Little Big Man (1970) **1/2

Dustin Hoffman and Chief Dan George

Little Big Man was directed by Arthur Penn (Bonnie and Clyde) and boasts talents such as Dustin Hoffman and Faye Dunaway - not to mention a great host of native actors. Preceding the narrative elements of Forrest Gump and Dances with Wolves, it recounts the life and trials of a 121 year old man who experienced the ways of both the whites and Cheyenne. His loyalty and identity also sways between the two depending on which will favor his survival.

The great strength of this movie is that it revels in the cultural details of the Cheyenne as well as the major events such as the Battle of Little Bighorn. His first encounter presents us with the usual suspects such as fighting the white man, the proud skeptic native showing animosity towards the new white guest, and the battle practice of counting coup. But their later encounters were very insightful to the Cheyenne as a people. The respect shown towards a hiwani (sp?) and his special status among them was a welcome addition. How they perceived African Americans as the black white man was very new to me and is making me want to research into that further.

But there's something really odd about this film and that's the tone. It doesn't really seem to know what it wants to be; in the beginning, i found myself smiling and chuckling while events leading up to Bighorn had me reserved. It went back and forth between comedy and drama but in a peculiar way. It's as if the film was assuming the same flaws as Little Big Man himself. If this was a conscious decision made by Penn then that's absolute genius really. And that's certainly possible but I don't believe that was the case.

To sum it up, Little Big Man was an epic and ambitious hit and miss. It didn't quite get there but it did one hell of a job trying. And it's hard not to admire any movie that tries that hard.

Mongol (2007) ****

Mongol camp

I know. Mongolians aren't native Americans. In fact, they're on the other side of the world. But replace the actors in this film with native Americans and you've practically got a film about native Americans before European contact.

Building on that, if you ascribe yourself to the Bering Strait bridge hypothesis, then the connection no longer feels so far off. I definitely respect the fact that there are many native peoples who feel this land has always been the land in which they were conceived but I present this merely as an open possibility. The cultural aspects such as the yurt (Mongol equivalent of a hogan), campfires, migratory patterns, and tribal warfare have striking social similarities to the tribes forged in America; watching this, plains tribes such as the Lakota kept springing forth in my mind. Yet, the most significant link between the two worlds is that the Mongol tribes were also considered ruthless and savage by outsiders who knew nothing of their social and political developments.

I can go on and on but the main purpose in opening the way I have is to justify this entry. Hopefully I have because this is a solid revision of what Temudgin (Genghis Khan) would go on to do. The narrative follows his unlikely childhood survival which was made possible by the aid of a Mongol friend named Jamukha who he would soon deem brother. From there, he carries out his revenge and has a vision of unity among the various Mongolian tribes.

Directed by Sergei Bodrov, simply put, the visuals are stunning. I'm a sucker for period action films like this and this one didn't disappoint me. Despite what I read beforehand, Mongol isn't really loaded with action sequences and Bodrov did a very good job of balancing the action with necessary drama. He also takes the time to focus on a couple cultural customs of the tribes although I felt myself wanting more in this respect. But Mongol is truly epic. It's easy to get lost in this world and I only wish it would've lasted longer. The good news is that this is part one of an intended trilogy.

Apocalypto (2006) ****1/2

What Apocalypto really comes down to is an incredible cat-and-mouse picture: that was Mel Gibson's primary intent and he blasted that bulls-eye. Set during the decline of the vast Mayan civilization before the arrival of the Spanish missionaries, the story basically follows a tribesman named Jaguar Paw (Rudy Youngblood) whose tribe faces violent rapture by another tribe and is led to be a sacrifice for the god Kukulkan. Shortly after, the chase ensues and winds down to pure action; in terms of genre, there really hasn't been a chase as memorable as this one in a long time but undoubtedly, it comes at the cost of exploring the depth of Mayan advances in civilization.

This movie and The Fountain by Aronofsky sparked an interest in Mayan peoples for me and prompted me to discover more about them in general. I was in awe by how advanced and sophisticated they were culturally and scientifically before their first signs of collapse in the 8th/9th centuries; also, the fact that the period of Mayan culture that was depicted in this movie was during its decline was equally shocking considering how massive it seemed in the film. I honestly believe the Spanish would've grown restless and defeated had they faced the Mayans during their peak as it took them nearly two centuries to subdue the Mayans substantially.

Yet, for all its strengths, the one aspect I found disagreeable was the quote from Will Durant that opens the entire movie:

"A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within."

It's a foolhardy statement that attempts to justify the fall of an entire way of life.* I believe there's some truth to it but there were ultimately so many vital factors at work, it'd be foolish to try and pin it down to one such statement - no matter how eloquent. But in context with Gibson's perspective on the Mayan collapse, a case can definitely be made for such words.

Much can and has been said about the historical inaccuracies but I feel the structure of narrative film is more about experience than it is dates and facts. And Apocalypto is undeniable in that sense: like 2001, we are stranded in uncharted territory - free to roam or drift as we please. Just as colonists and missionaries considered their world new, so this is a new world for our senses.

*Descendants of the ancient Mayans as well as their cultural/ethnic identities still persist to this day.

The Last of the Mohicans (1992) ****

Wes Studi as Magua

Based on the 1936 film adaptation of the same name, The Last of the Mohicans originally derived from the classic American writer James Fenimore Cooper. Directed by the incredibly consistent Michael Mann and starring such talents as Daniel Day Lewis, Madeleine Stowe, and Wes Studi, this film was unsurprisingly impressive. It takes place during 1757 in the midst of the French and Indian War in which the French and British fought for control of the American frontier; the French employed natives to aid them in their conquest. The film itself is an excellent period piece of adventure and action made with great attention to detail and aesthetic realism. It's a nice treat to see Russell Means have a relatively significant role in the movie also; I always thought of him as an activist for natives first and foremost but his acting was respectable. But the real standout is Studi whose fierce performance as the Huron Magua is a defining example of the kind of fire and heart that is characteristic of just about every role he's played to date; he embodies a natural warrior spirit that carries over to the screen with such passion and intimidation that few actors possess.

But the gripe I have with this film - and its novel for that matter - is that the title itself is entirely fictional. The Mohicans still exist to this day although they are now collectively named the Mahicans. Since their contact with the Anglos, their people faced an unusually strong conversion to Christianity by Protestant missionaries and have since settled primarily in the state of Wisconsin away from the Hudson Valley they originally resided in. The other problem I have is that the Huron (aka Wendat) are mostly portrayed as unrelenting savages of war with murky motives and allegiances. The fact of the matter is, many tribes engaged in warfare against other natives and the Huron were not unique in this regard. The Huron were actually devastated by the Iroquois who had allied with the British. So despite the impression one may get from watching this film, the Huron were not truly against the English but only on the grounds that the rival Iroquois were in alliance with them.

Smoke Signals (1998) *****

Smoke Signals is arguably the most complete embodiment of what the native American identity has grown to be. Both Victor Joseph (Adam Beach) and Thomas Builds-the-Fire (Evan Adams) serve as what I would deem "common" native personalities at the outset of the twentieth century; Victor is a stern and hardened free spirit distrusting of others (particularly whites) whereas Thomas represents a man deep in his roots and an open heart for all.*

Much like of ancient oral tradition, the film opens like a campfire in its narration and recounts a fateful event on the 4th of July involving Victor's father Arnold (Gary Farmer) and they celebrate with fireworks and alcohol; it becomes obvious what you see and what you hear are not one and the same and from there the story unfolds and inevitably reveals the truth. The writer-director Chris Eyre adds a light touch of comedy and insight to the seriousness of its resolution making for that "sun-dried" cinematic style that's becoming a staple flair of native films. Definitely impressive from a filmmaker not only making his debut but also being the first native to produce, write, and direct a feature.

Another brief yet significant performance was done by Irene Bedard who plays Suzy Song in the picture. A radiant spirit of natural beauty, she somehow makes the truth palatable: instead of perceiving the father as an abusive brute, she makes it possible to see him as a well-meaning but troubled figure. And this can go a long way in how one sees the telling night depicted. Eyre did well to cast her in this role as she serves as a great contrast when facing Victor.

If there is one film I'd recommend first and foremost exploring native cinema, this is the post to start from. From here, others will fall into place.

*Note: It is not my intention to generalize native personalities as I'm sure there are plenty who are neither of these.

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007) ****

Adapted from the sprawling book by Dee Brown, the film wisely takes the route of one particular tribe to relate the general native American experience of the late 1800's. I've briefly skimmed through the chapters before and it culls together an incredible amount of history and accounts from numerous tribes and it simply wouldn't have been feasible to cover all that on a conventional level. Even then, it falls a little short for that very reason. But the work is exceptional despite this predicament and I encourage anyone to check this out.

Choosing to focus on the Sioux, it begins at the outset of the historic battle of Little Big Horn in which Custer and his men were killed. From there, it soon develops a fork in which the Sioux are destined to survive on a reservation and a young Sioux boy is taken to learn the ways of the civilized white man through boarding school. It's this story that particularly interests me due to the fact that light hasn't really been shed on the American Indian boarding school experience during that period. Ohiyesa (top left photo), or Charles Eastman as he came to be known, is the youth the film focuses on and he grows to be a model native for hopes of assimilation. In terms of the Sioux experience (more Lakota than anything else), they cover the Dawes Act of 1887, the capture and death of Sitting Bull, the Wounded Knee Massacre soon after, and the Ghost Dance religion that would spread by way of a shaman named Wovoka. Don't fret: there's more than what I've listed here and it goes to show the care that went into making this production.

If there's one thing I wish to address, it's the nature of the Ghost Dance. Wovoka never intended to propagate the prophecy that the white man will soon disappear but rather, that the natives should learn to live in peace with the whites. This was the genesis but as other tribes picked this up as it spread northward into the Plains, other tribes soon interpreted it as the way it's told in the film. So in this sense, it was a tad inaccurate but it was still great that they chose to emphasize it at all. However, the film glosses over why and how the Ghost Dance played a huge role leading up to Wounded Knee. I felt this could've made the present scene stronger than it is now without detracting from the overall arc of the narrative.

The Last of His Tribe (1992) ***1/2

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.