MovieChat Forums > Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007) Discussion > Something I Shouldn't Have Laughed At

Something I Shouldn't Have Laughed At

posted 17 years ago by clogan8307
5 replies | jump to latest

This was a good movie and I'm not trying to take away from the seriousness of it, but there was one segment of the movie that cracked me up. It was when that Native American who was dressed in the uniform told Sitting Bull something to the effect of, "They (the white man) let us hunt our own meat. Watch this!"

Then he rode his horse into this little corral where he chased this calf and shot it. After that, he let out this yell like he'd really done something and looked around as though everyone was going to applaud what he did. Instead, all he heard was crickets as everyone tried not to make eye contact with him and had this expression on their faces like, "That wasn't sh!t. All you did was chase down a little calf in a confined area and you're whooping and hollering like you won the lottery." I know that scene was supposed to be sad, but it was kind of funny to me.

The mind is like a parachute; it works best when it is open." - Rickson Gracie

[–] zenvon 17 years ago

i have 2 admit although it was sad it was the funniest part in the movie. his wife thought he was doing something cool also until she looked back at running bull and saw the hurt and discust on his fece

[–] Bucky_Bleichert 17 years ago

I thought it was one of the saddest in the film. Not funny at all.

Ignore/Idiots '07: rimeshot, culture warrior, hmcphee, dinoperson867, JakeHeke08

[–] serios1 17 years ago

I found that scene very sad, that he was so blinded that he could have thought for a moment that shooting a calf in a pen was a subsitute for thier way of life.

I know what you mean, it was comical that he was looking for accolades, but it was so sad to see the culture and tradition of the Sioux being stripped away.

[–] will_lee63 17 years ago

Pointless periodical ritual/ empty shell of what used to be a proud culture founded on some important principles...

Modern era shaman Leonard Crow Dog knew and warned the whites of the 1970s that what happened to the Lakota would eventually happen to the (poor) whites, too. For today's Americans, the chance to elect decent leaders by popular vote is about as tainted as that "hunt." And the modern shepards of the land, the (yes, miguided and often reactionary) ranchers and family farmers are slowly seeing their way of life die out, too. The human race is losing its connection to Mother Earth. (What are we gaining in return? Is it worth it? )

As good in its time and as important as BMHAWK was as a revisionist history book, this TV movie was a dim shell of what it could have been. For me dispite complete fascination with the subject matter it failed to hold my attention beyond the cursory look at another Hollywood attempt at portraying the "noble savage." Which is a shame, because the film certainly seemed to try to be more than that, and I suppose it is good that a few people who were previously ignorant of these events saw something.... but it failed to entertain and by that standard who will be educated? Give me LITTLE BIG MAN anyday.

I was glad however that it tried to show the model of consensus leadership, and in fact that to me seemed to be the real climax of the film - Sitting Bull and Red Cloud's refusal to sign any treaties after negotiating the Ft Laramie one, and the people of their tribe standing in solidarity with that, realizing their strength came in holding to the traditions.

If you haven;t read the book, be sure and do so but also check out author Jerry Mander's tome _In the Absence of the Sacred: The Failure of Technology and the Survival of the Indian Nations. This book points out, with a lot less sentimentalizing the key aspects of indiginous cultures that enable a society to survive.

[–] MauiWauwie 17 years ago

It was really sad but kinda funny. I remember trying not to laugh when i saw it though.

Last Movie I Saw:

Freeway: 8/10