The Business of Fancydancing (2002, U.S.)

I really liked The Business of Fancydancing more than Smoke Signals. To begin with, I thought the theme was much more complex. It was about belonging and identity—tribal, racial, sexual, and family- and employment-related. It was about life and death. It was about how hard it can be to come home.

Perhaps the best part of the film was how multiple styles and viewpoints and time frames were woven together so uniquely. Alexie also incorporated snippets of his poetry (masquerading as the main character's poetry, of course) in between scenes, which I found very effective.

The acting was also incredible. Evan Adams, who played Thomas Builds-the-Fire in Smoke Signals, played a very, very different character in this film. His range is amazing. All of the supporting players were also great, especially Gene Tagaban, who played Aristotle. Strangely, this is his only film, although he is a storyteller and performer by trade. He conveys raw emotion as if it truly belongs to him, and not to the character written on the page. And if I may interject an irrelevant comment, he has beautiful hair.

And of course, the shots of eastern Washington, the reservation, and Seattle were all beautiful.

Rating: 4.0

Smoke Signals (1998, U.S.)

Sherman Alexie is an author I've really gotten into recently. (His YA book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian is the best YA book I've ever read, I think.) I was in Spokane for a job interview, and he's a Spokane/Couer d'Alene Indian. So what better movie to watch in the Spokane airport on my laptop?

I think I didn't appreciate it as much as I could have because I had heard it was a comedy and was expecting it to be a comedy. It's much more serious than that. It's a coming of age story about two native boys who are unsure about their places in the world. One is a sheltered orphan, the other is much more worldly and has issues with his father. It was a really beautiful film about self-discovery on many levels.

I would definitely recommend this film. The characters are very real, and you feel as if you can relate to them on some level (even though their problems are so different). The scenery is beautiful. The writing is great. And it will make you think. Good film.

Rating: 3.5

Dances with Wolves (1990, U.S.)

I have fallen quite behind in posting, so my impressions on this (and the next few) film(s) isn't that fresh.

I watched this film because, as I always say, "the moms love it." "The" moms being women of my mother's generation in general. I'm not much of Kevin Costner fan, which is why it took me so long to see it.

I liked it. It was long, meandering, and often "boring," which are qualities I often value in a film when other people wouldn't. The biggest problem was the amount of psychological development going on in the main character which was probably more evident in the novel, but it was translated to the screen fairly well, for the most part.

I really just don't have much to say about this one. It's one of those movies you just have to see and experience yourself. You can't help but get invested in John Dunbar's life—hours pass by, and you forget there's a world outside the film. Sometimes, that's exactly what I want from a movie.

I think I would have rated this one higher if a) there was more—more everything, not that there was time for it, or b) if the ending was more satisfying somehow.

Rating: 3.5

Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World (1998, U.S.)

So today I was babysitting my friend's 4-year-old daughter, Krisna, and I was lucky enough to get to see Pocahontas II... right. Now, I loved the first Pocahontas when it came out. I was in 5th grade, and my class saw it on a field trip. I was already a bit of a history nut in those days, and Virginia history was my favorite. I read every book about Pocahontas I could get my hands on. Even at that tender age, I recognized the historical inaccuracies of the movie, but I liked it. My friend Tanvi and I sang "Colors of the Wind" for our fifth grade talent show.

But enough reminiscing. The second Pocahontas was even more liberal with history than the first, I thought. Still, for a kids' movie, it was okay. Pretty intense stuff though -- bear baiting, John Smith and John Rolfe breaking Pocahontas out of the Tower of London... Oh, and Shakespeare randomly appearing in the street. Too strange. Also, the songs weren't as good as the first one. "In 1607, we sailed the open sea / For glory, God, and gold, and the Virginia Company!" Can't beat that. Also, I've always been a John Smith fan, and not so fond of John Rolfe. So kind of hard to like the one where she falls in love with him.

Also, I knew, I knew, that John Rolfe sounded like Billy Zane. Turns out it was Billy Zane. Really, I think he's a great actor, although he's been in some pretty awful films. He was, of course, amazing in Titanic. Then a year later, he's doing voices for a not-so-great, straight-to-video, Disney movie. There's just no explanation.

Rating: 2.5

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007, U.S.)

Today was not the first time I've seen Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, but it is the most recent addition to my DVD collection, so I thought I'd write a few words about it. I first saw this film about 8 months ago, and I've thought about it often since then. It is beautiful and sad, one of those films that somehow makes me mourn for something that has been lost for over a hundred years. One of those films that makes me hate being American even more. Because all of that "manifest destiny" bullshit caused this nation to destroy the lives of countless native peoples, and I can't see that much has changed, though more than a century has passed.

But I don't want to get on my high horse here. I just want to say that if you haven't seen this one, you should. You really should. If for no other reason, see it because August Schellenberg's Sitting Bull is the best-played native character I think I have ever seen. (For those of you in my generation, you'll probably remember Schellenberg from Free Willy or Iron Will.) His performance is truly powerful and moving. The worst part of it is how far removed you feel from his character, but I think the withdrawn quality of his personality was the choice of the screenwriters.

Other good elements include: First, the simple score by George S. Clinton. As far as I know, this is the only "real" movie he's done the score for. (He's done a lot of lowbrow-type stuff, but nothing on this scale.) It's simple, primarily piano with occasional violin and tribal flute, and its haunting beauty fits perfectly. It also blends well with the Lakota chanting, the other primary musical element. Beautiful. Second, there is also the natural beauty of the setting, although I believe it was filmed mostly in Canada, not the Dakotas. Third, one of the central characters is a man who was taken from his tribe at a young age and Americanized. He returns as an adult to minister to his people as a doctor, and from that perspective he is able to see both what his people have lost and what he personally chose to give up. A unique view.

If you like this movie, you might also be interested in the TNT mini-series from a couple of years ago, Into the West. I also thought it was incredibly well-done, especially considering it was financed by TNT, not HBO. It's much longer and more detailed, covering 60 years instead of 15. Also, you become much more personally invested in the characters, both white and native. Definitely a good way to spend 12 hours. But start with Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee.

Rating: 4.5