Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
Abahachi, Chief of the Apache Indians, and his blood brother Ranger maintain peace and justice in the Wild West. One day, Abahachi needs to take up a credit from the Shoshone Indians to finance his tribe's new saloon. Unfortunately Santa Maria, who sold the saloon, betrays Abahachi, takes the money and leaves. Soon, the Shoshones are on the warpath to get their money back, and Abahachi is forced to organize it quickly.
Manitou's Shoe (Der Schuh des Manitu) is a genuinely singular German comedy phenomenon — a parody of Karl May's beloved Western novels that became the highest-grossing German film of its era. Its Novelty is legitimately high: it occupies a completely unique cultural niche, lampooning a specifically German obsession with romanticized Native American stories in a way no other film replicates. The plot is functional parody fare — coherent and serviceable but not particularly sophisticated. The acting is broad and committed in the way good farce demands, with Michael Herbig's dual roles carrying the film energetically. Cinematography is workmanlike at best, shot efficiently without much visual ambition. The ending wraps things up adequately but without great payoff, relying on familiar comedic resolution beats.