Movie Response

Contrary to popular belief, I don't cry in every movie. But, the three movies we watched definitely hit a soft spot in me. Each one dealt with themes of love, loss, culture, and heritage, and each one was fairly relatable, even to non-Indians. I guess I'll just give my analysis and opinion of each one...

The Doe Boy was by far my least favorite of the three. To me, the entire thing seemed a little too straightforward. Walker noted that the movie dealt with masculinity, blood, and irony in hunting, the main character being named Hunter, and his dad being killed by hunters. I felt this was all completely obvious (no offense Walker), almost in a hokey sort of way for me. Hunter's battle with hemophilia added a unique dimension to the film and definitely helped to add complexity to the plot. I think my main qualm with the film was the characters; I simply didn't like them. Hunter was kind of a jerk. I understand that he had a difficult childhood, a strained relationship with his father, and was limited by his hemophilia. I still just didn't like his personality by the end of the movie. I also never understood his obsession with the doe and hunting. Although I'm sure it was a traumatizing event, I really just wanted to scream "get over it!" The father was also unlikable to me. He was definitely a jerk and always seemed to have a beer in his hand. He picked on his child...that's just not excusable, even if they can't grow up to be who you want them to be. I know that he loved Hunter deep down, but I resented how he acted towards him throughout the movie. I also resented the fact that Hunter's mother did not take more action to facilitate a healthy relationship between the father and son. I'm pretty sure if my husband ever picked on my son in that way, I would have a lot more to say than a couple of chastising words. The final aspect of the movie that I disliked was the ambiguous ending. I hate to be left hanging, and I'm going to interpret the ending as him breaking down due to stress and his father dying, not as him confiding that he has AIDS. I didn't entirely hate The Doe Boy. It was definitely a moving film that focused on identity and love, and it wasn't completely one-dimensional.

Four Sheets to the Wind was more my style of movie. It was completely honest and heart-wrenching and was composed of realistic and complex characters. I love that it dealt with real-life problems, such as death, depression, suicide, and alcoholism. I also loved that it showed that even people with those problems have things such as love, family ties, and humor in their lives. I thought Harjo incorporated Native American values and culture into the movie well, especially with the father partially narrating the movie. To me, the best thing about the movie was that it could be understood and felt deeply by anyone, no matter what their heritage.

The same can be said about Barking Water. This was one of the most touching and beautiful movies I have ever seen. I'm not a great writer, but this quote from the Sundance Film Festival website sums it up for me: "In this sparingly sentimental and achingly poignant film, Harjo claims his place as one of the most truthful and honest voices working in American cinema today. Barking Water is an expression of gratitude for the ability to have lived and loved." I see the movie is exactly that...a movie about love and life and all the awesome and terrible things that come with them. Frankie and Irene by no means had an easy or straightforward love, but it was the complexity that made it all that much more realistic and vulnerable. I really liked what Andrei said about the movie, that it was about the characters and that the purpose of the journey was unimportant. Frankie never even made it to see his grandbaby, but he died holding Irene's hand, just as he had wanted. Everything about this movie touched me, from the beautiful cinematography and landscapes to the equally as beautiful music (that really helped take the movie to another level for me). Meeting Sterlin was also an amazing experience and I can't wait until his next movie comes out!