I saw this for the first time four years ago. I was moved to tears. This is one of the most inspirational, life-affirming productions I've ever seen. The dancers are wonderful, the musicians, especially Robert Mirabal, are awesome. The parts I loved most involved the 'fancy dancers'. Watch this. It will make your heart soar.
3 Reviews
A moving homage to Native Americans
nwnovelist23 July 2002
Ignore the crusty ill-informed remarks of "man in black529"; he must have this confused with some other film (and btw, Costner had nothing to do with this production but the opening narration).
I've seen this video several times, and have shared it with dozens of people, including Native Americans. Nearly everyone is moved to tears by the beauty of movement, the dramatic, invigorating score, and the revealing impact of Native American culture which will all-too-soon be forgotten.
Peter Buffett deserves a lot of credit for capturing and presenting the American Indian experience in dance, stories, and tradition. If you care about American tradition at all, you really must see this video.
I've seen this video several times, and have shared it with dozens of people, including Native Americans. Nearly everyone is moved to tears by the beauty of movement, the dramatic, invigorating score, and the revealing impact of Native American culture which will all-too-soon be forgotten.
Peter Buffett deserves a lot of credit for capturing and presenting the American Indian experience in dance, stories, and tradition. If you care about American tradition at all, you really must see this video.
So many complaints, and only 1,000 words
man_in_black5294 May 2002
Yet another Wannabe Indian presentation from Kevin Costner. A mixture of woodland, plains, and Southwestern imagery. A white guy finds out that he's Indian, and of course lives, not as Indians do today, but as Americans ASSUME Indians lived five hundred years ago.
There's only one thing missing that would make this musical worthwhile: Reality. Yes, many people decided they were ashamed of being native, as producer Joseph Rael tells PBS during a telethon, but guess what? The 70s saw an Indian renaissance.
All in all, this performance is fairly archetypal: White guy finds out about Indian heritage. Why is it always a white guy? I mean, there are numerous black people with Indian ancestors; until the 60s, things like straight hair and high cheekbones were a mark of beauty in the black community. What about a Mexican with Indian ancestors? (As if there are any Mexicans without some Indian ascent.) Secondly, where are the Indians? We have no idea what the Indians are going to say about him.
There's only one thing missing that would make this musical worthwhile: Reality. Yes, many people decided they were ashamed of being native, as producer Joseph Rael tells PBS during a telethon, but guess what? The 70s saw an Indian renaissance.
All in all, this performance is fairly archetypal: White guy finds out about Indian heritage. Why is it always a white guy? I mean, there are numerous black people with Indian ancestors; until the 60s, things like straight hair and high cheekbones were a mark of beauty in the black community. What about a Mexican with Indian ancestors? (As if there are any Mexicans without some Indian ascent.) Secondly, where are the Indians? We have no idea what the Indians are going to say about him.
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