Dreamkeeper
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Movie Reviews of Dreamkeeper
Movie Review: storytelling cinemagic
Summary: 5 Stars
I watched this movie with a friend, because we have a shared interest in storytelling and learning stories from world-wide cultures. Wow! This was a provocative movie that left me thinking about the connections I noticed, and hungry to see the movie again.
The stories that Grandfather told were all carefully chosen to illustrate a point to his angry grandson about an event in the young man's own life. I could see the universality of the themes, so I question why this movie is not really "for a white audience" as some reviewers had mentioned. Indeed, my friend paused the video after the hilarious Coyote/Spider story, and told me an almost identical one from Europe.
I tell stories from around the world because I wish to show respect for diversity by learning more about a people. One of the best ways to do that is to learn the stories from that people. The more tales that I learn and share with others, the more I realize the universal human experience we all share. So many stories from around the world share common elements, and even similar plots. If you trace the stories' origins, you know that while some stories migrated with contact among people, some stories evolved convergently--independently of each other across time and distance, but are still the same story.
This beautiful movie is for EVERYONE, not just those with American Indian blood, because of the shared experiences we all have. This is a movie meant to be shared and discussed with friends and loved ones. Yes, important ugly truths are revealed, but they help bring home the sense of urgency Grandfather felt. When the Old Ones are gone, who will tell the stories?
Movie Review: Amazing film on so many levels
Summary: 5 Stars
This film was a true find. I had not heard of it before, but I was so pleased to find Dreamkeeper. There have been so many eloquent reviews before me, so I will just add a few things.
This film will appeal to many people with varied interests:
Fantasy film audiences will enjoy the legends and well-done special effects, bringing to life stories that rival the great tales of ancient Europe or the Middle East.
Those who want to see a film that portrays native peoples in a positive, affirming way will enjoy this. Dreamkeeper tries to be honest about modern reality as well as giving the viewer an appreciation of past traditions and their relevance to today.
I love the bonus features that the DVD medium provides. I enjoyed the production featurette and the director's audio commentary track. I would have liked to have either a second audio commentary from the author, John Fusco, or have him included in the commentary track with the director. I wanted to know more about how Fusco felt about the story that he wrote and the film, actors, etc. This was a missed opportunity.
Also, a widescreen presentation (instead of full screen) would have been preferable, and subtitles. How about a new, director's cut version with some more goodies and deleted scenes?
Finally, I think this is a film that has a long future ahead of it, as it gets discovered by more people. Because it was a made-for-cable TV miniseries, it did not get those important reviews from the theatrical release film critics, or the festival circuit exposure. As a result, it will take longer for this enduring work to find its place in the film world.
Movie Review: Alternative Fantasy Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
Three days later, and the powwow music is still playing in my head...
If you love fantasy movies and want to see something really different, Dreamkeeper is a must-see. Native American legends are so generally little-known that the film's story-telling segments have the feel of a completely original fantasy world.
The stories are told within the framework of the modern-day story of a young man on the run, who agrees to take his storyteller grandfather to a powwow in New Mexico. The outer story is enjoyable--the grandfather delivers some pretty funny lines with a wonderfully deadpan expression--though not really that different from what I've seen in other Native American movies. Still, it's got gorgeous scenery, a gorgeous young man, a funny grandfather, and horses, so who can complain?
The legends are fun and exciting, with some fairly interesting special effects. Actors tend to deliver their lines more as if they were declaiming than acting, but I assume that's part of the storytelling style. The grandfather tells several stand-alone stories, and the epic story of Eagle Boy, told in many parts through the film.
There wasn't any section or this show which failed to grip, interest or entertain. This is the most fun I've had in front of the TV for a long time.
Plus, it comes with the soundtrack CD included!!! You can't get a better deal than that.
One other note--Pulfrich type 3D glasses (black and clear eyes, not red-and-blue)work excellently with many of the scenes. The snake is even cooler in 3D!
More movies like this one, please...
Movie Review: When is the last time you saw a movie and talked about it for days?
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my first ever Amazon review (even though I've been an Amazon customer for most of Amazon's existence). This movie will inspire you to do things you've never done before. It's hard to improve on the thoughtful reviews already in place, but here are a few comments:
1) If you've never been particularly moved by Native American stories, this movie may change that. It's hard to describe, but within the fantastical context of this movie, which uses the present day and the past equally to great effect, the Native American stories "make sense" in a way that has never happened to me before. The Amazon reviewer complained about the over-reliance of computer generated effects, but I disagree and think the effects were used judiciously and atypically enhanced the stories.
2) This movie is great for families. My eight-year-old boy and five-year-old girl were enthralled, but I would recommend splitting up the three hour movie into two viewings. My youngest was crawling all over me by the end, but I just couldn't turn the movie off!
3) This movie is worth owning. You'll want to see it more than once.
4) I actually did not realize this was a TV movie until I came back and read the reviews. The production values are amazing and no expenses were spared that I could see. But the bottom line is that this is a lovingly crafted movie, with fine acting, and a wonderful story well told.
Movie Review: Beautiful--this should have been made a long time ago!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was so happy to hear that a film was finally going to be made of the stories of the diverse Native tribes of North America, with actors native to those tribes, none the less! The story of a young man who has made bad decisions in life who is driving his grandfather to the First Nations pow wow, while hearing stories of heroism, danger, tragedy and love is beautifully done. The acting is strong, and it was great to see the beautiful, authentic costumes of the diverse cultures. This film was a long time coming, and I really hope this is the beginning of a new chapter in Native film in the United States. For too long, indigenous people have been played by Whites with black wigs and ugly, unconvincing makeup. Also, the portrayal of natives in mainstream media is embarressing and offensive (yes, even in this day and age--things actually haven't changed that much since the days of John Wayne). We need to honor and remember the great contributions native people have made in their communities, and in their traditions that were alive long before other groups of people immigrated here. Not all people know that there are over 500 indigenous groups. Think of all the cultures within those groups, and all of the stories that must exist that haven't been told to a mainstream audience. I hope that Dreamkeeper becomes an inspiration for the new generations, and that they take the torch and run with it!