Wild Indian

The subject matter of this movie is EXTREMELY important. Unfortunately, this plays more like a fictional documentary by a dispassionate observer, moves extremely slow, lacks character development, and never provides access for the audience to feel what fundamentally motivates the characters.

In the hands of a nascent writer/director, the story was not fully and cogently developed. This is made even more dissapointing by the fact that the writer/director is the child of a psychologist -- and the essential psychological elements were repressed, undeveloped, and never explicitly expressed in the story. I can only imagine that this reflects the writer/director's own personal predicament in life -- unhealed.

Showing what happens is not nearly as engaging, emotive, and inspiring of compassion and empathy as exploring the fundamental reasons WHY it happens. Abstract causality merely conveys confusion on the part of the film maker -- perhaps reflecting his own unresolved confusion about life on the res.

I really enjoyed this film but felt the trailers I'd seen were cut to make the movie seem different than it really was. Adding stars like Kate and Jesse but giving them a few minutes of screen time wasn't necessary for this film to still be a great slow burning drama.

Abused Makwa grows up on a troubled Reservation in Wisconsin with his cousin Teddo in the 80s. Over three decades later they meet again and the contrast is glaring. Michael Greyeyes and Chaske Spencer head the cast while Jesse Eisenberg and Kate Bosworth have peripheral roles.

"Wild Indian" (2021) is a slow burn drama about modern AmerIndians and the challenges of life on a Reservation, plus the ins & outs of life beyond. It has the melancholy, mundane tone of "Leo" (2002), "The Woodsman" (2004) and "First Snow" (2006). Although it may not be on the level of "Woodsman," it's arguably superior to the other two.

Writer/director Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr. Grew up on Reservations in Wisconsin & Minnesota so the movie obviously depicts things that he witnessed. He respects the intelligence of the viewer without spelling things out. It's a mixture of glaring clarity and vagueness that provokes you to reflect and put the pieces together.

What's going on with a certain character at the beach at the end? I'm part Abenaki and perfectly understand what was going on because I've done the same thing, but you don't have to be any particular race/tribe to relate.

The film runs 1 hour, 30 minutes, and was shot in Oklahoma with bits done in SoCal.

GRADE: B.

You have to watch this movie with a mindset of all native american history. It's the story of survival, how one individual with a certain cultural heritage maneuvers through life as not only a victim of the system but also the broken home. Lines are drawn between human beings and ultimately what it means to survive. What does it mean to be indian? This movie paints a gritty picture that is both meaningful and interesting! One conversation in particular in this movie was breathtaking. Try and spot it.

How do you portray generational trauma on the screen? Watch this movie and see Michael Greyeyes do this brilliantly. Has any actor attempted to do this let alone so masterfully? Difficult storyline but beautiful and much appreciated.