Neither Wolf Nor Dog

This was an awesome movie, it captured the essence of life on Pine Ridge. This was a story you can learn something from, no matter what walk of life you are from. It brings back Native Americans back as real in depth characters instead of the crap we have been seeing on main stream movies for years. If you are not native, it will introduce you to problems today's Native people face and troubles they still face such as poverty, ignorance, and the US Government. Definitely up there with other great Native American movies. It was also great to see a Lakota Elder tell his story before he left us, his performance cannot be properly put into words. I have family on the Rez and watching this movie felt like being back there, from the landscape to the personalities.

I've watched the movie more than once. It is a powerful adaptation of the book(s) and carries the mood of the old ways, the traditions of the elders and the history we all share with Indigenous Peoples. I loved the pace and feel of the movie, the landscapes are as beautiful as I remember them. Life on the Reservation and the beautiful Black Hills are captured here. The powerful historical "Wounded Knee" is presented in all of it's poignant significance. I highly recommend the books and this powerful adaptation. All of the actors and Steven Lewis Simpson adeptly portrayed the vision that Kent Nerburn shared in his eloquent writings.

Beautifully done!

Director Steven Lewis Simpson respectfully, lovingly, carefully created a film that stays true to Kent Nerburn's book, but is also its own amazing creation. The perfect cast, particularly Dave Bald Eagle, who brings the Native elder Dan to life, with his sense of humor, and his tears for his people, with balance and grace, never becoming maudlin, but never shying away from the truth either.

Seeing the film I felt like I had a true glimpse of present day Native life, and another glance at what America has lost.

This is a remarkable film, especially knowing it was shot in just a few days on a threadbare shoestring budget with a handful of actors and crew - and yet every minute is so meaningful and alive.

The message that we can still help one another and work together to provide a beautiful world for our children's children has never been more needed....thank you to all involved for the reminder, which could save our lives and our planet, "We are all connected".

I heard from two dear friends about the Kickstarter to get this movie made and the rest is history, as they say. I received my Blu-ray of the movie a few weeks ago and was finally able to sit down and watch it. It is a wonderful film that compliments the wonderful book. If you liked the book at all this is a must watch!

It starts off slowly, but that is to be expected and in doing so the film draws you into the world subtly. This is the second movie I have watched in the last several months that made me feel like I was watching a documentary more than a movie (the other movie was Loving). Everything felt so real! I felt like a fly on the wall simply watching Dan, Grover, and Nerburn. They felt like real people and not actors. The music, cinematography, use of sound, all of it coalesced to create this real world. It almost seemed like if I talked they would all be able to hear me.

I love movies and have several that engross me every time I watch, but only a select few (this and Loving) have hit me with how subtle and yet how very real they were. Watching this made the book come to life in a truly real way and it was wonderful. The slow pace worked perfectly as, like the book, you want to soak it all in and really hear and absorb what is going on and being talked about. Just like the book it leaves a lasting impression that ripples far beyond the end credits.

Having been a huge fan of Kent Nerburn's book, I have been eagerly awaiting this film adaptation for quite some time. I admit I was concerned about how the message of the book would be conveyed in a film without being too "preachy". It's one thing to read Nerburn's beautiful prose coming out of the mouth of the elder, Dan, but how would that come across in a film?

Well, I worried needlessly. Steven Lewis Simpson and Kent Nerburn collaborated to write a screenplay that, while adjusting to necessary film adaptation, has retained the message and the flavor of the original and is the beautiful, moving film I had hoped it would be.

The acting of every single actor is superb – it really would not have been the same with any one of them replaced with another. In particular, Christopher Sweeney as Nerburn and Richard Ray Whitman as Grover are exceptional. Zahn McClarnon's all-too-brief appearance is electric. And words are not sufficient to acclaim the work of Dave Bald Eagle. He is truly a treasure.

I highly recommend this film not only because the message is one that needs to be heard, but also because the film itself is extremely well-made and showcases the beauty of the country that is South Dakota. Well done to all participants – you should be proud of this fine work.