The New World (2005) ****

1616 engraving of Pocahontas by Simon de Passe.

Pocahontas. John Smith. One story. Told in many different ways since the days of old Virginia. Was it real? Creation? Or a little bit of both? The love that supposedly took place between these two has taken on an air of myth, of legend. Like the great Grecian gods. Fitting for a land purported for its dreams and pursuits of greatness, immortality.

The events as presented in The New World are quite conventional and "true" to the story as the majority have come to accept it. The beautiful Powhatan girl takes a liking to John Smith and vice versa. They form a bond, split, she gets with John Rolfe, travels to England, and soon after, she passes away. So at first glance, it comes as a bit of a surprise - perhaps even off-putting - that Malick, its director, would choose to take this path instead of opting for one less trodden.

This has now been my third time watching this film. And it is now after I've revisited his Days of Heaven, The Thin Red Line, and the trailer for The Tree of Life. Particularly after watching Thin Red Line again, I began to realize the inherent romantic spirit that Malick embodies. He's a poet. And truth or fiction, there's something innately romantic about two souls from opposite ends of the Earth coming together.

Despite taking a conventional route in story, it becomes evident that Malick indeed spins a new perspective on The New World. The largest perpetual clue is its grandiose score composed by James Horner. Unlike Thin Red Line, which utilized native Melanesian chants to score choice scenes in the film, New World is curiously absent of this characteristic. The music has an air of England, of majesty to it. The way its final scenes are presented make England seem foreign and somehow "new". We follow Pocahontas much of the time - sharing in her awe and wonderment. To her, this is very much a new world. Much as we see and hear most of Virginia through the actions and thoughts of John Smith and Rolfe. And to feel that as a viewer is not only somehow ethereal but also indicative of Malick's intent.

It's a curious love - or whatever it truly was. One that should not be taken lightly. Did John Smith pave the way for colonial America or did Pocahontas give the land away by forging their love for one another? Regardless, for the America that would come to be and now is, that encounter was its bedrock, its foundation. The beginning of that great ongoing social experiment.

A Thief of Time (2004) ***

This is a surprising effort by Chris Eyre because it doesn't show his usual control. Some scenes are underwhelming and some of the acting make select characters seem more like caricatures than real living beings.

A Thief of Time basically follows Chee (Adam Beach) and Leaphorn (Wes Studi) again as they go on a hunt to find a missing archaeologist. I have to say, despite a noticeable decline in craftsmanship compared to Skinwalkers, I genuinely enjoyed watching this movie. Familiarity does wonders for an audience and this was no exception. It was like hanging out with old buddies again. In fact, this film is at its strongest when it gives brief moments to the characters simply talking to one another. It makes me wish Chee and Leaphorn would stray away from the plot and just go on the road together. These two are that much fun.

With that said, the source of the movie's inspiration was more fascinating than the actual film. The premise stems from disputes concerning rights over indigenous "artifacts" between whites and natives. It is a curious notion that natives seem to be the only people valued beyond familial and sentimental boundaries. There is a very real societal and financial value to the native dead and their crafts. We hang real people up for display in museums and do not regard the practice as disrespectful but of historical significance.

I'm sure their descendants more than beg to differ.

Incident at Restigouche (1984) ****1/2

"You cannot ask for sovereignty because to have sovereignty one must have one's own culture, language and land."

Lucien Lessard, Quebec Minister of Fisheries 1979-1982

Restigouche and Kanehsatake are one and the same: the government seeks to take away what has been available to their peoples since time began. In the case of Restigouche, Lucien Lessard demanded the Micmac peoples remove their nets from the waters despite the fact that Micmac livelihood - as well as their identity as a people - depend on the salmon they fish for in those very waters. Naturally, the Micmac resist, and of course, squads of police march in to instill order. And the word to describe this act is march and no other. There are a couple moments in which still black and white photos of the police appear and pass. The soundtrack is marked by decisive marching. Like Nazi goose steps. And like a Pavlovian response, this march immediately curls the Micmac defensive. It is as if to sound an alarm, to let them know the enemy is coming.

Obomsawin, more than a decade before Kanehsatake ever took place, felt the need to document Restigouche. She initially had trouble gaining access to equipment and crew, and thus, missed out on some of the initial occurrences that took place there (a setback she immediately sorted when embarking on Kanehsatake). Notably, her voice seems less at ease here than it did at Kanehsatake and I feel it has less to do with age than it does experience. Her voice is more weathered in Kanehsatake, as if she's endured this disturbance before. It is like deja vu to a degree. But it was very new at Restigouche. Her outrage is more blatant as she and Lessard verbally battle it out during an intermittent interview throughout the film. The most memorable is when she throws his quote (quoted above) back in his face (for reasons that are quite obvious).

Obomsawin is more known for her work as a cinematic social activist than any distinct visual signature. For this, I have discovered she has received some flack from select critics. Surely, her documentaries lack anything fancy. Instead, she aims at making no-nonsense pictures that are designed to relay a (very) clear message. But I believe there are very distinct inflections in her work from what I've seen so far: the use of natural imagery (that is, focused on nature and the natural world), a strong use of the spoken word via interviews, and an indomitable native spirit. One cannot deny the compassion she feels for her native peoples. She loves the people she documents. After all, she is one of them.

The film is available in its entirety here:

http://www.nfb.ca/film/incident_at_restigouche/

Kanehsatake: 270 Years of Resistance (1993) *****

Kanehsatake is Mohawk reservation land located in southwest Quebec, Canada. The events in the film are set into motion when the city decides to build a golf course on that land. Despite outcries from natives, whites, and even a sensible course of action suggested by an environmental specialist, the mayor ignores all of them and gives the project the green light. Of course, the Mohawk peoples were having none of it and blocked off any access to their lands. And so the military siege of 1990 began.

And Alanis Obomsawin, an Abenaki filmmaker noted for documenting contemporary Canadian natives and their struggles, has captured in the details what has been duly seen in the big picture since the periods of contact in North America. There are many moments of the military covering up truths, breaking negotiated promises, and inflicting harm upon the natives. To be fair, some of the natives (the warriors in particular) retaliate in similar fashion but it's just that - retaliation. In effect, as the subtitle of the film suggests, nothing has changed.

Simply put, it is a stunning document of the total native reality expressed in mere months. Modernization may have enriched the physical that surrounds us but our collective spirit, the manner in which we treat one another, is bankrupt. It was the way of things way back when, and sadly, it remains the way of things now. And unless a man or woman of native descent is able to head either of these nations, it is highly doubtful the state of things will change anytime soon. Yet, at the very least, one must appreciate a work like this for keeping a record of the great ongoing struggle. I truly believe a time will come to pass when the struggle will be no more. And documents such as these will remind future generations how far their peoples have come.

Note: The entire film is available to view online.
http://www.archive.org/details/kanehsatake

Nanook of the North (1922) ****

Nanook

I've seen this film a total of three times now. I never really knew what to think of it then. I really don't know what to think of it now either. However, the last two times, I experienced it as a member of the audience. Today, I began to see it as Flaherty might have envisioned.

There are many qualms over the film's documentary status. For those who aren't aware, many significant details were fabricated by Flaherty to romanticize the Inuit way of life and their sense of alienation from the Western world and its technological advances - despite the fact that the Inuit actually served as key crew members during the making of this film and even used rifles to hunt for their food.

This is how I came to see the film: a documentary. But I learn that the full title was once Nanook of the North: A Story of Life and Love in the Actual Arctic. The key word here is story. It must be known that Flaherty was less a filmmaker and more a trader. A hired hand, he was sent out to analyze the potential for railways and minerals. He came into frequent contact with the Inuit during these expeditions and that's how the project came to fruition. He set his sights on commercial distribution and audiences clamoring for narrative fiction rather than the actualities of early cinema. The only true documentary value of Nanook is the actual Arctic. The rest is arguably just that: a story. In light of these discoveries, I now see this film more as fiction rather than documentary. I find that more easy to stomach.

But regardless of how one categorizes Nanook, its images are compelling. The events that take place are foreign to most everyone in the world - a real fantasy. Fortunately, remnants of this fantasy still seem preserved to some extent as witnessed in the film Atarnajuat (reviewed earlier). Perhaps it is not as easy to embrace the modern world in an area as harsh as the Arctic. In any case, I still saw visions of Nanook in Atarnajuat. I wonder if the Inuit would agree. If they did, that would be a testament to Flaherty - fabricated or not.

Avatar (2009) ****1/2

Jake Sully and Neytiri

An achievement. A milestone. A breakthrough. I can say all these things and they would not overrate what Avatar simply is. Other movies have done 3D but James Cameron, like a god, has created a living, breathing world out of the process. Having experienced it tonight in IMAX 3D, never have I felt more lost in a world. There were shots and scenes that momentarily had me believing I was there. Never have I felt this way with any other movie. Ever. No matter how great a film may be, I always know in the back of my head: this is a movie. It is as Jake Sully comes to believe: the dream is becoming more a reality, the reality more a dream. As of right now, Avatar is the epitome of postmodern in cinema.

However, the one gripe I have (and it's a very minor gripe) is the 3D in motion. There was a bit too much motion blur for my taste. Particularly in the first 15 minutes or so. Perhaps I wasn't used to the 3D look. After all, it's not very often I watch a 3D movie - let alone one I actually want to watch. The ironic thing is the 3D was at its best when most subtle. It had an inexplicable immersive quality to the images. Like depth of field but with... more depth.

Now that I've got that out of the way, there is another aspect of the film that had me just as captivated: the culture, the people. Their dress, language, and sense of cohesion with their world evoked the Native spirit. The sources of the story undeniably drew from the history of the Natives as well. How the more technologically advanced society came along and drew blood whenever these people got in the way of what they wanted. It is exactly what is at stake in Avatar. It is an old story to be sure and the movie has received quite a bit of flack for its derivative plot but I feel that is one of its strengths when viewing the overall picture. After all, this isn't about the story. This is about the experience. And the experience of living among the Natives is one of the great pleasures of Avatar (as well as realizing Wes Studi is voicing one of the Na'vi). No one thinks about the story when you mention The Jazz Singer. You think of it as that movie that had sound. This one isn't going to be any different decades from now.

I can imagine real Native audiences watching Avatar and coming away with a sense of pride for who they are. In fact, I believe they will. Movies, in a traditional sense, have always been ideal representations of our reality. The way we wish the real world was. Well, I could see Native people walking away from this movie empowered. Inspired. After all, movies can do that, can't they? I believe all marginalized populations (and the majority) should watch Avatar. And let the experience instill hope, passion, as well as compassion. For me, the film really is that powerful.

Skinwalkers (2002) ***1/2

Leaphorn (Wes Studi) and Chee (Adam Beach)

Adapted from a Tony Hillerman novel, Chris Eyre takes a step out of his comfort zone and tries his hand at a (cultural) thriller. The story, although entertaining, is pretty standard fare. However, the attention to Navajo people and details keeps this one from becoming forgettable. In fact, for a genre that tends to emphasize twists and turns, the focus on characterization and culture in this movie is refreshing.

The basic plot follows a string of murders involving victims who are medicine men. There are sacred paintings done in blood to go along with them. Chee believes there could be some connection to the skinwalkers (evil shapeshifters) of Navajo stories. And thus, their pursuit for the murderer begins.

I will not go into further detail in terms of plot. There's actually quite a lot going on despite the familiarity of the story. Besides, what is more intriguing is the deeper conflict going on between tradition and modernity - more specifically, native medicine and white medicine. The movie is utterly predictable. But this ongoing (and very real) conflict is what gives the movie legs to walk on.

Finally, I commend Eyre for taking on genre and populating it with native people. It is much like the film Better Luck Tomorrow (starring Asian-American actors) in that the story is old hat but it is made new by giving the main roles - traditionally filled by white actors - to others. Of course, it is admirable to create unique stories with minority actors. But to change cultural perceptions of people, one must be willing to make changes to the established system. And tackling established genres like these opens doors for actors of color to do the same kinds of roles in more mainstream productions rather than the same Injun, straight A student, cholo, or rapper because Hollywood will realize more and more that we can do them - and more importantly, that audiences will respond positively to such change.