Into the West

To tell the story of the "West" you have to cover a period as long as the life of one man, but no one person ever experienced everything. Instead this mini series tells the story of a family. Some reviews have said two families, one The Wheelers, Wheelrights from West Virginia and the Lokato Indians, but they are related marriage.

The problem with telling the story of the West is that most of time it was grueling hardship, and not exciting action. What was recorded in people's letters and journals were these simple hard facts of life, while the myth makers, story tellers and newsmen made the west something it never was.

So since "Dances with Wolves" historical westerns tend towards the slower pace of life of the time. Of course this is accompanied by sweeping panoramic camera shots and a stirring sound track.

It starts by telling the story in two ways, one from the point of view of "The White Man" and other in terms of dreams and mysticism of the Indian people. But it doesn't go behind the facade of Indian story telling methodology or stay true to that methodology.

It all adds up to slightly disappointing tale, yet one that manages for maybe the first time I know of, to personalize much of the story that made up "The West". From the trail blazers, to the cover wagons of the first settlers, to Californian gold rush, building the railroad, and of course the Indian wars and massacres.

This is perhaps a goal so high, that if the film makers failed to hit their mark, the achievement is still of note.

I have diligently watched this series since the beginning. I have re-watched all the episodes at least twice.

Having some knowledge of Native American history, I have found that again Spielberg has done his homework on both sides of the journey west.

I feel that he has portrayed both sides more than fair and hope that this movie will open the eyes of those who still believe in the stereo typed "Indian, Pioneer, and Mountain Man. I hope that this movie again will make people understand what happens to "Nations" when there is prejudice and ignorance.

I found some inconsistencies in some of the issues with the personal lives of Indians, that I am fairly sure are not true. For example men didn't attend the births of their children..This was considered bad luck.

I also felt sometimes that I must of missed something. For example, Naomi was with the wagon train that was attacked by the Cheyenne? Then she was suddenly named "Five Horses." I assume that meant she was bought from those that captured her from the wagon train. This whole episode, though romantic was a bit unrealistic.Women of her age were seldom if ever adopted into any tribe. They were consdered to be "untrainable."

I found the language a bit stilted at times, but, considering that a lot of these actors are from other tribes, I think they did exceptionally well.

I have waited since Dances with Wolves for a good, honest portrayal of Native Americans...I finally got it...Thank you to all involved!

Mitakuye Oyasin

'Hanble Omani Winyan

I watched this not expecting much, and though the start was slow the show really picked up momentum by the second half. Acting was solid, but the storyline is what I think will really be good. I enjoyed the portrayal of both the settler/native side of the story. One thing that really makes the show unique is the use of native language- you hear English, several native languages, Spanish, and so on. That made it feel more authentic. I think that people who are interested in native culture will enjoy it, since it tells things from that point of view, but without being preachy or heavy handed- there are good and bad characters in both cultures. My only complaint is that the main character, Wheeler, is a little wide eyed and borders on corny at times, but hopefully that will get better as the series goes on.

I've been watching this series since it began, and it really gives both sides of the picture. The performances of Native American actors, especially Irene Bedard (Pocahontas' voice) are solid. The other characters are significant but less impressive. The locations are scenic, and the camera work is sharp as well.

I would recommend as a supplement a recent book, "Making the White Man's Indian: Native Americnas and Hollywood Movies." The book covers 100 years of Indians in the movies and gives many behind-the-scenes stories. If you're interested in the subject and like movies about Native Americans, watch the series and check out this book.

My husband and I have really enjoyed the two episodes that have aired so far and we are eagerly anticipating the remaining episodes. This mini series is both entertaining and educational. I can only imagine the effort that was spent to recreate the look and feel of that period in time. The use of the native American language adds realism. Can you imagine how unrealistic it would look if all the native Americans spoke fluent English? This movie does a great job of depicting the journey west as something both exciting and extremely dangerous. I noticed in the comments section that some viewers find certain plot scenes unrealistic. You have to realize that the settlers were ordinary people with no special training regarding how to survive out west, therefore they succumb to drowning, diseases, and yes, getting run over by a wagon.

I also thought the casting was well done in this movie. I enjoyed watching Keri Russell, Matthew Settle, Jay Tavare, and the rest of the cast. At times the movie is moving at such a fast pace that I got the impression scenes were left out in order to fit into the time slot allowed. I hope a DVD will be released so we may see some extra scenes. I would highly recommend this movie to families or anyone who enjoys great entertainment.