How many western films have been made? Thousands.
How many western films have native Americans appeared in? Thousands.
How many western films have been made from their point of view? Dozens.
Dozens compared to thousands. It's not on is it. Their experience was an integral part of the West and they've been whitewashed out of cinematic history. And films made from their POV invariably starred white actors darkened up, like Charles Bronson and Burt Lancaster for example. Even up to the 90's it was happening. Johnny Depp in The Brave for example. Sorry, I've forgotten another Depp one, he played Tonto in the recent version of the Lone Ranger. FFS.
Arguably one of the most famous Native Americans was Crazy Horse. His life story is the stuff legends are made of and yet only 2 movies have been made about him. One in the 50's and one in the 90's. And of course the one in the 50's was with a white actor - Victor Mature. It's time for another.
Crazy Horse was born into the Lakota Sioux in 1842. His birth name was Cha-O-Ha. His light skin-tone made many in the tribe believe his father was white and this lead to his mother killing herself out of shame. He began to have visions as a young man after witnessing a battle and these helped him build his confidence, his self belief and his skill on the battlefield as he grew. His reputation grew too as many believed he was invincible. Eventually he became a leader and led his compatriots against the U.S. army during the land grabs in the 1860's to 1880's. He eventually found himself in battle against the forces of President Ulysses S. Grant who were led by the infamous Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer. They won the battle but sadly Crazy Horse was dead less than 18 months later.
His story is the stuff of cinema. His tragic early life. His vision quests. His shy personality. His first kill. His skill at battle. His relationship with the great Sitting Bull. His participation in the Sioux uprising and the Indian Wars. Ensuring tribes that were once enemies combined to fight the common enemy. His marriage to Black Shawl Woman and the birth of daughter They Are Afraid Of Her. His leading of a war party at the Battle of the Little Big Horn and Custer's Last Stand (and the horrific consequences of that battle for the Sioux )and his very very questionable death at the hands of the Federal army.
This is a film that would need the epic sweep of films like Cimarron, Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee and Dances With Wolves combined with the post modern revisionism of things like Unforgiven and Deadwood. Looking back at the events without the glory and patriotism of earlier portrayals. Showing how good life pre war was and just how bad things got post war.
As for who could play him, it would have to be an Native American actor. Anything else would be an insult. Rudy Youngblood who was so great as the lead in Apocalypto would be a great choice. Or maybe Zahn McClarnon who was brilliant as Hanzee in Season 2 of Fargo. And Gil Bermingham who was great fun as Jeff Bridges' partner in Hell Or High Water could make a cracking Sitting Bull.
It's not a film that will get made during Trump's reign. White America does not come out of the story looking good. The native Americans were just fighting what they saw as invaders, fighting to protect what was theirs.
I'd love to see this. A real American story. A fitting postscript would be seeing the Crazy Horse monument in the Black Hills of South Dakota. Even bigger than the faces at Mount Rushmore. A big monument for a giant of a man.
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| The Crazy Horse monument in South Dakota |
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