Review of Reel Injun (2010) by Walter M — 13 Dec 2012
With the documentary "Reel Injun," filmmaker Neil Diamond seeks to explore the history of Native Americans in films, seeking to correct the record whenever possible, while undertaking a personal journey into the heart of America.
To be honest, there are very few surprises here, as the story of Native Americans in Hollywood westerns is a familiar one, although taking John Ford down a notch is kind of refreshing. That's not to mention how inaccurate the films were that most people now consider curios of a past age, as they reflected the racism of a society that preferred a simple conflict in its movies.
The documentary fares best when it gets away from such a broad approach to tell specific stories like the silent film, "The Silent Enemy." Even as there have been generational improvements in attitude, Hollywood has in reality changed little as Sacheen Littlefeather's protest at the Academy Awards has never been taken seriously.
In fact, the best depictions of indigenous cultures are made in other countries and independently. For example, it is hard to imagine "The Fast Runner" being made any further away from Hollywood.
However, with all the people the documentary talks to, why did they not talk to Sherman Alexie who not only wrote "Smoke Signals" but is also one very funny guy?
This review of Reel Injun (2010) was written by Walter M on 13 Dec 2012.
Reel Injun has generally received positive reviews.
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