North America was never a Garden of Eden

This was based on Brian Moore's researched novel of the same name, relaying the story of a Jesuit priest in 1634 visiting the French settlement that later became Quebec City and his ensuing adventures traveling to a distant Huron mission accompanied by a young quasi-believing assistant and a family of Algonquin Indians.

The raw realism makes viewing "Black Robe" the next best thing to going back in time and viewing the events firsthand.

Other highlights include:

- Lothaire Bluteau's solid performance as the missionary priest;
- LaForgue's assistant, well played by Aden Young, and his developing love for the daughter of the Algonquin leader, played by the beautiful Sandrine Holt;
- The Algonquins themselves, particular the patriarch;
- The freaky dwarf shaman of a band of Montagnais natives;
- The harrowing events at an Iroquois fort;
- The subtext on the truth or falsity of spiritual beliefs, both of the Jesuits and the Indians;
- And the spectacular cinematography of the Quebec wilderness (mostly the Saint Lawrence River, filmed on location). The film successfully shows the desolate, untamed nature of the NE before the mass encroachment of Europeans.

How does it compare to "Last of the Mohicans" or "Dances with Wolves," two contemporary films also featuring realistic portrayals of AmerIndians? Of the two, "Black Robe" is closer to "Last of the Mohicans" since the story takes place in the East and there aren't any cowboys & Indians, although the story takes place well over a century earlier. The film differs from both in that there aren't really any Hollywood contrivances, including conventional movie plotting. As great and generally believable as those other films are, "Black Robe" shows the harsher, bleaker reality, which some may translate as boring.

However, as raw and realistic as "Black Robe" is, it could've been more so, considering that it fails to show one disturbing reality of Eastern AmerIndian culture, as detailed in Moore's book: The film avoids depicting the practice of ritual cannibalism on a dead infant, a custom that was common amongst the tribes of the Eastern woodlands. To consume an enemy's flesh was to absorb his power. The heart of an especially courageous foe (such as Jesuit martyr St. Jean Brebeuf) would be eaten by tribal leaders. But, don't get me wrong here, I'm kind of glad the movie left this out.

It has the same vibe as 2007's "Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan," so if you appreciate that style of raw-realism you'll likely value "Black Robe." However, those who have ADHD or require constant explosions to maintain their attention, should give it a pass.