Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007)
Another HBO production western with really great underlying potential, being based on parts a non-fiction book on Native American history. The usual production wise shortcomings are still there, but the core here is solid and I believe with some better acting, directing and cinematography there could be a small masterpiece in this.
By focusing on Ohiyesa / Charles Eastman the tragic story of the treatment of the Native Americans and how their way of life eroded away, does a better job of telling their story than something like Dancer With Wolves. I like how every character is treated with respect and grace, and how very different worldviews are shown. Like the premise of making the Natives “civilized” is forcing the question of what is civilized about “owning land” - a term that doesn’t exist in any of the Native languages.
The general tone and style of this production comes off as a bit of a history lesson, but a worthy one and HBO doesn’t shy away from some pretty bloody and violent imagery as well. It strikes a decent balance of informing the viewer of the atrocities and character focused emotional narrative.
Rating: 3.5