The only reason I am giving this movie an "8" is because I can see why some people might be confused. Othewise, I cannot understand so much negativity towards this movie.
I will admit that I may have a slight advantage based on being raised by a mother who knows her Indian history and in particular, her Lakota history. I have also been to the area around Pine Ridge several times, so envisioning it wasn't difficult.
Without being able to do a 4 or 5 hour production, I think they did an outstanding job of showing the plight of the Native people and their struggle to exist under unfair and harsh conditions. It was rather plain to me and not colored over for the sake of the film. Showing the reality of Sitting Bull as a leader, as a man, as a captive was eloquent and very real to me.
Aidan Quinn was excellent in portraying a Christian man who honestly felt he was doing the right thing, but operating without a full understanding of what was being taken for the people he thought he was helping. Adam Beach did a great job of playing a young man disillusioned by the world he was forced into and saddened by what was happening to his people.
Some of the best moments of the film seemed simple outwardly, but were in fact so powerful that I cried. When Charles has his braids cut before going off to school, I felt so sad at that part of his culture being stripped from him. When the Indian men are lined up at Charles's window, asking for cod liver oil for the alcohol content, and when Sitting Bull arrives at the agency and is told that he no better than any other man there, those are some powerful moments. In fact, there were so many, I cannot count. Perhaps my favorite was the conversation between Gall and Sitting Bull in which Gall basically tells Sitting Bull that he has sold out and how much it has hurt him because of his view of him as a man who would never give up.
The only issues I could even mention about the movie is that at times it was hard to know who was who. It took me until the second time of watching to realize who was Gall and who was American Horse.
Watching all of the extras and commentary on this film gave me even more of an appreciation for what was attempting to be told in this film.
I will admit that I may have a slight advantage based on being raised by a mother who knows her Indian history and in particular, her Lakota history. I have also been to the area around Pine Ridge several times, so envisioning it wasn't difficult.
Without being able to do a 4 or 5 hour production, I think they did an outstanding job of showing the plight of the Native people and their struggle to exist under unfair and harsh conditions. It was rather plain to me and not colored over for the sake of the film. Showing the reality of Sitting Bull as a leader, as a man, as a captive was eloquent and very real to me.
Aidan Quinn was excellent in portraying a Christian man who honestly felt he was doing the right thing, but operating without a full understanding of what was being taken for the people he thought he was helping. Adam Beach did a great job of playing a young man disillusioned by the world he was forced into and saddened by what was happening to his people.
Some of the best moments of the film seemed simple outwardly, but were in fact so powerful that I cried. When Charles has his braids cut before going off to school, I felt so sad at that part of his culture being stripped from him. When the Indian men are lined up at Charles's window, asking for cod liver oil for the alcohol content, and when Sitting Bull arrives at the agency and is told that he no better than any other man there, those are some powerful moments. In fact, there were so many, I cannot count. Perhaps my favorite was the conversation between Gall and Sitting Bull in which Gall basically tells Sitting Bull that he has sold out and how much it has hurt him because of his view of him as a man who would never give up.
The only issues I could even mention about the movie is that at times it was hard to know who was who. It took me until the second time of watching to realize who was Gall and who was American Horse.
Watching all of the extras and commentary on this film gave me even more of an appreciation for what was attempting to be told in this film.