Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007)

A historic chronicle based on the book by Dee Brown explains how Native Americans were displaced as the United States expanded west.

Director:

Yves Simoneau

Writers:

Daniel Giat (screenplay), Dee Brown (based on the book by) (as Dee Alexander Brown)

Stars:

Aidan Quinn, Adam Beach, August Schellenberg

Nominated for 3 Golden Globes. Another 29 wins & 27 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anna Paquin	...	Elaine Goodale
Chevez Ezaneh	...	Ohiyesa / Young Charles
August Schellenberg	...	Sitting Bull
Duane Howard	...	Uncle
Aidan Quinn	...	Henry Dawes
Colm Feore	...	General Sherman
Fred Dalton Thompson	...	President Ulysses S. Grant (as Fred Thompson)
Nathan Lee Chasing His Horse	...	One Bull (as Nathan Chasing Horse)
Wayne Charles Baker	...	Jacob
Brian Stollery	...	Bishop Whipple
Shaun Johnston	...	Col. Nelson Miles
Gordon Tootoosis	...	Chief Red Cloud
Billy Merasty	...	Young Man Afraid
Morris Birdyellowhead	...	American Horse
Eddie Spears	...	Chasing Crane

Storyline

In the 1880s, after the U. S. Army's defeat at the Battle of the Little Bighorn, the government continues to push Sioux Indians off their land. In Washington, D.C., Senator Henry Dawes introduces legislation to protect Native Americans rights. In South Dakota, school teacher Elaine Goodale joins Sioux native and Western-educated Dr. Charles Eastman in working with tribe members. Meanwhile, Lakota Chief Sitting Bull refuses to give into mounting government pressures.

---

Plot Keywords:

native american | reservation | massacre | 19th century | lakota tribe | 

---

Taglines:

The Epic Fall of the American Indian

---

Genres:

Drama | History | Western

---

Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Official Sites:

HBO [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 May 2007 (USA)

Also Known As:

Untitled Wounded Knee Project

Filming Locations:

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

HBO Films, Wolf Films, Traveler's Rest Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

133 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Soon after the infamous Oscar rejection speech which featured Sacheen Littlefeather, Martin Scorsese approached Marlon Brando about starring in " Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee". They worked on a script for several months but it failed to materialise.

---

Goofs

When Charles Eastman is sitting on the floor, you can clearly see that the soles of his boots are made of man made material with a modern tread design, not the smooth leather soles you would expect to see in the nineteenth century.

---

Quotes

Sitting Bull: You must take them out of our lands.
Col. Nelson Miles: What precisely are your lands?
Sitting Bull: These are the where my people lived before you whites first came.
Col. Nelson Miles: I don't understand. We whites were not your first enemies. Why don't you demand back the land in Minnesota where the Chippewa and others forced you from years before?
Sitting Bull: The Black Hills are a sacred given to my people by Wakan Tanka.
Col. Nelson Miles: How very convenient to cloak your claims in spiritualism. And what would you say to the Mormons and others who believe that their God ...
[...]

---

Connections

Referenced in The Game: Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2008)

---

Soundtracks

Death Song
Written by Gabe Desrosiers
Performed by Marina Rose and Barbara Scout

User Reviews

Powerful Drama

It's no secret that movies mix a lot of fiction with the facts. This film seems to have rubbed both history buffs and fans of the book the wrong way, but I thought it was a compelling, evocative film nevertheless.

Starting off where most movies end, at a CGI created overhead shot of The Little Big Horn (!), this instead focuses on the final years of the Unions war against the Indian nations, culminating in the massacre at Wounded Knee.

There's a really great role for Adam Beach, as a young Souix doctor, who's father turned his back on the native ways and sent him to live amongst whites at a young age, stripping him of his identity.

August Schellenberg is excellent here as Sitting Bull, who's determination and pride stokes the anger of the powers that be, including Aiden Quinn, a sympathetic but patronizing Senator who has taken it upon himself to lead the Indians on a path to "civilization".

Anyone who watched the myriad Cavalry pictures and Little Big Horn epics should see this and find out how the whole sad story ends.