one of the obviously inappropriate choices. Elvis himself intervened over this issue, commenting some time later: "When Flaming Star was made, there were four songs in it. I considered they should all go out. This was a dramatic role and I wantedto keep it that way. For days and days I fought, and in the end they did cutout two of them. If I had had my way there would have been nothing".Tension in the story is almost immediate. At the opening party there is a very awkward moment in a statement made about the Indian mother, Dolores Del Rio, - the precursor to much conflict in the ensuing events. Presley's character, Pacer, is so protective of her as he has virtually no trust or feelings for anyone else - given the hatred shown towards them. In a scene where two unsavory characters attempt to assault his mother, Pacer dispenses an unbelievably brutal beating to them both. There is even a scene included where he effectively menaces a small child - an almost unthinkable moment in any Presley film, when you consider how protective of children he was in later film characterizations.The conflict builds and builds. There is palpable mistrust everywhere. Siegel ensures the pace never flags, as the story moves from one violent act to yet another. It reaches the heights to where Pacer is even distanced from his own brother and sees no future but to be part of the Indian uprising. Given the propensity for Hollywood westerns to show Indians taking souvenir scalps, the film has a great line from Presley, when he briefly pretends to be one of the warring Kiowa group, as his brother,Steve Forrest,comments that his hair is too short -Pacer: "If we're not out of here by sun-up, it'll be a lot shorter!".By the time of the film's incredibly downbeat finale, three members of the main family, the Burtons, have been violently killed, and the one remaining member is seriously injured. As a family attempting to live a decent life in an interracial environment, it clearly was not meant to be. Flaming Star may not have been totally ahead of its time, but it does make for very thought-provoking viewing in terms of racial intolerance and its sad consequences.Elvis Presley's performance in Flaming Star is a virtual tour-de-force. He commands the screen at all times with an explosive presence perfectly suited to the conflicted character he is portraying. Along with his earlier King Creole (1958) this is the type of performance that should have given him greater credibility within Hollywood. The sad reality is that, with his later film choices in, mostly, lightweight roles, these dramatic works became seriously overlooked. What a truly unfortunate view on a career that should have been so very different and so much more rewarding.

White settlers battling Indians is a standard Hollywood storyline. But what happens when one frontier household contains both Whites and Indians? Which side does the household identify with, and support? That's the question, provocative for its era, in this early 1960's Western from director Don Siegel.The story's characters are mostly stereotyped, especially the Indians who lack individuality. They are the story's antagonistic force, consistent with racial bias of previous decades. Further, that they speak English instead of their native language supports their status as two-dimensional cartoon figures, hardly more than movable set pieces.On the other hand, the film's dialogue at least provides the Indians with a motivational rationale for their hostility. At one point in the film, their chief, Buffalo Horn, tells Pacer, the half-breed: "Whose land is this? Who has lived here since the beginning of time? They (the Whites) come against us, forever cutting deeper and deeper into our land, forever pushing". That's a big improvement in dialogue from earlier Westerns.Filmed unfortunately in Cinema Scope, the visuals have an annoying letterbox projection. But the lonesome "Texas" landscape is beautiful and, when combined with the sound of a howling wind, creates an evocative, melancholy mood. The use of camera filters is obvious in this film. And I could sometimes not tell if a scene was supposed to be day or night.Casting and acting are acceptable. For a professional singer, Elvis gives a fine performance.The "flaming star" title refers to a personal vision at the onset of death, as described in the title song, which is quite beautiful and haunting. But the film's nondescript score is super annoying, especially toward the end, when it overwhelms the plot action.The film has a Hollywood look and feel that screams: studio production. Yet, the story of a family caught in the middle of racial conflict, with attendant thematic implications, and the script's intelligent dialogue deserve respect from viewers. Further, some of the visuals are captivating. And my overall assessment of this film is mildly positive.