In regards to the actual film making itself, I enjoyed how the director choreographed the flashbacks and memories of the characters. They were smooth transitions that made clear distinctions of who the characters were. This made the story very easy to follow. For the political correctness of the movie, I believe they were able to bring in a lot of the Native American culture and beliefs. I was able to understand what an Indian reservation looked like and not assume they lived in tepees. It's an actual community with houses, stores and schools used by the members of the tribe. The script of the film brought in the culture of the oral traditions, economic trading and importance of physical appearance (i.e. having long hair for men).
I wasn't a big fan of the way the plot was laid out at times because of how frequent the flashbacks are. It would have been nice at times to have more of a chronological telling of the story. However, as I stated before, the flashbacks were clear enough and well executed.
The movie enlightened the culture of Native Americans to many Americans when it first came out in the mid 1990's. I think everyone should watch this, not only to see a good movie, but to learn about a culture that seems to be forgotten. I have never seen a Native American film before and think this is a good place for anyone interested to start.
Here is a clip of my favorite part of the movie where they reference trading items for other objects and services and the demonstration of oral tradition. Excuse the poor video quality, it's the price we pay for good examples!
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