Estrada de Sangue

This show is based on the Ramapough Mountain "Indians" also known as the "Jackson Whites", who are a likely European/African mixed race ethnic group located in the Ramapo Mountains of Mahwah, (Northern) NJ. Their "tribal" headquarters can be found on Stag Hill Road in Mahwah. The group is currently seeking Federal recognition as a Native American "tribe" (Lenape) but so far have refused to submit to DNA testing to verify their heritage, which previous scientific investigations have shown to be baseless. They are most likely decedents of an unlikely pairing of Hessian deserters and escaped African slaves during the Revolutionary war.

While the show has both Native American and mixed race actors, in real life their appearances look closer to a mixed race heritage. For more information look up the article, "Strangers on the Mountain" from The New Yorker on March of 2010.

Their choice as a plot device is both unique and refreshing. The Ramapough "Indians" have made another recent appearance in the film; "Out of the Furnace" with Woody Harrelson's character 'Harlan DeGroat'. DeGroat (a Dutch not Native American name) is a common last name among them in real life.

Overall the show does a good job getting the setting and atmosphere right (winding mountain roads, ATVs, mountain bungalows etc...), with Momoa fitting the role well. I only wished they had actually filmed this in NJ but the Georgia mountains look spot on. Definitely worth giving it a shot, as it looks to have potential.

watching The Red Road is like patiently watching fog lift before your eyes. little by little we see the shape of the story and depths of these characters unveiled. father and son Kopus, Marie, Jean, and Harold are the most fascinating to discover. they are each deliciously multi-layered.

i think the direction, editing and acting are close to excellent because each scene is drawn out to perfect measure to increase tension or allow for emotional saturation. the only drawback for me so far are the segments dedicated to the star-crossed teenage lovers who may become irksome as forced interjections of sweetness in what would otherwise be a properly moody atmosphere of familial and racial turbulence.

somehow, i like the moody brooding atmosphere of this show. i'm transported by the stillness of the wide shots of woods, lakes and open fields. it's easy to become invested in the place and characters. there is no rush and i like that too. each word is measured, except of course with the character of Jean who is a force of nature in herself, so much so that her ramblings make you dizzy --awesome Julianne Nicholson. Jason Momoa and Tom Sizemore make sinister look good. Martin Henderson is a revelation for me because I have never found him to be particularly impressive. it is also so good to see Tamara Tunie in a completely different light (literally) from her drab post on L&O:SVU.

but if you're looking for weekly action, blood, profanity, sex, and breakneck speed...you won't get much of that here. meanwhile, i am enjoying the slow reveal of illicit activity, emotional disturbance and family drama. i think it's definitely a worthy watch.

At some points during the show it seems that there can be pointless scenes and the pacing can be slow, however, the foreshadowing of several different characters and the room for future plot lines could be immense.

Character development is spread in between the range of characters and gives us a chance to see and start to like the characters in the show, either good or bad. The different characters have deep personalities and are slowly revealed in different ways which creates a really grainy patch of the morals and decision making of these characters between either their families or moral beliefs.

The Red Road leaves room for future development but barely shows what it is capable of with just the first season. this isn't the type of show that instantly sticks, this show will develop and become more and more intriguing as time passes.

This is great filming.. Great casting... Believable. And Jason momoa...

I just discovered this all too late. I really enjoyed the first two seasons and was pleased to watch something with a decent plot and acting for once. Really gutted that I don't get to know where the story ends as the second series ended just as things were really beginning to escalate. Such a waste.