Unit 5 Extra Credit Movies

Movie Extra Credit Instructions

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, HBO Films, 2007, not rated.

Based on part of the landmark book  by Dee Brown, Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee chronicles the clash of cultures in the Great Plains after the civil War, culminating in the massacre of the Sioux at Wounded Knee Creek in 1890.  The movie was very critically acclaimed - and I have a copy to lend!  The website for the movie has some great info, if you are interested!

Into the West, Dreamworks Video, 2005, not rated.

Into the West is  6 episode miniseries that depicts two perspectives of the colonization and settlement of the American West.  Two cultures collide when white settlers move westward into the land that has been inhabited by Native Americans for centuries.  Many historical events covered in class are portrayed in the miniseries.  In my mind, it wasn't the best thing I've seen, but I did enjoy different parts of the show.  If you choose to watch it, it may be difficult to pick up in the middle due to the growth of the characters.  The website for the series has some great info, if you are interested!

The West, American Documentaries, Inc. / Kenneth Lauren Burns / Time-Life Video, 1996. Directed by Ken Burns.

A documentary similar to Burns’ Civil War, this 8 part series chronicles the history of the American West. Topics include the people of the West, Manifest Destiny, the Gold Rush, the Transcontinental Railroad, the treatment of Native Americans, and the closing of the West. We have the documentary available in the library, and you will see a few clips of it in class.  The corresponding website, PBS - New Perspectives on THE WEST, has some excellent information on the west.

Buffalo Soldiers, Turner Pictures, 1997, not rated . Directed by Charles Haid, starring Danny Glover, Lamont Bentley, and Tom Bower.

Buffalo Soldiers concerns the all-black US Cavalry Troop H that protected the Western territories in post Civil War times. The story focuses on the troops' attempts to capture an Apache warrior named Vittorio who slaughters the settlers in New Mexico. If you can't find the movie on video, it is also available to watch on TNT's video site. Section 1 2 3 4 5

Far and Away, Universal Pictures, 1992, PG-13. Directed by Ron Howard, starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman.

This epic covers two of the topics from this unit - immigration and the Oklahoma land rush. The movie has great cinematography, and while the story drags at times, it’s not too bad. Cruise leaves Ireland with his landlord's daughter (Kidman) after some trouble with her father, and they dream of owning land at the big giveaway in Oklahoma around 1893.  

Westerns - There are a gazillion Westerns, one of the most famous movie genres of all time. Some recent ones that may be worth checking out are Open Range (PG, 2004), Tombstone (R, 1993), Silverado (PG-13, 1985), Unforgiven (R, 1992), and the miniseries Lonesome Dove (NR, 1989) (probably the best recent Western). Son of the Morning Star (TV, 1991) is a movie about Custer, Geronimo: An American Legend  (PG-13, 1993) covers the later life of the Native American hero, and Dances with Wolves (PG-13, 1990) also deals with Native American relations in the West after the Civil War.  And, of course, there are the many Clint Eastwood movies too.  Make sure you pass the Western by me in order to get extra credit!

Some Western lists from Amazon.com: Favorite Westerns (In no particular order), Modern Westerns (Post-1980), The West Lives On. Great modern Westerns, Cool Westerns