Alfred Kroeber (left), Ishi (right)Ishi is the equivalent of discovering a once-thought extinct species having actually managed to survive sight unseen for decades. From the southernmost Yana, he was the last of the Yahi tribe and the last remnant of a "wild" America - of a frontier West. He represents a bygone era when cowboys and Indians weren't just movies but a way of life; it meant more than rowdy little boys simply playing dress up. So one could imagine the tremendous feeling of loss when the man passed in 1916 of tuberculosis; it meant losing an individual who didn't see bows and arrows as tools for sport but as a means of survival. And for those who developed a strong likeness and spiritual connection to his gentle soul, it also meant the loss of a great, singular friendship.
But of course, onto the film.
Directed for HBO TV by Harry Hook, The Last of His Tribe is a respectable movie although there were some glaring inaccuracies. I've read what is perhaps the seminal literary work on the man, Ishi in Two Worlds by Theodora Kroeber (Alfred's wife), and anyone who watches this film after having read that book will easily catch one of the most annoying changes made to the filmic adaptation. And there are several instances not unlike this one throughout the movie but fortunately, it doesn't take away from the main point. And ultimately, that's what matters. Besides, by now, people should expect cinematic tellings of literature to be pretty liberal in outcome anyway. So all in all, this was a decent effort made respectable due to Graham Greene's bold performance as Ishi. This easily ranks among one of his best and I believe he really captures the gentleman of the real figure as well as his ever-constant curiosity.
Regardless, read the book if you have the time to invest in it. Because of course, for time constraints, key things had to be omitted. Much like the Civilized Tribes had their Trails of Tears and the Navajo had their Long Walk, the Yahi also had the Long Concealment. The film eludes to it but in brevity and that's unfortunate because it marked a point of no return. With white settlers encroaching further into their natural land and diminishing their numbers dramatically, Ishi and the couple survivors at the time forced themselves into near oblivion by covering their tracks with the utmost urgency and care for so long that many eventually came to believe they no longer existed. That is until... well, the film happens to delve into it a bit (although a bit inaccurate once again). Another aspect of Ishi's life that could've made for an interesting character study is his gradual transition into civilization in the way he learned to save his earnings, work for wages, purchase goods, and get around on the trolley. He had a keen fascination for the most basic of inventions (ie: matches) while he saw natural and even bland some of the great wonders (ie: airplanes, skyscrapers) that would've held most of us in awe. But such was his unique perception of the world around him.
**SPOILERS**
For those who have seen the film, I felt it necessary to note some of the errors not simply for the sake of accuracy but because I feel it best to help people know the figures for who they really were. Some of the errors made involve compromising their actual characters which can lead people to develop false conclusions about them.
Alfred's wife is named Henriette Kroeber in the film but her real name is Theodora. Also, she dies well before Alfred but she actually went on to survive Alfred as well as write the book Ishi in Two Worlds among others.
Alfred Kroeber is developed as a well-meaning person but keen on completing his book on Ishi - sometimes at the expense of his friendship with Ishi. But aside from devoting his life to native history and defending native rights in general, Alfred was actually a very loyal friend of Ishi's to his death and his loss affected him profoundly for a long time thereafter.
Pope, who is portrayed as little more than an adventurous oaf, arguably had the deepest connection to Ishi on several levels. His love for practical experience of native cultures (ie: hunting) led to a spiritual closeness to him that was difficult to surpass even by those closest to him.
Ishi didn't actually wear his "civilized" articles of clothing during the scenes in which Ishi and the others go out to Deer Creek (his homeland) to live the Yahi way. He adhered to the traditional Yahi male dress of a covering around his waist and over his genitalia.
A scene suggests Ishi shared an evening with a prostitute provided by Pope. This was never the case as Ishi harbored a shyness towards women. After all, by the time he reached a sexually active age, the remainder of women were more or less related to him in blood and was during the period of Concealment. And he also never seemed to really indicate any want of a sexually active lifestyle.
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