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ClareR (5542 KP) rated There There in Books
Mar 2, 2019
A fascinating insight
This novel is written to show us the reader that Native Americans don't all follow the stereotype that we have grown up with. Certainly, there are Native Americans on reservations, but they also live in cities and have lives that are more familiar to non-Native Americans.
This book is set in Oakland in the lead up to a pow wow. It's told from multiple points of view, tells of different lives, and the modern struggles of Indians living in cities (poverty, drug and alcohol addiction and finding their identity).
This book was so well written - it was very in depth, but was easy to read, meaning that I read it far too quickly. I really enjoyed the windows in to these peoples lives. The dramatic finale of the book had my heart in my mouth throughout.
Well worthy of all the praise it's had, in my opinion.
This book is set in Oakland in the lead up to a pow wow. It's told from multiple points of view, tells of different lives, and the modern struggles of Indians living in cities (poverty, drug and alcohol addiction and finding their identity).
This book was so well written - it was very in depth, but was easy to read, meaning that I read it far too quickly. I really enjoyed the windows in to these peoples lives. The dramatic finale of the book had my heart in my mouth throughout.
Well worthy of all the praise it's had, in my opinion.
Russ Troutt (291 KP) rated Hostiles (2017) in Movies
Jul 18, 2019 (Updated Nov 24, 2020)
Scott Cooper has made another beautiful film with Hostiles. Due to its original release date being near Academy Awards time, I feel it got overshadowed by all of the talk of other Oscar nominated movies. Much like the Native Americans, it didn't get the recognition it deserved. Hostiles delivers a powerful story brought to life by a powerful cast.
Ibram X. Kendi recommended West Indian Immigrants: A Black Success Story? in Books (curated)
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Days Without End in Books
Jul 25, 2017
Unusual, descriptive, horrors of war
While I feel a lot of the descriptions about the genocide of Native Americans was grotesque, Barry's other descriptions was rich and beautiful especially describing the relationship between John and Thomas. It is a love story within the context of war. It is uncommon because it describes a homosexual relationship in a very natural way and also talks about the protagonist's desire to be a woman in terms of the historic backdrop.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Pocahontas (1995) in Movies
Mar 18, 2020 (Updated Mar 20, 2020)
Colors Of The Wind
Pocahontas- is a strange movie, cause it came out after "The Lion King". And the movie's after "The Lion King" were stange. What im saying is after "The Lion King", disney decided to go really strange/a huge left turn/didn't expect that/disappointed and overall a huge downfall. But i will get to those movies. Oh this is one of them.
Anyways the plot:
This is the Disney animated tale of the romance between a young American Indian woman named Pocahontas (Irene Bedard) and Capt. John Smith (Mel Gibson), who journeyed to the New World with other settlers to begin fresh lives. Her powerful father, Chief Powhatan, disapproves of their relationship and wants her to marry a native warrior. Meanwhile, Smith's fellow Englishmen hope to rob the Native Americans of their gold. Can Pocahontas' love for Smith save the day.
The songs I dont remember, the plot was so-so, the charcters were intresting and thats pretty much it.
Anyways the plot:
This is the Disney animated tale of the romance between a young American Indian woman named Pocahontas (Irene Bedard) and Capt. John Smith (Mel Gibson), who journeyed to the New World with other settlers to begin fresh lives. Her powerful father, Chief Powhatan, disapproves of their relationship and wants her to marry a native warrior. Meanwhile, Smith's fellow Englishmen hope to rob the Native Americans of their gold. Can Pocahontas' love for Smith save the day.
The songs I dont remember, the plot was so-so, the charcters were intresting and thats pretty much it.
A Must Read for anyone with an opinion on refugees and war
This book is powerful and disturbing. I read it in my undergrad class on genocide and war. I think of the true horrors laid out in this book every time people discuss refugee camps or genocide or even "just" war. It shows how quickly it can happen and how the group behavior of the Tutsi turned on their friends and neighbors. Has many powerful parallels to other genocides, such as the Holocaust and Native Americans. It is a tough read but worth it for anyone who wants to know how these things happen.
Andy K (10821 KP) rated Hostiles (2017) in Movies
Jan 28, 2018
Bring westerns back!
I love Christian Bale and I love westerns, so it is no surprise I found this an immensely entertaining film.
It is hard to believe humanity even survived the relentless, bleak, hostile and morose period in American history when native Americans were hunted down, slaughtered and removed from their land. They became equally brutal in retaliation and defending their property.
When Bale (Capt. Joseph J. Blocker) is ordered to transport a dying Indian Chief and former adversary and his family back to Montana based on his dying wish, Bale reluctantly agrees.
Their journey would be marked with heartache, sacrifice and brutality. Bale and his men come under attack and have to band together to survive.
I have seen few westerns which showcase the brutality of the Old West better than this film. Your heart goes out to the men and women left to survive with very little left in their lives to look forward to. Somehow, they manage to carry on and should be inspiring to the rest of us to do the same.
It is hard to believe humanity even survived the relentless, bleak, hostile and morose period in American history when native Americans were hunted down, slaughtered and removed from their land. They became equally brutal in retaliation and defending their property.
When Bale (Capt. Joseph J. Blocker) is ordered to transport a dying Indian Chief and former adversary and his family back to Montana based on his dying wish, Bale reluctantly agrees.
Their journey would be marked with heartache, sacrifice and brutality. Bale and his men come under attack and have to band together to survive.
I have seen few westerns which showcase the brutality of the Old West better than this film. Your heart goes out to the men and women left to survive with very little left in their lives to look forward to. Somehow, they manage to carry on and should be inspiring to the rest of us to do the same.
David McK (3162 KP) rated Dances With Wolves (1990) in Movies
Mar 14, 2021
The music (1 more)
The cinematography
John Dunbar ... Dances with Wolves
Kevin Costner's epic Western, in which the man himself stars as Civil War veteran John Dunbar who, after an act of attempted suicide charging the enemy lines on his own, is offered his choice of posting and chooses to go to the American Frontier (before it disappears).
Once he gets there, he is posted to an abandoned fort, with everyone who had knowledge of this posting then (for plot reasons) getting killed off.
Initially left on his own, he soon encounters a nearby tribe of Sioux Indians and, as the film progresses, finds himself drawn more and more to their way of life, eventually earning the name 'Dances with Wolves' before the inevitable happens and the US army starts making their way into Sioux territory.
Unusual (for it's time) in that this film is largely sympathetic to the Native Americans plight, with some stunning cinematography, beautiful music and some stellar acting but, holy moly, boy is this one long film: even the 'standard' version is roughly 3 hours long!
Once he gets there, he is posted to an abandoned fort, with everyone who had knowledge of this posting then (for plot reasons) getting killed off.
Initially left on his own, he soon encounters a nearby tribe of Sioux Indians and, as the film progresses, finds himself drawn more and more to their way of life, eventually earning the name 'Dances with Wolves' before the inevitable happens and the US army starts making their way into Sioux territory.
Unusual (for it's time) in that this film is largely sympathetic to the Native Americans plight, with some stunning cinematography, beautiful music and some stellar acting but, holy moly, boy is this one long film: even the 'standard' version is roughly 3 hours long!
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Searchers (1956) in Movies
Oct 8, 2020
Landmark western (very nearly literally) from John Ford. When his brother's family are killed by Comanches and his nieces taken prisoner, soldier Ethan Edwards (Wayne) and his brother's adopted son set off in pursuit. The son wants to rescue the girls, but just what does Edwards have in mind...?
On one level this is another colourful, slightly cheesy and rather sentimental 1950s western - but on another it has a darkness to it which is quite surprising, for all that this moral ambiguity arguably eventually consumed the genre. It's a film about racism and an obsessive desire for vengeance - the Native Americans in this film are given a degree of depth and generally treated respectfully, but the film is honest about the savage conflict between them and the colonial population, and Wayne's mania for revenge, though understated, is clear. The film's subtexts about the importance of family and what it means to be an American are well-presented, though no doubt problematic for many modern viewers. Still, this is a hugely important and influential western and probably a great movie too.
On one level this is another colourful, slightly cheesy and rather sentimental 1950s western - but on another it has a darkness to it which is quite surprising, for all that this moral ambiguity arguably eventually consumed the genre. It's a film about racism and an obsessive desire for vengeance - the Native Americans in this film are given a degree of depth and generally treated respectfully, but the film is honest about the savage conflict between them and the colonial population, and Wayne's mania for revenge, though understated, is clear. The film's subtexts about the importance of family and what it means to be an American are well-presented, though no doubt problematic for many modern viewers. Still, this is a hugely important and influential western and probably a great movie too.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated Girl Meets Boy: Because There Are Two Sides to Every Story in Books
Apr 27, 2018
The cover and summary were misleading for this book. I expected stories that were related to different interesting meetings and occurrences, screwy relationships, typical teen drama.
Instead I got a very strange and rather awkward mix of sex-addicts, homosexuals, transgender, and native Americans.
I'm not saying I don't like those stories, I'm just saying I wasn't expecting it.
The above reasons are not why I didn't like the stories: those are just facts about the characters. The stories themselves just didn't seem to connect to me, I couldn't relate to any of them. Maybe it's because I'm one of those weird girls with a completely functional romantic relationship, but a lot of the content in this book was just like "uh… why are they acting like that?"
Anyway, it felt awkward. that's the only word I can use to describe it. Some of them were good, some of them sucked. Most of the writing was mediocre.
I guess all I can say is… this is probably the worst short story collection I've ever read. Sorry, I wanted to like it… It was just awkward.
*This review is copyright Haley Mathiot and Amazon Vine*
Instead I got a very strange and rather awkward mix of sex-addicts, homosexuals, transgender, and native Americans.
I'm not saying I don't like those stories, I'm just saying I wasn't expecting it.
The above reasons are not why I didn't like the stories: those are just facts about the characters. The stories themselves just didn't seem to connect to me, I couldn't relate to any of them. Maybe it's because I'm one of those weird girls with a completely functional romantic relationship, but a lot of the content in this book was just like "uh… why are they acting like that?"
Anyway, it felt awkward. that's the only word I can use to describe it. Some of them were good, some of them sucked. Most of the writing was mediocre.
I guess all I can say is… this is probably the worst short story collection I've ever read. Sorry, I wanted to like it… It was just awkward.
*This review is copyright Haley Mathiot and Amazon Vine*