but wonderful writer and observer. Here, the unique vision of a
uniquely American tragedy.
Ed
From: "Hunter Gray" <hunterbadbear@hunterbear.org>
To: <epearlag@earthlink.net>
Cc: "ASDnet" <asdnet@igc.topica.com>
Sent: Thursday, July 08, 2010 5:28 AM
Subject: [R-G] THUNDERHEART
Although this is a re-send, it's been several years. Thunderheart is making
the rounds again on our TV arrangement and, if you haven't seen it, I
strongly recommend that you do so -- even if it means renting it for a day
or two from a film outlet. [H]
THUNDERHEART
Comment by Hunter Bear: 12/30/05
I have never been a great movie goer. Some of this may go back to being a
Depression child, especially with the limited film fare of those days, but,
for whatever complex of reasons, I've always preferred reading -- and
writing. [SHANE AND SALT OF THE EARTH were favorites of mine very, very
early on.] Lately, however, relatively house-bound [and restless], I've
spent more time in front of our family television and I've seen things I
wish I had seen earlier. One of these was CONSPIRACY [2001], which I
discussed in a post a year ago http://www.hunterbear.org/reminiscence.htm
And another is THUNDERHEART [1992].
Now, almost always when I encounter these on HBO, I see them to the end.
When THUNDERHEART initially appeared, many of my University of North Dakota
students -- Native, Anglo, and Other -- strongly recommended it. But Eldri
and I went to virtually no movie houses and missed it. It was our
considerable loss. Finally seeing it on TV several months ago, I realized
significant dimensions of it certainly resonate deeply within me. And the
family has since given it to me on DVD as one of this year's Christmas
gifts.
The setting is the Badlands of South Dakota -- obviously depicting the
troubled Pine Ridge Oglala Sioux Reservation in and around where much of it
was filmed. The cast is rich with Indians. Val Kilmer, himself part-Indian,
plays Ray Levoi, a young FBI agent, a good part Sioux, who grew up in a
large urban
area, and who with his superior, Frank Coutelle [played by Sam Shepard],
goes there officially to apprehend an alleged killer, a Native militant who
the FBI perceives as "an enemy of the United States."
Early on Levoi encounters tribal policeman and astute detective Walter Crow
Horse, a man of considerable courage, social conscience and wit, admirably
carried by Graham Greene [a Six Nations Oneida and always a special favorite
of our younger family members.] Despite outwardly differing cultural
backgrounds and perspective, the two men are slowly drawn toward each other.
Crow Horse, as with almost all of the Natives in THUNDERHEART, is politely
tolerant of Levoi -- but Levoi's personal story unwinds slowly on the
"Moccasin Telegraph": a Native father and high steel construction worker of
considerable courage himself, who tried to give his son some sense of Sioux
culture and identity, but who dies as a result of alcoholism. Some ice is
thawed, then broken, much of this due to the kindly reaction and
involvement by Grandpa Sam Reaches [Ted Thin Elk] to whom the young agent is
brought by Crow Horse. The venerable Elder, obviously aware of deep
conflicts not resolved in Levoi, also senses a very special quality in him.
It isn't long before Levoi, with help from Crow Horse and implicit
suggestion from Grandpa Sam Reaches -- a critic of the corrupt tribal
administration -- begins to slowly realize that there may be another agenda,
primary and sub rosa, on the part of his FBI superior in close conjunction
with the crafty and violent tribal chair, Jack Milton [played by Fred Ward,
also part-Indian] who has a legion of gun-waving goons. The nature of this
sinister scheme is sharpened specifically by a young, attractive and sharply
sensitive school teacher, Maggie Eagle Bear [Sheila Tousey] who has
discovered that a major river on the res is being polluted by uranium
spill-off. Levoi is drawn, deeply and almost subconsciously, to her.
Along the trail, the name of a historic holy man is told to him by Grandpa
Sam Reaches -- Thunderheart,
who was among the hundreds of unarmed victims of the United States Army's
Wounded Knee Massacre in late December, 1890.
And it is clear that the Elder sees Ray Levoi in the most direct, personal
sense as Thunderheart.
In a major juncture, Levoi in his vehicle falls suddenly into a very
strange and deep sleep.
And in that state, he is suddenly running desperately with the other
Indians, men and women and children, away from gun-shooting cavalrymen. He
and the other Indians die. He awakens, visibly shaken.
Compelled, Levoi now visits the graveyard at Wounded Knee where these
many victims lie buried. On an old stone memorial are carved the names of
many of the leading targets of the Army on that horrific day and, as he
reads down the list, Levoi notes, in stunned and profoundly empathetic
fashion, the name, Thunderheart.
He tells his "dream" of running and death to an astonished, but not really
surprised Crow Horse.
"That was no dream," his friend tells him. "That was a vision." And he
explains to Levoi that that comes only rarely and not to everyone.
And by now, increasingly critical of the FBI arrogance he is seeing, coupled
with mounting evidence of FBI frame-up endeavors, Ray Levoi, drawn
powerfully
and irreversibly by his Native side and expanding consciousness, quietly
crosses the line into the Indian World.
By moon-lit night Crow Horse takes him to a special remote area to explore
the presence of nefariously and dangerously disturbed uranium -- of which
they find plenty of evidence. It's clearly obvious in the add-up that a
small handful of self-seekers, including his FBI superior Coutelle and
tribal chair Jack Milton and outside entrepreneurs, are planning to secure
and "develop" the yellow ore to enrich themselves -- at the expense of the
Indian people and the land and the water.
Suddenly seeing circling coyotes in the moonlight down in a draw, they
investigate further. The coyotes flee, and the two men then see the body of
Maggie Eagle Bear -- recently shot -- lying in a shallow grave.
They return to a key reservation settlement where the final climactic
excitement mounts rapidly. Coutelle and Milton, by now aware of the stance
of Levoi and Crow Horse who have just discovered another killing, arrive
accompanied by pickups full of armed goons. Pursued, Levoi and Crow Horse
flee on obscure roads in Levoi's vehicle while, in a CB radio conversation
with his one-time superior, Levoi traps Coutelle via a tape recording.
The flight takes the two into an especially sacred area.
The road ends close to a high, cliffy ridge and the Levoi car banks down in
a ditch. The two men head on foot toward a complex of small canyons but
stop when an armed Coutelle, Milton, and the army of goons all level down on
them. In a tense, terse colloquy between Levoi and Coutelle, the latter
offers to receive Levoi back into the Fold along with an attractive deal.
If Levoi hesitates, it's only for a split second before walking over a few
steps and publicly affirming his stance with Crow Horse -- and the People's
cause.
Guns -- many of them -- are now aimed directly and purposefully at the two.
And then, to the sound of traditional singing, many of the People appear
over the up close ridges with their own guns -- appropriately aimed.
Grandpa Sam Reaches is obviously a major leader in this dramatically timely
appearance.
The other side wilts. It's clear that the Sun has won.
In a few short scenes, before Ray Levoi heads out to publicly expose the
uranium schemes, Elder Grandpa Sam Reaches and the young man exchange
meaningful gifts in the context of solid relationship. Solid too, are the
ties between Levoi and Walter Crow Horse who reminds the now most likely
ex-FBI agent that he can always come back to the res. And, with specific
reference to the Wounded Knee massacre, he tells Levoi, "You were there,
Ray."
The Land -- the setting -- is very real. The acting, consistently excellent,
is mostly done by Indians. Almost all of the depicted homes and
settlements, and many of the vehicles, fit the economically marginal nature
of nearly all Indian reservations.
The themes are obviously powerful and are handled sensitively and well in
authentic fashion: Ray Levoi's ultimately well resolved and not uncommon
between-two-worlds socio-cultural identity conflict, and the struggle to
preserve the Earth and prevent the desecration of It and The People. The
frequent complexities of tribal factionalism -- bureaucracy with hovering
outside corporate interests opposed by strong and vital traditionalism with
vigorous traditional approaches -- are set forth with accuracy.
And Vision -- always rare and usually with great personal meaning: No
Indian would ever have any problem with that.
___________________________________________________________
hunter,
this was filmed during the period when we were living in n.d.
together, you, me, john, etc -- it was during the drought year --
'89? -- which you can see from the dryness of the foliage in the film.
at the same time, or in roughly that timeframe, the director michael
apted (british) filmed "incident at ogalalla," the documentary (narr.
robt redford) about peltier. if i recall rightly, the funding for
the documentary was tied into the funding for the film -- something
like, ok, we'll give you $$ for "incident" if you also bring us a
hollywood movie.
i've often thought that of course it would take a british director to
reduce this whole thing to its elements. my favorite scene is when
maggie says (something like), you want to solve some crimes? here
they are -- 200 uninvestigated murders of traditionals.
knock yourself out.
i always like that, since joe killsright stuntz's killer was never
prosecuted (june 26, 1975).
hope yr well and lkg fwd to a good 06,
kass [fleisher] 12/31/05
____________________________________________________________
Just wanted to let you know that.
Sorry not much for words on the net.
I like to read and learn.
Joanne 12/30/05
___________________________________________________________________
Thanks for the review of Thunderheart; I'll try to find it and see it.
I certainly follow some of your activities/thoughts/friendships through the
SNCC List Serve (with great enjoyment), but since you suggest we stay in
touch, I'll send you a booklet that my husband organized for my 60th
birthday (on Dec 15 of this year). It gives some flavor of some of the
organizing I've been involved with over the years (and continue to do).
Your words and your work continue to inspire.
Thanks. And to your better health and better times in the new year.
Heather [Booth] 12/30/05
________________________________________________________________
Your review convinced me. I ordered the video tonight.
Thomas Armstrong 12/30/05
______________________________________________________________________
A bit part, schoolteacher, in the early moments of the movie is filled
by Candy Hamilton, a veteran of the Wounded Knee Legal Defense/Offense
Committee (and one of several people who I shared a house with in
Atlanta before that).
- Reber Boult 1/01/06
___________________________________________________________________
FROM AN INDIAN FRIEND VIA E-MAIL, WHOSE PATH HAS
CROSSED MINE NUMEROUS TIMES OVER HALF A CENTURY
WITHOUT OUR EVER MEETING, AND WITH WHOM I FINALLY
SPOKE, OVER A THOUSAND-MILE DISTANCE (POCATELLO,
IDAHO) ON MY NOV. 25 KPFA BROADCAST A FEW WEEKS
AGO, WHEN I INTERVIEWED HIM. IT MAY BE HEARD AT
KPFA.ORG/ARCHIVES. HIS WEB SITE AND MAILING LISTS
ARE REMARKABLE FOR THEIR CONTENT AND THE HUMAN
BEING THEY REVEAL.
Bill Mandel 1/02/06 -- To a friend of his with my review of Thunderheart
____________________
HUNTER GRAY [HUNTER BEAR/JOHN R SALTER JR] Mi'kmaq /St. Francis
Abenaki/St. Regis Mohawk
Protected by Na´shdo´i´ba´i´
and Ohkwari'
Our Hunterbear website is now more than ten years old.
It contains a vast amount of social justice material -- including
grassroots activist organizing. Check out
http://hunterbear.org/directory.htm
See Personal Background Narrative:
http://hunterbear.org/narrative.htm
And See: Hunter Bear's Movement Life Interview:
http://hunterbear.org/HUNTER%20BEAR%20INTERVIEW%20CRMV.htm
See: The Stormy Adoption of an Indian Child [My Father] and its
accompanying essay on Minority Adoptions and Native Land
and Resources:
http://hunterbear.org/James%20and%20Salter%20and%20Dad.htm
_______________________________________________
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Rad-Green@lists.econ.utah.edu
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