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.

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Plot Keywords:

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

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Taglines:

The Epic Fall of the American Indian

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Genres:

Drama | History | Western

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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

Originally began development in 1995 as a two-part miniseries for ABC.

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Goofs

Shaun Johnston as Col. Nelson Miles is shown at the signing of the Fort Laramie Treaty of April 29, 1868 wearing a Civil War Medal and an Indian Wars Medal. The first Civil War Campaign Medal was issued on May 26, 1909. The blue and gray ribbon shown in the film was not in use until August 12, 1913. The first Indian Wars Medal was issued July 15, 1908. The ribbon shown in the film with two dark bands was not in use until 1917.

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Quotes

General Sherman: [after Custer and his men are massacred at the Battle of the Little Bighorn] The man was a fuckin' idiot. Splits his forces? Daylight raid, high noon?
Henry Dawes: An idiot, perhaps, but he had his orders, Mr. President. Drive the Sioux out of the Black Hills onto the ration rolls, so we could get to that damn gold. The Sioux resisted.
General Sherman: Resisted? Bullshit!
Henry Dawes: They *resisted*, General Sherman.
President Ulysses S. Grant: Blocking a roundhouse to the chin is "resistance", Henry. Massacring five companies of cavalry...
Henry Dawes: I am not defending ...
[...]

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Connections

Referenced in Inside Amy Schumer: Tyler Perry's Episode (2014)

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Soundtracks

I Need
Written and Performed by Nathan Chasing Horse

User Reviews

Uneven, incomplete, and boring depiction of the story

Very slow moving movie, which detracted greatly from the story it should have been telling. If you haven't read the book, or knew nothing of the history of this story, you would be completely lost.

The cast was great, and the acting was good. It is not the actors fault that the direction and editing was terrible. I had high hopes that the story telling would be straight forward, of a relatively well-documented event, based on the well known book.

The title is misleading; it is not Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, it is a small excerpt combined with some other story I was not familiar with. The ending of the movie is really mangled, combining color with black and white for dramatic effect, but it just doesn't work, especially when it never even shows the event depicted in the title.

Watch it for good acting, good music, great camera work, but don't expect to be educated, or entertained. The atrocities committed upon this Indian nation deserves a better rendition and remembrance, than presented here.