South Dakota Indian Studies Online – INED 411/511
Write A Movie Review Assignment – 30 Points
Name: Reel Injun (2009) Reel Injun is a movie about the portrayal of Native Americans in Hollywood and how it has evolved over time. It includes a wide cast of Native American actors, writers, activists, and others. The main theme of the movie is how the United States of America has made Native Americans into “mythical beings” through many overt and subliminal tactics (Diamond, "Reel Injun"). This movie deals with the identity of being Native American and how Hollywood has been a double-edged sword in its portrayals of Natives. The movie starts off as showing how Native Americans were more the “background” of the movies throughout America’s history. …show more content…
It would be a great lesson for discussion on Crazy Horse who has become a “mythical figure” in our culture’s collective mind (Diamond, "Reel Injun"). It is said that he never had a photograph taken of him, but there are many faked photographs. I think this discussion shows the humanity of the Sioux as a whole. I would also show some photos of the stereotypical “Plains Indian”, which I come to think of as a member of the Lakota, Nakota, or Dakota. Images could be shown in class to show students the “stereotype” versus an actual Native resident of South Dakota. The scenes with Russell Means, a native of Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and John Trudell, a native of the Santee Dakota, show an interesting perspective into how the extreme poverty and corrupt politics still factor into daily South Dakota Native American life today (Diamond, "Reel Injun"). These interviews with the two men could be used to supplement a speech portion of an English Language Arts class. The students could look for ways the men are arguing for a change in Hollywood and in America at large. The “Incident at Wounded Knee” in 1973 could also be used as a topic for debate by bringing up the history of the “Wounded Knee Massacre”, other historical background from both sides, and the attention Marlon Brando helped Sacheen Littlefeather (Diamond, "Reel Injun"). The students could argue whether or not Sacheen should have done what she did and whether or not …show more content…
It is a very good accurate portrayal of what it promises, which is that Native Americans were harmed by the initial and continual portrayal of themselves in Hollywood. The movie does end on a positive note that more and more Native Americans are becoming involved in movies. It is not a movie that goes far back into the history of the Native American peoples, but rather it waits to do that at the end. This movie is made instead to show the entanglements of White culture in Native American society and how Native Americans are beginning to see themselves finally with pride rather than with the shame that they have had directed at them from White culture (Diamond, "Reel Injun"). It shows a lot of events and tells the viewer about many different perspectives and how the White perspective “prevailed” at times to help “mystify” the Native peoples of America. This movie is accurate in everything that it promises and provides an insight that is very rare in Hollywood today: the real Native perspective (Diamond, "Reel
Write A Movie Review Assignment – 30 Points
Name: Reel Injun (2009) Reel Injun is a movie about the portrayal of Native Americans in Hollywood and how it has evolved over time. It includes a wide cast of Native American actors, writers, activists, and others. The main theme of the movie is how the United States of America has made Native Americans into “mythical beings” through many overt and subliminal tactics (Diamond, "Reel Injun"). This movie deals with the identity of being Native American and how Hollywood has been a double-edged sword in its portrayals of Natives. The movie starts off as showing how Native Americans were more the “background” of the movies throughout America’s history. …show more content…
It would be a great lesson for discussion on Crazy Horse who has become a “mythical figure” in our culture’s collective mind (Diamond, "Reel Injun"). It is said that he never had a photograph taken of him, but there are many faked photographs. I think this discussion shows the humanity of the Sioux as a whole. I would also show some photos of the stereotypical “Plains Indian”, which I come to think of as a member of the Lakota, Nakota, or Dakota. Images could be shown in class to show students the “stereotype” versus an actual Native resident of South Dakota. The scenes with Russell Means, a native of Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and John Trudell, a native of the Santee Dakota, show an interesting perspective into how the extreme poverty and corrupt politics still factor into daily South Dakota Native American life today (Diamond, "Reel Injun"). These interviews with the two men could be used to supplement a speech portion of an English Language Arts class. The students could look for ways the men are arguing for a change in Hollywood and in America at large. The “Incident at Wounded Knee” in 1973 could also be used as a topic for debate by bringing up the history of the “Wounded Knee Massacre”, other historical background from both sides, and the attention Marlon Brando helped Sacheen Littlefeather (Diamond, "Reel Injun"). The students could argue whether or not Sacheen should have done what she did and whether or not …show more content…
It is a very good accurate portrayal of what it promises, which is that Native Americans were harmed by the initial and continual portrayal of themselves in Hollywood. The movie does end on a positive note that more and more Native Americans are becoming involved in movies. It is not a movie that goes far back into the history of the Native American peoples, but rather it waits to do that at the end. This movie is made instead to show the entanglements of White culture in Native American society and how Native Americans are beginning to see themselves finally with pride rather than with the shame that they have had directed at them from White culture (Diamond, "Reel Injun"). It shows a lot of events and tells the viewer about many different perspectives and how the White perspective “prevailed” at times to help “mystify” the Native peoples of America. This movie is accurate in everything that it promises and provides an insight that is very rare in Hollywood today: the real Native perspective (Diamond, "Reel