Scene4 Magazine | the readers blog

Stuff "poetic license." That's the term to describe when film or television producers take a book, or worse yet, historical facts, and play fast and loose with the truth to suit a lower purpose. In other words, appealing to my peers in middle-class suburbia who are the coveted demographic for said poetically licensed production because they have the damned cash to buy whatever it is they're hawking.

Yep. That's what it's called.

"Poetic license" is coming 'round the mountain once again, this time in HBO's upcoming movie Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, based on the 1971 book by Dee Brown. To be aired Memorial Day weekend, the film has taken the life of Charles Eastman and seasoned and spiced it to make him McTastier.

And just who is Charles Eastman? Portrayed in the film by Adam Beach, he was the Santee political activist, Dartmouth-educated doctor and cofounder of the Boy Scouts who HBO thought, in their supreme wisdom, wasn't interesting enough even though he was a political activist, Dartmouth-educated doctor and cofounder of the Boy Scouts. Apparently, that wasn't sufficiently palatable, especially to mainstream audiences whose knowledge of Native America is limited to Little Big Horn, casinos and Russell Means.

Thankfully, no references to Russell were added, ditto for casinos probably 'cause the movie is set in the 19th century. So what's left? Huzzah--let's put Charles Eastman at the Battle of the Little Bighorn! So that's what HBO did. Forget the fact that the real Eastman was attending school hundreds of miles away in Nebraska at the time.

This is what y'all call "poetic license."

According to the New York Times, the network carefully considered its decision. Daniel Giat, who adapted Brown's book for the screenplay, recently said to a group of television writers "Everyone felt very strongly that we needed a white character or a part-white, part-Indian character to carry a contemporary white audience through this project."

At least that's the truth.

Of course, apologists tell us that it's the "bigger issue" that's paramount. That "poetic license" is standard practice in adaptations; therefore adding and cutting and fabricating is just dandy and a-okay as long as it remains intellectually honest.

Intellectually honest? Not when you have a real-life person engaging in a major battle he never fought in. Intellectual honesty is when you add dialogue and scenes to flesh out the story but remain faithful to the known facts. That ain't the case here. HBO IS FABRICATING HISTORY TO APPEAL TO WHITE FOLKS.

As Bury My Heart producer Dick Wolf was quoted in the Times article, "It is a dramatization, and we needed a protagonist."

Hey, let me share something with you. As a bona fide white person, I don't need made up history to swallow what actually happened. Believe me, we CAN handle the truth and the time has come for my fellow white folks in the media to acknowledge that.

So please o' please--stop already. This has nothing to do with "poetic license" and even more so, "intellectual honesty." This has everything to do with making the lead Native character a superhero Mr. And Ms. Mid-America could love. Think Little-Spidey-on-the-Prairie.

Not to take "poetic license" here, but I bet that wasn't Dee Brown's intention when he wrote his groundbreaking book 36 years ago. Nevertheless, I'm sure my hunch is helluva lot closer to the truth than Charles Eastman wielding a tomahawk against Custer's Seventh Cavalry along a dusty Montana creek.
Carole Quattro Levine

The producers have implied they didn't want to make an anti-government movie. It would've been too negative, too hard to sell. Instead they watered down Dee Brown's book to make it palatable to viewers. That may have been a marketable choice, but it sure wasn't a moral one. Wolf and company have said all the right things in published interviews. They may not even be aware that they softened Brown's emphasis. But a lack of conscious intent doesn't change the results. HBO's movie is prejudiced against Indians. To recap: According to "Bury My Heart," the Indians massacred the soldiers at Little Big Horn. The Army was merely emulating the tactics of the Sioux before them. Dawes had a noble plan to save the Indians. Sitting Bull cared more about his perks than his people. Modern life was too much for Indians such as Eastman to handle. The deaths of Sitting Bull and the Sioux at Wounded Knee were unfortunate mistakes. If that isn't an anti-Indian bias, I'm not sure what is. "Bury My Heart" takes a clear case of wrongdoing and muddles it. In this version of history, there are no good or bad guys. Flawed Americans, flawed Indians ... they're all the same. For the full review, go to Bury My Heart Review.
Rob Schmidt

I greatly enjoyed, and identified with, Lia Beachy's "Summer Camp." I've written three books of poetry, but I could have written six AND a volume of short stories if it weren't for "The Daily Show," "24," Turner Classic Movies and the Travel Channel! But if writers didn't watch Oprah, there'd be no Oprah to invite writers on her show. (And, by the way, thanks for her very kind words about my review of "Once." It's a movie everyone with any romance or music in their
souls should see.)
Miles Moore
read Lia Beachy's article

This is the best eulogy I've read and a perfect epitaph: "Above his brilliance as a theatre and film director is Bergman's writing." Thanks.
Phillip Goldsmith
read Arthur Meiselman's article

Hey - we need to get a campaign going to get this movie released. Maybe a petition and lots of emails. Gotta do it. Let's do a website or a myspace or youtube or something. Salem K. loves Jerry Lewis and so do I. It's gotta be a great movie!
Twobits
read Salem Kapsaski's article

I've always admired the traditions and achievements of Greek cinema and when I was in film school in NY I remember S. Kapsaskis' films and enjoyed them very much. It's too bad he made so few. This is a long overdue tribute to his work and to an illustrious father.
Everett
read Andrea Kapsaski's article

It seems to me that actors in movies spoke a lot better years ago than those today. I suppose in the "Golden Age" of talkies during the big studio system, there was a lot of training including in speech. Then along came the mumble guys and you're so right - the difference between English and American actors is like the difference between people who can sing songs and the ones who can only scream and shout.
Melanie Spyren
read Lia Beachy's article

Actually, Ray Istre comes late to the notion of a less-than-photogenic Jesus. The BBC did a piece five years or so ago wherein they reconstructed a possible Jesus from many different visual sources and came up with a short, solid, swarthy man. It raised much uproar about the "proper" way to depict Jesus -- offenses and umbrage were taken. Take a look yourself: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1243339.stm
Michael Bettencourt
read Les Marcott's article

I agree entirely. A recent poll named Marlon Brando as the greatest ever movie actor, yet I could barely understand a word the man said in any of his movies! Nowadays it is mainly American movies and TV series with which I have issues, though I have experienced similar problems with British shows, including theatre performances. There seems to be a tendency for many actors (and, presumably, their directors) to think that in order to maintain "pace" the lines have to be delivered at high speed. The resultant cacophony of mangled vowels and stifled consonants is not pleasant on the ears of the audience, who are left baffled as to what is being said (or should I say "mumbled"). "Pace" is about picking up cues (with due consideration of the demands and effects of the dramatic pause) and keeping the action moving, but not at the expense of presenting the dialogue in an understandable form of the language. It is perhaps indicative of the times in which we live, that in our regular lives we perceive that no-one has the time to listen to what we are saying, as we anticipate (and are all too often vindicated in that anticipation) that we will be interrupted before we reach the end of our sentence if we take so much as half a beat to grab a breath. Is it any wonder, then, that people gabble their words in order to circumvent the premature termination of their sentence by the expected rude interruption? The gabbling actor will simply claim that he is being "true to life" in his high-speed delivery of the lines. How many excellent writers, having agonised over their choice of words, and crafted their works with great skill and wit, are then sold short by this slovenly speech pattern which defies comprehension? Actors are supposed to be the interpreters of a story, and we need that story told with understandable dialogue as well as meaningful action.
Geoff Goble
read Lia Beachy's article

A fine and fitting tribute to a life well lived. Thanks Andrea.
Les Marcott
read Andrea Kapsaski's article

What do you mean no stinking badges? And I was all ready to go get a fake mustache, cause I can make those facial expressions...even tho I'm a GIRL, I figure I could be one of the MOST WAYWARD of Western Sons of Warren Oates..really Les, no girls in your club? You really think you could get away with that in today's world? I bet you are REALLY glad you decided against it now! I could fake tamborine playing in a band if ....if I drank enough.
I enjoyed the article Les, Warren Oates was one sexy dude.
Michele
read Les Marcott's article

Nice story, thanks, but I still don't know who the hell Joe Christ is.
tj
read Salem Kapsaski's article

Thank you for another excellent review. I truly enjoy your reviews every month, whether I have seen the films or not. They are perceptive and thoroughly entertaining. I hope when Roger Ebert finally steps down, they will look to you to replace him. You will be a more than worthy successor.
Brenda Balfour
read Miles Moore's article

By the way, I'll be very interested in reading your review of "American Gangster" which I hope you will do.
Brenda Balfour

Nice work Les. I remember this guy and did not notice that he was a bad actor, which might be saying that he was a great character actor. What is it that gets the cover of People Magazine? Maybe its the vengance of the great unknown actors to have the "pretty" and "Studly" get distracted by the media hounds?
Hummm...
Ray Istre
read Les Marcott's article

A most complex film for many. But I think this article gets to the heart of this epic film. It gently uncovers the layers of spiritual meaning, symbolic reference and breaks it down to its purest elements.

stan poulos

read Griselda Steiner's article

Freaks
I am part of the proverbial choir Andrea Kapsaski is preaching to in her recent article, Living in Los Angeles, I am surrounded by and bombarded with this region's collective consensus of what beauty is and it saddens me. Besides the stereotypes of peroxide blondes with big boobs, no butts, pouty lips and bones protruding from skin, there is the insidious overtone that if a woman doesn't have a similar look to a mass produced Barbie doll, a twisted plastic surgeon's version of Huxley's Gamma-Delta-Epsilon, she has no worth. Individuality, unique imperfections, character lines... these are not embraced by American culture. If only there would come a day when women are taken for who they are and not how they look, when skin color is no longer a divider, when people who don't fit societies "normal" aesthetic are made to feel part of the herd and not outside of it, and intelligent compassionate thought is cherished and praised over shallow physicality. Ah, a beautiful freak can dream!
Lia Beachy

read Andrea Kapsaski's article

Miles David Moore is probably the most intelligent film critic in our country. I am amazed at the overlapping concepts and arcs of meaning he can bridge from film to film, within one article.AND still adhere to theme. The articles show acute knowledge of art and a consummate literary skill. Moore's reviews and the New Yorker reviews are the only ones I'll bother with. And this current review I will reread with pleasure, just for the masterful turning of its language.
Grace Cavalieri

read Miles David Moore's article

Jeeja is exciting and beautiful. Hollywood better pick her up soon. Thanks for the great story about her and showing her to the world.
Mandee
read Janine Yasovant's article

So there is this Swedish lady who carried a feather across the globe to find the rightful owners of the sacred symbol? It is indeed a very touching story, despite the fact, that one person does not represent the entire Europe. Europe is a continent consisting of 48 countries (49 if you include Vatican City) and 230 spoken languages. And each of these countries has a history, a culture; they have TV, newspapers, schools and Universities. I don't know if the population in Sweden believes "that Native Americans don't even exist", buy maybe one shouldn't fall into clichés? Maybe Annika Banfield can plan a trip through Europe in the near future to explore all these "culturally starving Europeans" (this time without a feather, but an open mind) before returning to her Danish sweat lodge? Which reminds me, that Sweden and Denmark are two completely different countries.
Andrea Kapsaski
read Carole Quattro Levine's article

It's good to see the Swedes over there doing some good. Or, are they? When, I was first contacted by Paula Horn then introduced to Annika and Folke, the two Swedish filmmakers, it was with good intention to talk and get to know each other by phone and email. Then a contract was made by the Swedes stating that I had the rights to the movie in the U.S. No money was going to be made from it. There would be a Native version, as well as a Swedish version. Annika stated her only intention was too show it over in Europe to educate people on what not to do and I would have a say in the direction of the story. So far, the documentary has been shown in the U.S. but they left me out in any say. Broke the contract and disrespected the Minicojou Lakota people of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe. My name is Jerry Clown, descendant of Crazy Horse, co-producer of the award-winning documentary, "Riding with Ghosts" You are being fooled because they are exploiting themselves.
Jerry Clown
read Carole Quattro Levine's article

I don´t think this is the right forum for solving legal or economical issues. But the fact is that the producers of "Spirits for Sale" are getting increasingly tired of threats and slander, hearing about film festivals getting threatened and attempts to intimidate reputed spiritual leaders. All this done by one single man.
Jerry Clown was introduced by Paula Horne since he had promised to finance our film. We made an agreement with Mr. Clown. He promised to invest in the film, we promised that if he did so, he would be a co-producer with the rights to the film in the US. (Making one version for Natives and one for Europe has never been an option. There has been no discussions about making the film "for free". ) Mr. Clown never invested a cent but instead had us pay for him and his girlfriend during the two weeks he worked with us in SD. All the costs have been paid by me and the producer out of our own money. So obviously it was a disappointment when Mr. Clown broke the agreement. The "contract" Mr. Clown refers to is an application for money, written to a foundation for filmmakers. It states that Mr. Clown will be the co-producer if and when he invests in the film. It is not signed by the production company. We did not get any money from the foundation and Mr. Clown did not invest, thereby he is not a co-producer. I have an agreement with Chief Arvol Looking Horse of the Lakota Nation that my profit from the film will go back to him and to poor elders on the reservations in South Dakota. Mr. Clown knows this, yet tries to prevent us from selling it in the US by intimidating people and organizations. It is my obligation to stand up for the elders in SD and to keep my promise to Mr. Looking Horse.
We would like to thank Mr. Clown for his help during the shootings in SD. Credit has been given to him in the film. We kept our promise to Mr. Clown - to send him the finished film - and we have paid him for his work. Further more, in helping Mr Clown to make his own version of the subject, we supported him with 8h of filmed material. This material is still free for him to use by courtesy of the Swedish production company.
The attempts to discredit the film and the filmmakers also fall back on all the elders, spiritual leaders and traditionalists who have supported us in the making of this film.

Annika Banfield, co-producer
Folke Johansson, producer

read Carole Quattro Levine's article

Sometimes, I ask myself? Why why why? I remember a vision I had a time ago. One, where we can do justice for our people, give hope for our children. You know--a better tomorrow! One where we can remember yesteryear, where we can say, "we are making change slowly, but in small steps.." because, that's the way they work, the Otherside to this side! Its not I, or it's not you, or them....its Mitakuyase, our relatives who come and give us visions of the past, present and future. They are the ones who give us hope, courage, and the gifts to carry them out. The simple fact is that they are trying to tell us something. What? Well, these ways are sacred. These ways are powerful! They must be done without question the Right way, because they were made to be simple and yet done with love and compassion. Yet, we teach and promise and Promise to the eager, determined, vulnerable, the ones who will pay money, for what? So they can be Lakota, pray like Lakotas...be Lakotas...if that's the way it rolls..then what have we learned from them...some of them know better...but do they care...no....is it power and control which drives people to become self-proclaimed Medicine men overnight?. Like buying a pipe from Praire Edge in Rapid City...like saying buy me, then I will make you Lakota....is it the good feeling they get when someone is abused and abused in sweat or ceremony! Is it the White man, or who is the White man these days? I dont know who's a better man, the White man saying he's a Lakota Medicine Man...or i the Lakota man abusing our children in ceremonies and getting away with it. My many adventures and travels around the country have led me to witness--the butchering and mutilation of these sacred Lakota ways. I get a sick feeling, a very sad feeling of a vision for tomorrow. Like watching our relatives who lie there at Wounded Knee, knowing they were sacrificed to please the pride of the invaders. How many more people will be sacrificed on our reservations? How many more must suffer generations of the same cycle over and over of Genocide and abuse of our ways? So I must say this--it's time to take these ways back! When will we stand together as a nation of visionaries, healers, and protectors of this way of life? When will people know, or is the excuse they just dont know any better? I'm all about healing and being happy to live a beautiful life. So being a co-producer of "Spirits for sale!" my message is simple: dont sell these ways. Tunkasila is watching, always. The Swedes just dont know how it is. I jumped on board because it was exciting to actually put a part of my vision in the movie. We sat down at the bottom of Bear Butte and talked. This was never about fame or making money...it was about a vision that came from the heart....the vision that flowed thru my Minicojou blood, remembering my relatives on the other side...its why I push and promote the movie. I couldn't care less about a Swede carrying a feather to my res...what a story huh! To hand it to our White Buffalo calf keeper! Now, that made them famous, like saying look at us, the White people, who infiltrated the Cheyenne River. I hate to see what would happen if they gave her a turkey feather! Where might she travel...to the country Turkey? Maybe! All I can say is--go see the movie.
Jerry Clown
read Carole Quattro Levine's article
read other comments about "Spirits for Sale"

I like Miles Moore's reviews very much, some of the best articles published in Scene4. But with this one I think he's off-base, or should I say off-sides. Clooney has really grown as an actor and his comedy skills are outstanding, they carry the movie. It's Renee Zellweger that let's it all down. She has the timing of one of those punch doll toys, up and back, side to side and no stops in between. She just cannot be funny. And if she ever stops squinting into the camera, we might find out one day if she has eyes and not glassy little marbles.
Don Merkis
read Miles David Moore's article

Dear Mr. Merkis, Thank you for your comment on my review of "Leatherheads." I find it very gratifying that in general you find my reviews among the best articles in Scene4 . And I certainly don't expect you or anyone else to agree with everything (or anything) I say about any given movie. When you say, however, that I'm "off-sides" in my review of "Leatherheads," and then attribute to me statements that are very different from what I actually said, I'm mystified. By defending George Clooney's abilities as a comic actor, you seem to be claiming that I denigrated them. This is what I said: "As the likable con man aptly named Dodge, Clooney is far and away the most compelling reason to see `Leatherheads.'" I also compare him to Clark Gable and Cary Grant. I did find his direction wanting in some of the football scenes, but I had nothing but admiration for his acting, and expressed nothing but admiration. It's true I liked Renee Zellweger's performance more than you did. Nevertheless, when I say that she should stop scrunching up her face so much, I may be a little closer to your opinion of Zellweger than you suggest.
Miles David Moore
read Miles David Moore's article

I've been tired of teenagers and their problems for a long time since "teenagers" first appeared and I'm a lot older than Lia Beachy so I remember when children became adults and the transitions they made were called "rites of passage" and they were dragged into adulthood kicking and screaming as they had been for time immemorial and nobody gave a damn about this false and phony waystation called adolescence which never really existed until the movies. It's the hustlers and snake-oil sellers that created this creature and the billion-dollar market that rose alongside them. If "20 is now 10", as you say, and "14 going on 35" is the focus of it all, then let's make "50 is now 20" and "30 going on 60" and be done with it. Yes, adolescence is a trying time, for all of us and especially for those who are barraged with it and wouldn't know a pimple from a pisspot, or care.
Great bundle of commentaries, Lia.
Steve Rinstein
read Lia Beachy's article