Vow of Silence: The Assassination of Annie Mae

Despite the title and the trailer, I was pleasantly surprised by the class and quality of the series. I went into this expecting something more like a true crime series but it is not overly sensationalized. In fact, it almost has a subdued vibe that lures you in.

The series layers a long history onto the individual stories in a way that felt sophisticated and warranted, without being preachy. There are numerous characters, groups and forces shaping the narrative that are cleverly weaved together, creating a tapestry of motivations and storylines that swirl around Annie Mae.

The series pulled many emotional strings I did not expect. There is mystery and suspense of course, but at times I also felt rage, happy, mournful and curious. After finishing it, I kept thinking about it.

Maybe I'm just not a candidate for the content of the show, but although I sympathize with what the Indians went through, the show just dragged. It could not reel me in.

ABOUT MY REVIEWS:

I do not include a synopsis of the film/show -- you can get that anywhere and that does not constitute a meaningful review -- but rather my thoughts and feelings on the film that hopefully will be informative to you in deciding whether to invest 90-180 minutes of your life on it.

My scale: 1-5 decreasing degrees of "terrible", with 5 being "mediocre" 6- OK. Generally held my interest OR had reasonable cast and/or cinematography, might watch it again 7 - Good. My default rating for a movie I liked enough to watch again, but didn't rise to the upper echelons 8- Very good. Would watch again and recommend to others 9- Outstanding. Would watch over and over; top 10% of my ratings 10 - A classic. (Less than 2% receive this rating). For Lifetime Movies for Chicks (LMFC), drop the above scale by 3 notches. A 6 is excellent and 7 almost unattainable.

I watched the entire series on 11/27/24. I remembered the incident back in the 70's and was most surprised that the story was brought back to the TV screen over 30 years later. This was an excellent production and appears to be historically accurate. Although some of us remember the incident, it was the heart-breaking details that had the greatest impact for me. Anna Mae's family history was a critical part of the story, and getting to know her family in this documentary was gratifying, to say the least. I don't know what her legacy is in the Native community, but to me, she is one of those unknown heroes that most people never hear about. I hope this production brings greater recognition to her tragic story.

I've followed the history of AIM, the history of the Lakota people, and even have met many and protested with them as an ally.

I've also feel Trudell is a spiritual and honest leader. I don't think Bellcourt was involved but may have known. I would highly recommend educating oneself about the history of AIM, Wounded Knee massacre and the spiritual history of Fools Crow, Black Elk, and others.

One should definitely learn about the FBI and COINTELPRO. That will help you understand why the documentary is a really important testimony for her life and death of this woman's death.

It has been a mystery after so many years of grief and trauma for all involved. I'm glad it's finally getting the truth out there for people and Indigenous people

This isn't about being entertained but about the truth.