Indian Horse

It was a heart-wrenching well acted movie. It showed briefly how disgusting the residential school life/death would have been for these youth. How self-righteous the priests & nuns really were despite the sexual abuse, cruelty & inhumanity they displayed towards children in their "care"...all the while insisting it was in the name of their GOD!

This movie shows the brutal, harsh reality of life in a residential schools. not only do we get a look at saul through out his life but we also see the damage to other students along the way. sauls acting stayed consistent through out the movie which was surprising considering it is all different actors. this film gives you a look at something we wouldnt be able to understand in this depth if the film werent made.i was emotional during this movie beacause this movie is real, this isnt a nightmare we can wake up from, this is real.

Not easy to watch. 6 of us went and discussed afterwards. Worth watching and leaves you thinking...

This film helped me understand what really happened to kids that were taken to residential schools. I also could feel the pain that they felt, it was the first time I was able to put myself in their shoes. I think this film has a very strong message, this film should be shown in high schools across Canada, for history classes. I think the actors did a good job acting even though it was a really hard subject. It probably caused them a lot of pain. The places they chose to shoot the film and the way they edited it made a huge impact on the emotions of the film. This movie is full of sadness, but also has a lot of importance.

Based on the novel by Richard Wagamese: in the 1960s, Saul Indian Horse (played at different times by Sladen Peltier, Forrest Goodluck, and Ajuawak Kapashesit) is an indigenous boy in northern Ontario who is forced into a Catholic residential school where he eventually develops exceptional skills as a hockey player.

In addition to successfully focusing on a personal story that reflects probably the worst part of Canada's history (more on that later), "Indian Horse" fascinates in some segments that involve conflicting values. One involves generations of an indigenous family in which an elder practices traditional spirituality while the younger adult generation (brainwashed in residential schools) insists that Christianity is the only acceptable belief system. In later scenes, interpretations of Christianity itself present a conflict in the residential school. On the one hand is a reforming priest who believes in a compassionate approach to the children; on the other is a nun (a true creature from hell) whose approach is literal and uses any means necessary to "Christianize" the children.

The film's conclusion is quite touching in its recollection of Saul's difficult past as he tries to come to terms with it.

The fact this film was made and distributed (and playing for more than a month in some theatres) is a victory in itself - not only because it is a film of good quality but mainly for frankly addressing some of the worst parts of Canadian history - recent and not so recent. Hopefully, similar stories will be told. - dbamateurcritic