Neither Wolf Nor Dog

I heard from two dear friends about the Kickstarter to get this movie made and the rest is history, as they say. I received my Blu-ray of the movie a few weeks ago and was finally able to sit down and watch it. It is a wonderful film that compliments the wonderful book. If you liked the book at all this is a must watch!

It starts off slowly, but that is to be expected and in doing so the film draws you into the world subtly. This is the second movie I have watched in the last several months that made me feel like I was watching a documentary more than a movie (the other movie was Loving). Everything felt so real! I felt like a fly on the wall simply watching Dan, Grover, and Nerburn. They felt like real people and not actors. The music, cinematography, use of sound, all of it coalesced to create this real world. It almost seemed like if I talked they would all be able to hear me.

I love movies and have several that engross me every time I watch, but only a select few (this and Loving) have hit me with how subtle and yet how very real they were. Watching this made the book come to life in a truly real way and it was wonderful. The slow pace worked perfectly as, like the book, you want to soak it all in and really hear and absorb what is going on and being talked about. Just like the book it leaves a lasting impression that ripples far beyond the end credits.

Being a huge fan of the book, the movie brought out additional nuggets in the story. I have read and reread the book finding new material in each read. Nerburn does a magical job of sharing his experience as a non-native in a native world.

Like the book, there were moments that I found myself laughing out-loud one minute and shedding a tear the next. This was a beautiful tribute to the Lakota community.

Would love to see the next two books on the big screen.

I was a part of the kickstarter campaign and was lucky enough to see an advance screening. Having been a huge fan of the book I was eagerly waiting to see this movie and it did not disappoint!

All of the actors did a wonderful job bringing the characters in the book to life on the big screen! David Bald Eagle was masterful! Looking into his eyes you could tell he is wise beyond his years with a hint of mischief. No one on this planet could have played Dan except David Bald Eagle.

This movie should be required watching for every person and I highly recommend it!

I was excited to hear this book was going to be made into a movie, although it took quite a while to get to this point. I joined the Kickstarter program and help funded it, thus I was able to screen it along with just a few others before it's official release.

Simpson does a fantastic job adapting th version of the book to the big screen. The acting was great, and the cinematography was outstanding. I thought the script was very good too, but I felt it could have used a few more of the 'impactful scenes' in the book to have a touch more profoundness...(not that the ones in the movie don't)... but I understand, there's only so much you can take from a book and put into a 2 hour movie. Those are tough decisions to make, and overall.. it a great job was done!

All in all, this was a great movie, especially considering the timeframe/budget that they had to work with. Thanks Steven for putting your heart and soul into this and making it happen. You did a wonderful job.

This was an awesome movie, it captured the essence of life on Pine Ridge. This was a story you can learn something from, no matter what walk of life you are from. It brings back Native Americans back as real in depth characters instead of the crap we have been seeing on main stream movies for years. If you are not native, it will introduce you to problems today's Native people face and troubles they still face such as poverty, ignorance, and the US Government. Definitely up there with other great Native American movies. It was also great to see a Lakota Elder tell his story before he left us, his performance cannot be properly put into words. I have family on the Rez and watching this movie felt like being back there, from the landscape to the personalities.