In colonial Africa, there's a tension-filled rift between the natives and the British, signaled by the title. When a British house has been targeted, a dead hawk is hung upside down on his front porch. The Mark of the Hawk is supposed to become an icon of dread for both audiences and those in the movie, but really, when is a dead, upside down hawk not a bad omen? The heads of both ends of the struggle are John McIntire and Sidney Poitier. John is a missionary with certain reasons for his affection for Sidney, and Sidney is torn between what's expected of him and what he thinks is right. Eartha Kitt makes her film debut as Sidney's wife, and she looks absolutely beautiful while they attend fancy parties and schmooze with dignitaries. If you really like Sidney or Eartha, you can give this movie a try, but there's really only a specific group of moviegoers who will enjoy this one: religious audiences. There's a very strong religious theme throughout the film, one that rivals TV movies at Christmas.
Review of The Mark of the Hawk
