A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
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Tonto means “stupid” in Spanish and this movie obviously relishes not only that name but uses it to describe anyone suckered into this 150-minute mess. Nothing makes sense in the film, from the stunning lack of historical accuracy to the silly action sequences, the simplistic dialogue or the physical settings. At one moment the characters are in the dust plains of what is supposed to be Texas, then riding through Arizona’s Monument Valley before having their ranches burned in what looks like the high mountain meadows of the Canadian Rocki...
Producers: J. Todd Harris and Mitchell Peck Co-producers: Neal Powless (Onondaga) and Ernest Stevens III (Oneida) Director: Steve Rash Writers: Tod Baird and Brad Riddell Crooked Arrows marks a new venture in filmmaking, one in which Native people break free from being mere subjects of a movie into a new reality where they have become actors, script editors and producers. In this instance, the Onondaga Nation contributed heavily to the movie, assigning one of their own, Neal Powless, to work in conjunction with Ernest Stevens III to insure the...
The movie “Frozen River” features exceptional acting by Melissa Leo worthy of her Oscar nomination. But it is not a great movie. Its setting is on an unnamed Mohawk reservation located astride the St. Lawrence River. Perhaps the producers had difficulty with the name “Akwesasne” or they elected not to consult (hence obtain the approval of) the Mohawk Nation but it is odd to see a road sign marking Native territory cut in half as if anonymity is part of the film’s setting. Smuggling, as the central activity of the film, is shown as not simp...
A few readers have asked over the past year why we haven’t reviewed the film Frozen River or written anything about it. The film is set in Akwesasne and was originally filmed here. There are a few reasons. First, I haven’t seen it. Second, I‘ve been hoping that it would quietly just go away. Third, I haven’t had cooperation from the film’s director, Courtney Hunt, in writing an article on it. Without an interview with Hunt, I’m unable to write a fair and unbiased article, so an editorial is the only option I have. The following is everything...
