War Pony

The movie centers around two different characters: Bill, a man in his early 20s, who is hustling in order to maintain his family and his relationship with his two sons from different mothers, and Matho, a much young boy, who's life is spiraling due to drugs and unstable home life.

I was hesitant to like this movie at first, but Bill won me over. At first he just seemed too obtuse, but over time you learn that he just takes that role when he needs to maintain a relationship. In reality, he is a smart and affectionate young man, who might be somewhat too impulsive, when he sees opportunities, but on the other hand, he needs to make money somehow. He is no father of the year, but maybe if he could just find some calm in his life, he would be.

Matho is a simpler character. He is rebellious and while early on he isn't the leader of his little friend group, he raises to that position later. On the other hand, life keeps dealing him a bad hand over and over again even at his very young age.

For most of the film, their paths are separate and despite the relatively small community, they don't even know each other.

We see a lot of examples of the native American culture they come from. I can't really claim to understand all the metaphorical aspects of certain motifs in the movie, but at the same time the characters have also lost their connection to them, so they don't understand them either.

In many ways this feels more like coming from European tradition of film making than American, as the focus is on the characters, not the story, which is just a vehicle for us to get to know the people.

On the other hand, it's also about the wealth disparity these people experience and the repercussions of that. Crime is casual. Many of these people just do it. It's all around them. The few interactions they have with people outside of their culture are quite racist and there's a strong feeling of their people being used.

Overall, definitely worth a watch, if you are into sort of Oscar-baity dramas, but without the baggage of being real Oscar-bait (thus transcending that pseudo-genre).

This starts off as quite an interesting observation of two young men growing up on the Pine Ridge reservation for the Oglala Lakota tribe in rural Dakota. It principally centres on the young "Bill" (JoJo Bapteise Whiting) who is juggling two girlfriends, two young children, and aspirations to buy and breed a rather mangy looking poodle! When he happens by a successful farmer whose car has broken down by the side of the road, he sees a way to make some extra cash. The two men click and pretty soon "Bill" is packaging turkey jerky by the bucketload! Meantime, the younger "Matho" (LaDainian Crazy Thunder) has been thrown out of his father's home after he and his pals compromised his cocaine business by adding a little epsom salts to their distribution network! Both stories see the men and their friends and families trying to get by in a community that seems to exist for the sake of it. Poodles notwithstanding, there seems little structure to their lives nor much point to anything. Opportunities are sparse and family loyalties only appear to endure when convenient. It's actually quite a depressing story that I couldn't help wonder might not have been worthy of watching at all, had it not been for the native American aspects to the production and plot. Despite that increasingly prevailing downbeat theme, there is something likeable about Whiting's characterisation of the wayward "Bill" - a man who does seem to at least want to escape the relentlessness of their existence. The ending is weak, though, and frankly really quite daft and as an whole, the film does drag a bit across the two hours of rather soporifically scored, slowly paced, drama. It's worth a watch, but it's not great.

Where the film succeeds is in this ability to make us feel on a dramatic ridge flirting with the precipice. Continuously: the resourcefulness, the negotiation, the daily quest for the right plan, for the money to find for the moment or the one after. Each individual linked to the other, By necessity or tradition. On one side, the comfort of the community, on the other its permanent violence, like two sides of the same coin. Drama can arise from every shot. Everything is survival and misery, but everything is also beauty and kindness. Anything could happen, But in the end we are left with motherly love.

I tend to think of the United States as a rich country. One of the world's richest, in fact. And so do all Americans I've ever met. And I know perfectly well that large numbers of Americans are poor. But every now and then I need to be brutally reminded of just *how* poor the poorest Americans are, and how disproportionately these poorest Americans tend to be Native Americans or Black.

War Pony is exactly that kind of reminder, and it does that job beautifully. As far as I understand, the cast is entirely made up of amateur actors, who have grown up on the reservation. If that is true, their performance is very impressive indeed. Having said that, there are brief moments, where the acting comes up a bit short.

I'm very glad that I saw this film, and I happily recommend it. All privileged people will benefit from watching this movie, and all privileged Americans really ought to see it.

War Pony is a film that impresses with its grounded, authentic portrayal of life on a Native American reservation. The film excels in creating a vivid, immersive experience, capturing the everyday struggles and triumphs of its characters with a raw, unfiltered lens. The performances are sincere and compelling, bringing a deep sense of realism to the story.

One of the film's greatest strengths is its commitment to authenticity. The depiction of cultural and social issues feels genuine, and the attention to detail in portraying the community's challenges adds a layer of depth to the narrative. The cinematography complements this grounded approach, with naturalistic visuals that enhance the film's immersive quality.

However, despite its strengths, War Pony can be a bit tedious and slow-moving. The film's deliberate pace might test your patience, as it takes its time to develop its characters and plot. While this slow pace allows for in-depth character exploration, it can also make the narrative feel drawn-out at times. Some viewers might find the lack of a strong central plot arc to be a drawback, as the film's episodic nature means that it often meanders without a clear direction.

Overall, War Pony is a heartfelt and authentic film that offers a nuanced look at life on the reservation. Its grounded approach and strong performances are commendable, but the slow pace and episodic storytelling may not appeal to everyone. It's a film that rewards patience and provides a deep, albeit sometimes meandering, glimpse into its world.