DreamKeeper

Yesterday i bought the movie the Dreamkeeper because the little scenes i saw on TV during a commercial interested me a lot. I must say that this story was for sure not a disappointment because it is really a beautiful story which is a mix of fantasy, legends and old stories. In this story a boy from the Lakota Sioux tribe has problems because he has a quilt with an Indian gang. His grandfather wants to visit the powwow, which is a meeting between all kinds of tribes from the USA, in which the dances and traditions will be shared. The grandfather wants that his grandson takes him to the powwow and as reward he will receive a car from his grandfather. In the beginning he don't want that but when he realizes that he also has 1 day to pay the money back to the gang than it maybe could be a good alternative to escape. During the trip his grandfather starts to tell him stories which form the base of the movie. During the stories you enter a time of legends and fantasies but with every story the grandfather is teaching the grandson a lesson in life. The maker of this movie also made Arabian nights and you can see it a little back in this movie because the setup is the same because in Arabian nights a woman tells a movie to the sultan she wants to marry. This story really impressed me and i enjoyed it a lot, also because i am very interested in Indian tribes. This movie deserves a 9 out of 10 because i kept my attention for the full 3 hours it took, in one word beautiful and well done.

In South Dakota, in an Indian reservation, an old storyteller Indian (August Schellenberger) asks his grandson Shane (Eddie Spears), who is in trouble owing money to some bad guys, to take his old pony and him to Albuquerque to the great powwow, an Indian meeting. While traveling, Grandpa tells mysterious Indian tales of love, friendship and magic and brings his grandson back to the Indian traditions and culture.

What a great surprise was watching "Dreamkeeper"! Released on VHS in Brazil, with 167 minutes running time, it is composed by several wonderful mystical Indian tales, with gods, spirits, enchanted horse, evil serpent in a lake, all of them connected through the narrative of the Grandpa to his grandson and with the support of excellent cast and special effects. This feel-good film is a must-see entertainment for the whole family. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Guardião dos Sonhos" ("Dreamkeeeper")

Note: On 03 May 2014, I saw this movie again on DVD.

Note: On 02 Oct 2021, I saw this movie again.

How can I get a DVD or VHS copy of this movie? I want to save this movie and watch it again. There are some great lessons to be learned. I like that fact that these legends are being saved. Like the line from the L.A. Times TV Times Commentary on Dreamkeeper says, "A lot of our elders are passing, and when they pass, people like myself and like my little sister will need to keep the stories alive. I am hoping that the native youth will embrace this, so people will always know we are still here."

As a Native American I hate movies that play out the old "cowboys and Indians" theme, which severely limited the "indian" movies I would watch. I am SO GLAD to FINALLY see a movie that shows Native Americans as we are in real life rather than the traditional depiction as scalp-seeking-savages, tells our stories, and shows how life on the reservation truly is today. This movie (to me,) breaks down a lot of the negative stereotypes made on our people, which are generally fueled by movies. I think it is very important to have movies like this to help dissolve a lot of racial stereotypes, and share our legends with the newer generation. I was amazed when I saw the depictions of stories I had actually heard as a child, growing up in Tahlequah Oklahoma, the Cherokee Nation Capitol. I wish all movies could be like this... as a matter of fact, I think i am going to watch it again right now!!!

They did a great job with this movie. Alot of care was put in to ensure authenticity and accuracy, from identifying each tribe with their sacred stories and proper language use to ensuring costumes were correct for tribes and time periods, even down to including the "wannabe" character who tags along through part of the plot. The intertwined theme related to gang activity and violence is also very true. Pine Ridge is one of the toughest places in America to grow up in. With a spiritual attachment to ancestral lands and close family ties, very few people really want to strike out on there own; and with no industry near the reservation, these two facts combine to an 80% unemployment rate. Alcoholism, drug abuse and gang violence make rez life as dangerous as the toughest big city neighborhoods of New York and LA.

This film took several months to produce and employed thousands of Native Americans, from actors and actresses to extras, film crew members and laborers.

The special effects accurately portray imagery of spirit characters without getting engrained in fantasia and the typical new-agey romanticized look-and-feel that some recent Indian movies have (say "Dances with Wolves").