From: bew@brahms.udel.edu (Ben Williams)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies
Subject: Re: THUNDERHEART
Date: 12 Apr 92 01:18:25 GMT
Organization: University of Delaware

In article <1992Apr10.180629.8055@cbnewsj.cb.att.com> leeper@cbnewsj.cb.att.com (mark.r.leeper) writes:
; 
; 				 THUNDERHEART
; 		       A film review by Mark R. Leeper
; 
; 	  Capsule review:  Awful cliche-ridden script about a
;      murder case on the Ogalala Sioux Indian Reservation.  Well-
;      intentioned film has a good performance by Graham Greene (of
;      DANCES WITH WOLVES), but don't trust the film's portrayal of
;      Native American culture and don't expect to see a new plot.
;      Rating: -1 (-4 to +4).

  That's 'Oglala', I believe...

  [one hell of a cynical movie review]

; 
;      Oh, heck, I know director Michael Apted's heart was in the right place,
; but John Fusco's script was just awful.  Twenty-five years ago this would
; have been a good script but it has been used, with variations, just too
; often.  

  Huh?  I can count movies that have portrayed Native Americans fairly on the
  the fingers of one hand.  That's too often?

;         And the Indians who have been handed so many injustices deserve a
; better story.  The motive for the murder that brings FBI man Ray Lavo
; (played by Val Kilmer) to the Ogalala Sioux reservation is also one that has
; been used too many times.  

  Really?  Let's have some examples...

;                            And for one more cheap shot, the film leaves
; ambiguous if Indian magic might be working.  I thought that went out with
; BILLY JACK.  Native Americans don't have any magic any more than anyone else
; does.  

  And just how would you know?

;        I wish they did.  Maybe if they did, they could use it to get some
; justice.  

  Who was it that said to Jesus:  "You're the Messiah.  Save yourself."

;           But Apted uses trick photography and staged scenes to imply you
; really can see ghost dancers who disappear in a flash or to imply that a man
; might have turned himself into a deer.  Indians are not great magical people
; who live half in a spirit world.  They are just a group of ethnic peoples
; who have been cheated and exploited and who desperately need a little bit of
; justice.  

  Thank god for people like you who can see the situation so clearly...

;           Throwing them a bone by implying that their magic really breaks
; the laws of physics is just not what they need.  

  People seeing visions is breaking the laws of physics?  How so?

;                                                  If enough people confuse
; compassion for American Indians with liking this film, Tri-Star Pictures
; could make a bundle of money, almost none of which will go to help the
; Indians.
; 
;      Some note should be made of Graham Greene's performance as a
; reservation policeman.  His laconic performance is the most likable thing on
; the screen.  And seeing his special Indian detection skills were certainly
; of some interest.  Unfortunately, there is not enough of Greene to keep the
; film afloat.  And for those who care, yes, there is a car chase to liven
; things up.  I think that it is typical of Americans that after this whole
; plot is so thoroughly worn out, they give it to the Indians.  I give
; THUNDERHEART a -1 on the -4 to +4 scale.
; 
; 					Mark R. Leeper
; 					att!mtgzy!leeper
; 					leeper@mtgzy.att.com
; 					Copyright 1992 Mark R. Leeper


I'm sorry that a film about what is currently happening to the indigenous
peoples of this country is not entertaining enough for you.  Oh well...

Greg Bole has indicated that the Indian playing Jimmy Looks Twice in
Thunderheart (the one the FBI is so intent on capturing) is John Trudell,
who was/is quite active in the American Indian Movement and is written about
in the book _In The Spirit of Crazy Horse_.  If you are interested in knowing
more about him, send me e-mail.


Ben.


Ben Williams
bew@brahms.udel.edu

               What we got here is a failure to communicate... 
From: bobdev@hprpcd.rose.hp.com (Bob Devereaux)
Date: Fri, 10 Apr 1992 19:17:55 GMT
Subject: ***Novelist questions re public domain
Organization: HP Roseville Site