Reel Injun (2009)

The history of the depiction of Native Americans in Hollywood films.

Directors:

Neil Diamond, Catherine Bainbridge,

Writers:

Catherine Bainbridge (screenplay), Jeremiah Hayes (screenplay)

Stars:

Adam Beach, R. Michael David, Clint Eastwood

3 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Adam Beach	...	Himself
R. Michael David	...	Himself
Clint Eastwood	...	Himself
Chris Eyre	...	Himself
Charlie Hill	...	Himself
Jim Jarmusch	...	Himself
Sacheen Littlefeather	...	Herself
Russell Means	...	Himself
Rod Rondeaux	...	Himself
John Trudell	...	Himself
Jesse Wente	...	Himself

Storyline

A documentary about the evolution of the depiction of First Nations people in film, from the silent era to today. Featuring clips from hundreds of films, candid interviews with famous Native and non-Native directors, writers and actors, Reel Injun traces how the image of First Nations people in cinema have influenced the understanding and misunderstanding of their culture and history.

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Plot Keywords:

native | actor | cinema | native american | hollywood | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Country:

Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 June 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hollywood-Indianer

Filming Locations:

Black Hills, South Dakota, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

National Film Board of Canada (NFB), Rezolution Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

85 min 86 min 65 min (TV)

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

Chris Eyre: A rez car is probably like a piece of luggage or something to other people. And you kind of keep it together with tape and with string.

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Connections

Features Broken Arrow (1950)

User Reviews

A good doc deserving a wider audience

(I originally intended this to be a discussion post, but I figured it was more of a review, so that's why it's here) I came here hoping to see via the MovieConnections which films were referenced, so I could remember to seek out certain ones that intrigued me, particularly from the silent era. However, this film doesn't seem to get many viewers, and that section remains empty so far.

This film can currently be seen on CBC's website for "The Passionate Eye", in the section for viewing online. I'm not sure how long it will be there, but it's been there at least for a week or two. There are some annoying and painfully loud commercials inserted in it (if Dove thinks this will make me their customer, they should be aware it's having the opposite effect on me, and I'm switching to store brands) but if you can ignore those, it's a good way to see it. (EDIT: Actually, this is NOT a good way to see it, if you have any other choice. They seem to have cut about 10-15 minutes from the film, as they appear to have done for most or all films they currently have online. There's no excuse for chopping up someone's work and representing it as the real thing. Shame on them.)

I agree with both of the previous IMDb reviews. I was very surprised to learn about the varied history of native American "Injuns" on screen. But at the same time I felt that the narrator posed questions he didn't answer, and the travelling metaphor simply didn't work. Still, I give it an 8/10 for being crammed with information. I think with some additional work, it could be re-edited and expanded into a new film that could be 9 or 10.

I've seen almost no films prior to late 1960's, having native American characters. But I have seen some of the more recent films they mentioned. I did like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Dances With Wolves, Smoke Signals, and Black Robe, but did not think much of Little Big Man, and I was bored almost to death by Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner). That one is probably loved for historical purposes, and a lack of competition, but it's bad cinema.

Probably the best film I've seen where the main characters are native American would be Ce qu'il faut pour vivre (The Necessities of Life). But maybe it was too recent to be included in Reel Injun.