The lives of two families, one white American, one native American, become mingled through the momentous events of American expansion, between 1825 and 1890.
19 Jan Into the West (2005)
Not Reinvented
I’m constantly amazed. No matter how repetitive and unimaginative mainstream movies get, TeeVee always is worse, much worse.
The western has been reinvented and “made honest” so many times there’s no way one can find its centre any more. So you have two choices, either do something that’s familiar and do it well, or do something different.
In this case, they advertised something different and didn’t have the guts to follow through, so it falls somewhere in between. Neither part is done well. Especially appalling is the smarmy romanticising of the native cultures.
They suffered once when the Europeans considered them irredeemable savages, not even worth converting to christianity. Now they suffer the reverse fate. Only the direction has changed.
Posted in 2005
Ted’s Evaluation — 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.
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