proud_luddite Based on the novel by Richard Wagamese: in the 1960s, Saul Indian Horse (played at different times by Sladen Peltier, Forrest Goodluck, and Ajuawak Kapashesit) is an indigenous boy in northern Ontario who is forced into a Catholic residential school where he eventually develops exceptional skills as a hockey player.In addition to successfully focusing on a personal story that reflects probably the worst part of Canada's history (more on that later), "Indian Horse" fascinates in some segments that involve conflicting values. One involves generations of an indigenous family in which an elder practices traditional spirituality while the younger adult generation (brainwashed in residential schools) insists that Christianity is the only acceptable belief system. In later scenes, interpretations of Christianity itself present a conflict in the residential school. On the one hand is a reforming priest who believes in a compassionate approach to the children; on the other is a nun (a true creature from hell) whose approach is literal and uses any means necessary to "Christianize" the children.The film's conclusion is quite touching in its recollection of Saul's difficult past as he tries to come to terms with it.The fact this film was made and distributed (and playing for more than a month in some theatres) is a victory in itself - not only because it is a film of good quality but mainly for frankly addressing some of the worst parts of Canadian history - recent and not so recent. Hopefully, similar stories will be told.

remember-315-777907 It was a heart-wrenching well acted movie. It showed briefly how disgusting the residential school life/death would have been for these youth. How self-righteous the priests & nuns really were despite the sexual abuse, cruelty & inhumanity they displayed towards children in their "care"...all the while insisting it was in the name of their GOD!

gcsman The systemic racism and government-sanctioned damage done by the residential school system in Canada has been much in the news in recent years and deservedly so. This film -- which was just put out in general release in our area a week or two ago, though it made the rounds of film festivals last years and has multiple awards from those -- is a searing look at what was done to native children in one such school, but it's more than just that. From beginning to end it amounts to a pretty comprehensive biography of one man, Saul Indian Horse, from age 6 to middle age, and covering the 1950's through the '80's.One thing that runs through the whole film that really just draws you in unspoken is the ambience of quiet and often stillness -- it's more of an attitude exuding from the First Nations characters in the story than anything to do with the action, but it's something that became evident once we had left the theater.Young Sladen Peltier plays Saul as a boy and he's excellent. The opening scenes show him with his parents, brother, and grandmother living in the wilderness and more or less on the run from the white authorities who are bent on taking the boys away. We see them in stunningly beautiful landscapes and doing just fine. Anyway -- thanks to a series of family tragedies Saul is taken away and the main story starts. It's a chain of deep lows and transcendent highs from there, as Saul survives the brutalities of the school system but finds daily escape in hockey, which he turns out to excel at: on the ice, he's fast, elusive, and a genius around the net. This is his ticket out of the school and on to a series of bigger and better league play. He's strangely standoffish from the teacher who seems to be the most supportive, Father Gaston (Michael Huisman), for a reason that's revealed only at the end (and you can probably guess what I mean). Saul is played at successively older ages by Forrest Goodluck and Ajuawak Kapashesit, who are also right on the mark.But at the level of the Toronto Monarchs (a feeder teem for the genuine big leagues) the relentless abuse from the (then) all-white opponents proves too much -- and although this remains unsaid, his own teammates don't 'protect' him as they would another star player. The inevitable meltdown occurs, he disappears from sight, and falls into the familiar cycle of alcoholism and low level jobs. Finally, meetings with a recovery group bring him back to some level of equilibrium and peace.This story doesn't end like the Jackie Robinson saga. Saul doesn't reach the glory and fame in the major sporting world that he had the talent to gain. The highs and low finally settle somewhere in the middle -- he returns to the only place that he was comfortable, happy, and welcome as a teenager and young man.Clint Eastwood was a co-executive producer for Indian Horse. Apparently he was surprised and shocked that this kind of systemic abuse happened in Canada, which he thought was so civilized and 'polite'. It was everywhere. For one of the Australian takes on the same issue, go back and see Rabbit Proof Fence, which also deeply affected me two decades ago when I saw it. The First Nations are finally more able to tell their own stories.

gizmomogwai I actually had a chance to meet Richard Wagamese very shortly before he died; he was an inspirational figure. I knew he had written novels about the residential school experience. Soon we're going to get the great Canadian film about the tragedy, but so far there haven't been many attempts. Indian Horse seemed like a promising candidate, but falls short.In ways a sports movie as much (or more) than a story about the residential schools, Indian Horse rarely rises above TV movie-level in its direction. There are some great shots- the first glimpse of the nun coldly looking down on the children, flashbacks when toys are being thrown onto the ice and how these toys blend into the memories- but these are few. The film starts off with a strong look at the cruelties of the school under Catholic control, but veers from that. (Incidentally, Canada's association of Catholic bishops recently released a letter denying involvement in residential schools. This is a blatant lie, or put in their words, bearing false witness under God). Part of the drift away from a strong film involves the less-than-stellar performance of Ajuawak Kapashesit. This is a decent film, but we should be looking for more.