Karl May is a name that generations of Germans associate with Wild West adventures and rides into the sunset. His works, especially all the stories about Winnetou and his blood brother Old Shatterhand, inspired numerous adaptations, from cartoon series to live-action classics – and a comedy that in turn would shape generations again: The Shoe of Manitu
Not too long now and Michael “Bully” Herbig’s western comedy will receive a belated sequel with The Canoe of Manitu, thus continuing the Karl May-inspired series. Just two years ago, however, we received a completely new interpretation of May’s cult characters in a different guise: the children’s adventure film The Young Chief Winnetou. It is now available for streaming on Amazon Prime.
Before The Shoe of Manitu 2: At Amazon, a young Apache must grow into his role as a leader
Winnetou (Mika Ullritz) is only 12 years old. But he is already asking himself whether he can one day follow in the footsteps of his father and chief Intschu-Tschuna (Mehmet Kurtulus). Both he and his father are aware that the young Apache still has a lot to learn. How can he grow beyond yourself and learn to be a good leader?
An unexpected opportunity presents itself to him, when his tribe comes into trouble. Their main food source, the bison, just don’t seem to want to move to the area this year. The big bison hunt doesn’t happen. At the same time, Winnetou meets the orphan Tom Silver (Milo Haaf).
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Mike Ullritz and Milo Haaf in The Young Chief Winnetou
Tom knows what the disappearance of the bison is all about – the notorious outlaw Todd Crow (Anatole Taubman) is involved. Together, Winnetou, his sister Nscho-tschi (Lola Linnéa Padotzke) and Tom set out to save Winnetou’s tribe.
The young chieftain Winnetou is a free retelling of old Wild West stories
At this point we want The Young Chieftain Winnetou briefly classify: The film is only loosely based on Karl May’s book characters and stories in order to tell a new adventure story for children and families. Precisely because the original was not very representative and based on old stereotypes, both the film and the book about the film came under criticism at the time.
The characters on which the film is based and their world were created at a time when dealing with foreign cultures and ethnicities was significantly different than it is today. How exactly the film is between these opposing approaches We have prepared a detailed overview for you about the position and exactly which problems were discussed in 2022.
Nevertheless, The Young Chief Winnetou is an adventure story for young viewers. You can now watch it on Amazon Prime as part of the streaming offer.
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