Bury My Heart with Tonawanda (2013) User Reviews

A very good film..

[LaxFan94 · 8/10 · 5 December 2016]

I was very saddened by this film when the boy was rejected by everyone in society. But when the Native Seneca family took him in like that, it only proves that Natives are and have always been a class act! If they see someone in distress like the way John was, they always rise up and answer the call. In this case, a boy was in dire need of help and thus the People felt the need to do something drastic otherwise who knows what would have happened to him! Anyways... so as it turned out, it was great to see that they took him in because not only were they his saviours but he also got to learn the Peoples' traditional Native ways throughout those years. As the old saying goes: everything happens for a reason and in this case, it was a win-win situation for everyone. I give this film an 8 out of 10 and I would recommend this one to any historical drama enthusiasts.

Unique and important directorial effort

[educatorsunlimited · 7/10 · 16 July 2019]

Putting aside the obvious shortcomings of this film, the subject matter and treatment are important and address a gaping void in the film genre of American historical narratives. The film has its moments and is of use to anyone interested in Seneca culture and history - particularly Tonawanda Seneca society. Scenes portraying Ely S Parker teaching school children for years and years is probably not historically accurate but reflect Parker's many contributions to his community after his notable service in the civil war and the BIA. Additionally the scenes of armed men taking children to white schools by force happened (and are emblematic), but not frequently. More often, manipulative, zealous and imperious school officials plied their way into Seneca homes and used the threat of removal from rolls to coerce parents to allow their children to be sent to local Indian schools. But these tropes are nothing compared to the outright misrepresentations present in white films such as Northwest Passage or the like where native people are portrayed as one dimensional and the disabled not at all. The efforts of Gary Sundown and Adrien Esposito should be lauded and encouraged. As they hone their craft, perhaps we will see more films that treat this subject with as much sensitivity and earnestness.

If you love mediocrity, still stay clear of this movie!

[cao222 · 1/10 · 7 February 2015]

Some movies are good, some are bad, some are downright awful, and some are so bad you feel as if you've lost some of your faith in humanity: this is one of those films.

Everything a bad movie could have is in this film: lifeless acting, blurry cinematography, pathetic script, and horrendous use or music. This is not a good movie, this is a lesson In mediocrity for all future filmmakers, a film that shows you: you can always do worse.

I watched this for free on Amazon Prime, and I still feel like I wasted money.

PS. If I could give this 0 stars, I would.

This is a truly awful film!

[Cao223 · 1/10 · 8 February 2015]

I cannot describe in mere words how awful this movie is. It baffles me to think any film can achieve this level of mediocrity while trying to be good.

This film truly belongs in the pantheon of awful films,, including Batman and Robin and battlefield Earth. The film manages to not have a single good aspect, while still managing to not be funny nor serious.

Roger Ebert one said about a film that it is so bad it wasn't worth the energy of the projector to show it... that applies to this film perfectly. Ere are very few movies which can be described as total failures, and I have no problem saying this one is.