Incidente a Oglala

Incident at Oglala (1992)

*** (out of 4)

Documentary about the June 26, 1975 shooting at the Pine Ridge Indian reservation in Oglala, South Dakota where two FBI agents chased a truck onto the property and minutes later they were shot dead. Two people were found not guilty but a third, Leonard Peltier, was found guilty and sentenced to prison but much evidence shows that he wasn't the man pulling the trigger. I had never really heard of this case, although Apted's THUNDERHEART is loosely based around the events here and my main reason for watching this was because of the director as well as narrator/producer Robert Redford. I think those already familiar with the case are going to be the ones who really benefit from this film. As someone not overly familiar with it, I found the documentary to try and show every side of the debate and quite often the stories got mixed together and were rather hard to follow. This hard to follow stuff is perhaps due to the actual case, which seemed to be all over the place in terms of what really happened. Every witness seems to be telling a different story and many of them have changed their stories over the years. The evidence showing that Peltier is pretty interesting but at the same time you have those who are dead certain that he was guilty. The film clearly wants to show him as an innocent victim but I guess it will always be a mystery as that what really happened and in what ordered the events occurred. Director Apted does a very good job at getting many of the original people together for this, including Peltier, who is still in prison.

With "Incident at Oglala", Robert Redford and Michael Apted exposed how American Indian Movement activist Leonard Peltier was unjustly convicted of murder. It was obvious that the whole thing was politically motivated. And regardless of who committed the murders, they were intimidating the Indians. And anyway, the white people stole the Indians' land to begin with, so the Indians had every right to stand up for themselves.

The point is that any time that the US government talks about freedom and democracy, it's pure hypocrisy. An innocent man sits in jail while thugs rule the White House. This is an important documentary for everyone.

After seeing this film it is unbelievable that Leonard Peltier is still in prison. How is it possible that this is possible nowadays. See this film and let it open your eyes and then do something about it.

FREE LEONARD PELTIER!!!!

Ries "A Dutchman in Ireland"

Solid, interesting, if slightly dry documentary about a shootout on a Sioux reservation that killed two FBI agents and the government's attempts to blame someone for the crimes, finally railroading Leonard Peltier, using a lot of clearly falsified evidence.

Just as interesting as the trial itself is the examination of the deep political and philosophical split between the 'modern', more white-world assimilated Native Americans, who worked hand in hand with the US government, versus the American Indian Movement (AIM) who were fighting to protect and keep alive Native American heritage -- the conflict leading to a reign of terror by the modern Native American tribe leader.

There is one key element, the mysterious 'Mister X' who supposedly actually confessed to the killings that's awkwardly and strangely under-explored.

In all, this feels like a good episode of PBS's great 'Frontline' series, which - for me- is actually pretty high praise.

I own this documentary on VHS and DVD.

What I'd like to see is Michael Apted do another on the same subject 20 years later.

Can't give it 10/10 because the "incident" has NOT been resolved. Michael Apted has apparently forgotten to seek an ending for the story he felt adamantly about 20 years ago.

I would like to see a final chapter... 20 years imprisoned... Leonard Peltier... FREE... pardoned... and compensated... for the crimes against him... and his Nation.

Watching this documentary brings out the Warrior Spirit in me. And we all should contact the President of the United States... before he categorizes all Warriors as terrorists.