Catherine Weldon (Jessica Chastain) is a widowed painter in 1890 New York City. She decides to travel to Dakota by herself to paint a portrait of Sitting Bull (Michael Greyeyes). It's highly unusual for a woman to be so independent. Local commander James McLaughlin (Ciarán Hinds) would like to see the hated liberal be arrested and sent back to New York. Colonel Silas Grove (Sam Rockwell) has been sent by the War Department to push through a new treaty which would take half of the tribe's land. General Cook arrives to take charge but also is seeking an opportunity to avenge Little Big Horn.
Director Susanna White has infused a modern romantic feel and modern social justice understanding into this little known story. Quite frankly, I never heard of this story. My biggest issue is the look of Michael Greyeyes. My recollection of Sitting Bull is the photographs of the weathered old man. Greyeyes looks much younger. I had to check and he's supposed to be 60 at that time. More importantly, those pictures are pretty much what he looks like at this time. Greyeyes looks like 40-50. He's at least a decade too young and his face doesn't have the prairie sun pounding on it all his life. I had to give this up since White wants to add a pulpy romantic feel to the movie.
The main complaint from critics seem to be that this is injecting modern social issues into history. I have a lot less problem with that. We get our understanding of the past from movies which are always tainted by the sensibilities of when they're made. In some ways, the reactions from the white people seems right. They would be hostile. The native people is presented with a bit too much nobility although I love the train porter early in the movie. I would modify the Indian stealing her stuff to add more menace. He could push her down and steal what she's carrying. As it stands, the scene is used as comedy. All in all, I like the characters and this story.
Director Susanna White has infused a modern romantic feel and modern social justice understanding into this little known story. Quite frankly, I never heard of this story. My biggest issue is the look of Michael Greyeyes. My recollection of Sitting Bull is the photographs of the weathered old man. Greyeyes looks much younger. I had to check and he's supposed to be 60 at that time. More importantly, those pictures are pretty much what he looks like at this time. Greyeyes looks like 40-50. He's at least a decade too young and his face doesn't have the prairie sun pounding on it all his life. I had to give this up since White wants to add a pulpy romantic feel to the movie.
The main complaint from critics seem to be that this is injecting modern social issues into history. I have a lot less problem with that. We get our understanding of the past from movies which are always tainted by the sensibilities of when they're made. In some ways, the reactions from the white people seems right. They would be hostile. The native people is presented with a bit too much nobility although I love the train porter early in the movie. I would modify the Indian stealing her stuff to add more menace. He could push her down and steal what she's carrying. As it stands, the scene is used as comedy. All in all, I like the characters and this story.