cinswan Granted, there is controversy about what happened between the Pilgrims from the Mayflower and the local Native Americans. As the Ojibwa say, "there are two sides to every story, and then there's the truth."What this two-part series demonstrates is that it's not just the clash of cultures that creates tension: it's the political strife within cultures. Saints & Strangers brings these tensions, misunderstandings and conflicts to the forefront to make what we've all told is a simple story the more true reality of how complex the interactions actually were.Attention to historical detail, including in costume design and makeup, is impeccable. The use of what would have been the language of the Native Americans (barely preserved by the dialect coach from people he knew because he didn't want to see the language die) is a side benefit of the enterprise and makes the portrayals of the main Native American roles not only believable, but compelling. Dialog between key characters illuminates the realization of the difficult enterprise resulting from arriving in an unknown place. Freedom from cultural restraints is replaced by awareness that no matter where we are, there are always social constraints.This project must become a classic. It reveals that our sentimental notions about Thanksgiving don't reveal the truth. European settlement on this continent wasn't what anyone thought it would be -- neither the Europeans nor the Native Americans who had to navigate how to interact with each other, whether to trust each other, and what to learn from one another.Saints & Strangers is both an homage to the people who came together, under trying circumstances, as well as a cautionary tale. It paints clearly that there is no "good" or "bad" side: that politics, no matter our skin color, always attempts to cloud our judgment. In the end, it also shows that no matter who we are, or from where we have come, we are ultimately all cut from the same cloth.Isabeau Vollhardt, author, The Casebook of Elisha Grey e-book series

jimhanzlik When I recorded this I had low expectations. I didn't now how good of a job National Geographic would do with a movie, but I decided to watch it just because I love anything historical. The movie is chock full of really good actors who all do a great job. There is a lot of tension between the English and natives that feels real. Even though we all know how this story ends there is a lot of suspense. I got worried when things seemed to go against the pilgrims and it seemed like the natives would attack them. I also cheered when the Pilgrims were victorious over their enemies. I don't know how accurate this movie was, but it felt like they were trying to be accurate, and if it is accurate, I feel like I learned something. This movie did what a good historical film should do, and that is really give you a feeling for what it must have felt like to be in that place at that time. On this score, the movie was excellent. I highly recommend this movie.

lavatch "Saints and Strangers" recounts the story of the voyage of the Mayflower and the early settlement at Plymouth. The miniseries aired on the National Geographic Channel and is now available in the DVD format.As opposed to a film documentary, the approach is a dramatization in the form of a miniseries. The title derives from the main theme of the drama, which concerns the two groups of immigrants: the devout pilgrims and those who came to America for mercenary reasons. But the film avoids a melodramatic, cut-and-dry approach to the characters. The strength of the series is that it paints a far more complex picture of the immigrants, as well as the Native Americans with whom the settlers came into contact.One of key roles is that of the historical figure of Stephen Hopkins. At one of the turning points in the drama, Hopkins confesses to his wife that the situation in America is not black-and-white, but falls withing a "grey" area. The same realization comes to the group's governor, William Bradford, whose piety is tested by the struggle to survive. Another multidimensional role is that of the Native American named Squanto, who on the surface is sympathetic to the foreigners, but underneath has a seething rage due to his personal losses of family and tribe. The filmmakers discovered ambiguity in a set of roles that could have been bland stereotypes.The film is beautifully photographed and includes a fine ensemble cast. There is also a helpful website on the National Geographic Channel's home page that includes a "who's who" list and description of the main historical characters.Overall, this film was definitely a cut above the average television miniseries. There was some thought that went into the teleplay, and the production values were closer to those of a feature film than a cable TV series.

hiroshita Saints and Strangers does a pretty good job of telling the story of the early encounters between New England's pilgrim settlers and their Native American hosts/antagonists. I felt the story portrayed a balanced (accuracy is debatable) view of the plight of both groups. The constant cultural dilemmas, physical dangers, and shifting alliances made for a good night of television. There's obviously a lot of history to fit into 2 episodes so hopefully this will return as a full series. One interesting note: when I read through the cast of characters, I was surprised to see Ron Livingston (of Office Space fame) listed as portraying John Carver? I totally missed him...I'll have to pay closer attention when I watch it again.