Something new I'm excited to add to the mix here! Definitely a favorite of mine! Let me know your thoughts on this movie! Want to vote on what I should watch next? Click here! www.patreon.com/jamesvscinema Have a Daredevil Episode on Friday and DARK Season 3 on Saturday. Enjoy the day!
I prefer this movie and it's story over Sicario. I would recommend several other movies, but chances are you've probably seen most. I will suggest another overlooked masterpiece "A Place beyond the Pines". Clearly divided into 3 acts, it has a unique style all it's own. Whether you react to it or not, check out it's styling. The acting is great, probably not on par with Jeremy Renner in Wind River, but still great.
James VS Cinema I believe this movie explores the grey area you speak of better than Sicario. For me Sicario goes a little beyond the grey area. Wind river deals with morality where Sicario deals with exploitation of the law. Another great movie that uses the Pacific Northwest as a substantial backdrop is a movie titles Insomnia. It was directed by Christopher Nolan and stars Al Pacino and Robin Williams. If you haven’t seen it, you would enjoy it.
You asked why the coroner didn't want to declare it a murder and she explained it that it was Bureau of Indian Affairs rather than a fed issue which is why but that statement lacks mad context. So, on reservations, the federal government has jurisdiction over major crimes and tribal governments have jurisdiction over all other crimes. However, the federal government has a history of not adequately handling cases on reservations which is why this movie was made in the first place. So, until Obama was elected and amended the violence against women act, tribes couldn't legally prosecute anyone for rape. Rape became an epidemic on reservations and non-natives would take journeys onto reservations to rape women in isolated communities and then leave, knowing the tribe couldn't legally do anything and the government rarely accepted these cases, let alone did a good job at solving them. To give you some type of mental imagery, one out of every three native women has been raped or sexually assaulted in their lifetime. So, when ol girl wanted the case to be ruled a murder rather than rape, it was because of this jurisdictional issue. I'm a little confused myself with some of the rationale because the BIA is the federal agency that traditionally handles major crimes on the reservation and the FBI is only involved when a crime occurs to a white person or its something crazy and, if you had to choose, the FBI would be the organization you would want investigating over the BIA. However, rape is one of the 8 major crimes and jurisdiction would still be transferred to the federal government in this case. Unless they were using the violence against women act which give tribes the ability to prosecute non-native people who rape native women on the reservation up to 2 years in jail. However, the BIA generally lets local police investigate and it could be a tactic to allow local police to investigate since the FBI would take all the evidence. Also, there is the fact that the fed lady wanted the body taken somewhere else. Most native traditions have extremely strict post death practices. The scene with the mother cutting herself is really not shocking as its a pretty common practice for native women in mourning. So, it could be trying to communicate that the coroner was using the jurisdictional issue to protect the body of the daughter. Lot of complexity in that scene.
As someone who is Native American, this movie is difficult to watch, as this is unfortunately a very common issue. But I do appreciate it so much. Almost nobody knows about these constant tragedies, so movies like this are SO important.
It really is difficult, every time I watch it I get emotional and also get thinking about residential schools as well and how the children and their families were treated.
My great grandfather was part of the lost generation. He taught us that family is everything. I found out later in life that he did this because he felt caught between two worlds and felt detached from either. Knowing what people did to him, his family and his tribe cut us deeply as human beings. Scratching the surface of the crimes committed bring the same feeling and it should do that to everyone.
Is it true that some places like the USA federal law enforcement doesn't get involved most times, because it's not their 'jurisdiction', just because Native Americans live on reservations and such?
@@aquabirthbysleep9353 Kind of yes. I'm from Canada, so I'm not sure how it'd work in the US, but considering this film was based there, and that Taylor Sheridan really knows his shit, I'm going to assume so
The shootout scene was a masterpiece.... right until he entered the fray and opened up with his SBL. A 300gr projectile is not going to lift a man off of his feet! But other than that lapse of physics, I was really impressed with their attention to detail (the locked Koplin, use of snowshoes, how he carried the SBL into the bush cradling it, and so on). I knew nothing about the movie, and actually watched this movie because of the SBL (I loves me my 45/70's!!!) in the cover photo. I was very struck with this movie, and had purchased a copy on DVD long before the end of the movie.
The shoot out was very realistic since you don't actually just drop from getting shot in reality, it's a hollywood thing. The fact that they kept standing and some of them lost balance and maybe dropped to a knee made the scene just so intense and realistic.
@@michaelmacdonald334 yeah, that was done for dramatic effect. Assuming he ran a hot load in his 45-70, that's like 4.6kJ muzzle energy (with a 300gr projectile) - quite a showstopper, although it wasn't completely overdone, like Antonio Banderas in Desperado reversing the momentum of an airborne man with a string of 9mm para.
My favorite line of the movie is at the end when Jane is in the hospital bed and says "she ran 6 miles in the snow". The way he responds "yeah she did" like he's proud. Such a great delivery
This movie kills me. Never before have I watched an amazing movie I hated this much. It's too real, too dark, too depressing, I absolutely dread watching it again. But it's still a perfect movie.
That’s when you know it’s something that’s really good. It’s stuck with you, for better or for worse. It left an impression and that’s great when films do that! Thanks for commenting my friend!
Blood Diamond can be like that, too. I sat with a blind lady and described the on-screen action to her in gaps in the dialogue. She said afterwards that it was "brilliantly horrible." There's also the original 5-hour _Das Boot_ in German. I've no idea how crap the new series is, but the original serial, stitched back together into a single film, is a thing of tragic beauty.
I appreciate the movie shedding some light on what happens to Native American people everyday. It was a sad movie but it needed to be told. We are still here!
That r4pe scene along with the kidnapping scene from Nocturnal Animals are 2 of the most gut-wrenching brutal scenes in history. There's something really terrifying about being alone with strange drunken men that are... not violent at first... but they're.. just slowly escalating their behavior and getting more and more bold by the minute. Like animals, gaging the reaction of their prey and taking it one step further, the more they realize their prey has no control over the situation. That aspect. It just disturbs me so much.
For me, that particular scene in Nocturnal Animals was the PERFECT example of why everyone should have a firearm in their car or on them. That entire scene would have ended waaaaay differently had homie had a handgun in the car lol
If I'm not mistaken this marks the end of Taylor Sheridan's "Modern-day American frontier" trilogy along with Sicario and Hell or High Water, I don't know if you've seen the latter.
I looked it up, Question: "Do you see that as a continuation of these frontier films or do you feel like that series is going in a different direction now? SHERIDAN: No. That thing has evolved into something completely different and, you know, I've seen an early version of it and I'm really encouraged, but it's ... that thing goes off on its own. If you're going to make a sequel to Sicario, you have to, you know, you've got to go beat a brand new path." Hope this clears it up for you. I've also seen that he's planning on a third Sicario.
Gotta admit when I first saw this movie it surprised me with how good it was. I was expecting some cowboy action movie. There’s action but also a lot of tension and drama. Good pick.
I remember seeing this in theaters. The scene with the mom in her room with the knife, it brought on gasps and then complete silence. When the credits rolled, much of the audience just remained in there seats. No talking, no clapping, just feeling the pain that the movie set out to portray. The realism and attention to detail was insanely important making this movie effective
Since this movie has Jeremy Renner, I was reminded of a fantastic movie you should watch if you haven’t already; Arrival(2016). It is visually stunning, and has a chilling but mesmerizing soundtrack. On the surface, looks like it’s just a movie about aliens, but really it’s about humanity, the power of language and communication, and the value(and concept) of time. I highly recommend!
Oh my god so did I. When I truly love a movie and it’s Art of storytelling and it’s visual artistry I see it in the theater as many times as I can because nothing is more satisfying than being in a darkened theater and being taken away to another time place situation etc. through the medium of film!
I saw a comment from someone who mentioned that in the final scene with both of them talking, the camera pans out to a swingset with 2 empty swings. The swings symbolic of their children that had been taken from them. Just another detail that makes this film special.
Your reaction to this film is what solidified for me that I have to subscribe to your channel. “Wind River” is criminally underrated and one of my favorite films of all time. The cinematography coupled with the score creates such a desolate cold atmosphere and it chills me to the core. The acting is top notch by everyone involved and the screenplay is so beautifully written. Thanks for reacting to this film, I wish more people would.
aside from being a masterpiece in its own right, in that the writing, cinematography, score, and the actors played their parts beautifully, this is also a very important film.
I've watched this movie about twenty times. There are many fine moments in the film. When Olsen wants to question the mother and sees her cutting herself, she realizes the depth of grief she didn't understand. When the father opens the door and sees his friend, the expression on his face is incredibly moving. The shootout is superbly choreographed. I feel the film benefits greatly from being shot outdoors. An excellent job by all the actors. Four stars from me!
I wholeheartedly agree. This was an Oscar winner for sure but it wasn’t flashy enough for the Academy apparently they missed a gem here because this is one of the most underrated films I’ve ever seen.
Films of a darker nature I would definitely recommend are "In Bruges", "First Reformed" and "The Hunt" if you haven't seen any of them. Great video though !
we talking the hunt with mads mikkelsen or the film that was released in march? while the latter was enjoyable it’s nowhere near the levels of these films lmao
Thank you so much for reviewing this movie, I love it so much. Elizabeth Olsen is SUCH a good actress and this was one of the first movies in which they really let her shine as a dramatic actress (after Martha Marcy May Marlene, which is another not-that-big movie about the trauma lived by people that survive cults).
So a detail clarification: The "pepper spray" scene, he actually hit them with BEAR spray, to repel bears. Pepper spray on steroids. That's why the can was so big, and that's why she was throwing up, because it's way worse than standard pepper spray.
So glad you watched this! You're reaction to the door knock transition and climax of the film is priceless. Your hypothesis about the "wild" turning people into "predators" is spot on, and showing light on the ruthlessly disenfranchised native Americans is always something that should be shown. So glad you liked this movie!!
@@JamesVSCinema taylor sheridan is a master. I'm glad you dug the soundtrack and cinematography too. The soundtrack sounds like "sad wind" to me and the cinematography really shows the vastness of the American landscape, a hallmark of Taylor Sheridan subtext
I haven't seen any of Taylor Sheridan's other movies, but I loved "Wind River." Sometimes you sort of know beforehand that it's going to be a great movie, just based on the synopsis. To be fair I also knew that it was lauded by the critics before I saw it, but if the subject matter didn't interest me, i would probably not have watched it. Personally I've always been interested in native americans, either portrayed in historical movies or contemporary stuff like this. I wouldn't say that I enjoyed "Wind River", because it hits to hard for that. Even though I was somewhat prepared for the seriousness of the material, it's not possible to be ready for the pure raw grief expressed when the mother is cutting herself. There's the surprise and then sudden realisation. The father has a different more understated form, but the differences just accentuates the brilliance of the acting. I found myself comparing "Wind River" to the Val Kilmer movie "Thunderheart", which is also about murder on a reservation, but also so much more than that.
Yes unfortunately this is true, kidnapping is pretty much a weekly thing around reservations I'm from. This movie actually hit home in a couple of spots. Those drugged out teens in the trailer felt real, like I knew a few.
Yeah. Great movie, the Renner monologue makes my cry, just pure acting skills. Sheridan (Taylor Sheridan the director) was an actor first, then somehow he started being an awesome writer, and director. This one hits hard, especially when You read the statistics about those crimes in this region. And again Berenthal came in stole the scene aaand he's gone. One the best in the business, bar none. The whole cast was awesome, the music is by Nick Cave, who does tragic music exceptionally. Finish the trilogy of Sheridan, and watch his "Hell or High water" - Jeff Bridges/ Chris Pine/Ben Foster - just another grey justice area movie. Have a great day man!
Yes and it’s why I stress this message so much in all my videos..the power of story-telling! It’s such an incredible tool and I’m happy to be someone who attempts to capture it. This movie was absolutely incredible and opened my eyes to an otherwise forgotten tragedy that happens to Native Americans.
I really love this film, especially being that I used to live on a Native American reservation (despite not having any indigenous blood myself) it really is just a jarring and beautiful film. Though extremely depressing and leaves me feeling empty by the end.
Fun fact: most of these actors are in Taylor's tv series on Paramount called Yellowstone with Kevin Costner. You really should check it out, it's amazing
I Love it!! This is my birth place, although I was raised in the Navajo Nation. My Mother is Northern Arapaho and my Father is Navajo. This is not 1 true story but a few true stories put into 1.
This and Miss Sloane were my favourite movies of 2016. I must have watched this movie every year since then. I love the juxtaposition of the opening, the poetry narration and cruel images. This movie always makes me think of the CS Lewis quote "I sat with my anger long enough until she told me her real name was grief.”
This movie was real emotional for me. Even watching your reaction and seeing the snippets of each scene really tugged at my heart. Such a real film! One of my favorite films of the last few years.
This is the 1st video i watched on your channel. Reacting to 'Wind River'. I clicked as fast as i could. Fantastic movie. I haven't watched this in years. So, i don't remember the details. But three scenes in particular struck with me like no other. The film is chockful of great scenes but i find them particularly striking. 1st one is the very 1st one with the girl running on snow at night. Its beautiful and unforgettable. 2nd one is when the father cried for the 1st time on meeting Renner's character. The feels. You know the film does a great job, when you feel the grief of a character, whom you have seen onscreen less then a minute. And 3rd one is the final scene. Its among my favorite final scenes in any movie. Two friends sharing a moment amidst the loss which can't ever be fulfilled. This is one of the most underrated movies ever.
Taylor Sheridan's use of music and sound to back the scenes he is shooting combine to great effect. In Hell or High Water if you notice all the foreclosure signs in the background it totally sets up what all these people are dealing with out the use of exposition. It helps you understand the motives on each side of the story. Right and wrong become's a blur in the story depending on the viewer.
I love Sicario and Wind River both. They're two of my favorite modern films. I would very much recommend Hell Or High Water to you, a fantastic film written by the same man that wrote this and Sicario.
This is by far one of my favourite movies - everything from the music, the scenery, the story, the actors, it's all masterfully crafted and such a brilliant film. Both the standoff and the shootout scenes are so intense and out of nowhere, too.
Another awesome reaction, this film was a powerful one to watch, as a native american myself and fellow filmmaker this film always hits me in the chest. It inspires me to make films about my culture nobody has ever heard of before. Since Sicario I've been hooked on Taylor Sheridan's rise, his next film sounds like another instant classic, that one is called Those Who Wish Me Dead starring Angelina Jolie and Jon Barenthal, I don't think the trailer is even out yet for that one.
Oh man that’s beautiful, and I know you’ll bring justice in your work and story telling as a filmmaker and as a Native American. This film made me call up some of my buddies who are fellow Native Americans and just appreciate them and let them know how much they mean to me.
@@JamesVSCinema that's great to hear man, my friends and I at film school who r all native have stories from our different tribes that we're putting together, inspiring to see
Was recommended this film after a discussion about the gabby petito case vs missing Native American women. I feel like this movie did a great job portraying the harsh conditions of the reservation and how little the government has done to support them. I wish there were more mainstream films & series that touched on this subject.
So glad to see you react to this! It cemented my sub, and it's really nice to see someone who appreciates the small, well made moments in every film. Great discussion, and fantastic reactions!
I saw this when it came out in cinemas and it just blew me away! I didn't know going in that it was Taylor Sheridan's directorial debut, but remember thinking while watching it that "this feels like Hell or High Water in the winter" - low and behold, same writer lol.
Yup! That’s so fascinating haha, but the writing in both films are literally 10/10. This definitely made me a huge fan of his, especially someone whose still practicing screenwriting!
Wind River was my choice for best film of 2017. It's so grounded and visceral yet lean and mean in its pacing. Everything from the writing, directing, acting, etc is spot on, but the story ( I'm Canadian and we have a massive problem with the disappearance of Native women and men ) resonated with me so much that I didn't just cry after watching this, I sobbed! This film is a absolute work of art.
love how he blos those guys away with a 45 70 lever actions a gun mainly used in alsksa for bear n mouse the attention to details on this film is amazing
So many incredible scenes in this film, but I will never forget the scene of the mom sitting on the bed with the knife. The way it was shot was so.. unassuming and brief and that made it so incredibly impactful.
I’m so glad you reviewed this film. This film is absolutely beautiful. Breath taking shots, a story that tugs at the heart, and one that informs people about the hardships native Americans still face.
Another masterfully writing piece by Taylor Sheridan truly one of the best writers atm this was his first time directing to, keep it up James gotta give it to the patrons hoping to join this month!
Hahaha THIS TIME it was actually me who picked it out muhahaha! But yes man, join whenever you’re comfortable brotha, we always welcome with open arms so no rush my friend!
Thank you so much for reviewing this movie. It's so powerful, beautiful and sad. When you read at the end how native American girls disappearances go unreported and said "I did not know that", I cried all over again.
This movie so underrated. I absolutely loved it. I'm so happy that you reacted to it. I'm looking forward to your next reactions. Keep up the good work James. Much love as always
I’m really glad to hear that my brother, this movie is definitely underrated! Had to show my mom this film after I watched it because she LOVES these type of films. Thank you for rocking with me brotha! Hope your day goes perfect for you!
Every now and then you come across a film in which something inanimate becomes another character in the story. In my opinion, the weather and the landscape achieve such heights in this film. Another example is the city of Tokyo in the film Lost in Translation.
I find this film strangely rewatchable despite the devastation and grief. The soul-searching snowy mood (and that music...) really gets me. No love in Wind River, only what you can find within yourself.
Hey brother! A first generation Mexican, coming to you from a break in shoveling snow in Chicago, no doubt!... Wind River hit me to the core. Maybe because i didnt grow up in Juarez, maybe because im super sympathetic to native american women, AND righteous people in the right no matter their color.. the writing, and all of the acting was amazing. I HOPE Mexicans who loved Sicario give this movie a chance!!! Dont ever think youre the only one experiencing a hardship, its been experienced before..
that shootout scene is amazing, but the stuff leading up to it, yknow what im talking about, really is important here, because it shows the horror of it and really does a good job at making your bloodboil in anger towards these men. and then when the shooting is done it seems they've won this battle and you get this knot in your stomach, cause they're gonna get away with it. and then the shots ring out from the snow and you see these guys just being obliterated, and that brings just this feeling of joy, you're glad to see them get what they deserve. that scene is just perfectly done.
This "Frontier trilogy" is a masterpiece. Each film looks at injustice and inequality in different areas...and yes that there is no black and white when it comes to so called morality. I actually think Hell or High Water may tackle the grey area thing the best.
The score of this film deserves a shoutout. Nick Cave and Warren Ellis (absolute legends, both of them) always manage to bring something minimal yet powerful to every film score they work on.
the film hits so hard emotionally making the scene where the rapist dies so cathartic. I sat somewhat in a daze for the entire credits in the theater after seeing it for the first time. A modern masterpiece.
I remember that movie coming out of nowhere and being quite a surprise. It taking place in native american's reserves, which is a unusual place in the movie world, brought a change of air. Living in Canada, knowing the difficulties that some of those guys/girls have is rough.
It shows a whole new side, hence why it’s so important to road trip or go to small towns such as these. Stories are meant to be told, thank you for commenting your thoughts too my man!
The contrast between the justice of the written word on paper and the justice of NATURE in this movie is phenominal. Justice in nature does not strive for equality, it TESTS, and Mercy rarely participates. And on whatever 'frontier' we may find ourselves, ultimately, we are alone. Linking this to Sicario is kinda blowing my mind a little and puts that movie in a whole new light for me. The narco world is raw and the justice found there is much more natural than civil.
Hey. Unrelated to this film. Maybe check out Waves. Maybe my favorite film seen this year after JoJo Rabbit. Waves is unique from a filmmakers perspective. A protagonist change. Unusual camera with as well. Would love your take on it.
Good movie: so the main character is a hunter/tracker; hero of the movie with great skills and spirit, which he uses to teach the white city audience (represented by the FBI agent) about reservation life, racism and injustice. He gives warrior speeches to other natives and to the white murderer, and at the end he pretty much brings the white FBI agent into the tribe, saying she earned her warrior status with her bravery/skills. That character is a white dude. That's all I have to say.
I love the 'flanking' scene in this movie so much. I was watching it for the first time with a friend that is in the military and as they were walking he said "this is sketchy. it looks like they're trying to box them in" a second before the deputy in the movie said it. thought that was really good attention to detail
I just cme across your channel out of nowhere and the views and opinions and information on movies and this movie really helped me understand film making and film in general and I look forward to seeing more projects from you in the future
This movie hit me with the suprising fact in the credits that's just too frightening. Hostiles is also another amazing overlooked film that deals with native Americans really well.
Will definitely look into that! I have a few Native American friends I call my brothers, and I just had to call them and tell them how much I appreciate them after this film. What an incredible movie.
Taylor Sheridan is really underrated as a writer. Having written Sicario, this movie and Hell or High Water. Also.. you mentioned that this is a seasoned writer.. Sicario was his FIRST screenplay, this is his third
This film beautifully shows the complexity of Jeremy Renner. This was by his best performance in my opinion, and I bet it upsets him that roles like this pass him by because of the MCU machine ties
I feel like we just recommend this and man you put it out fast! This movie made me so emotional. It carried so much depth and weight to the story. Absolutely heartbreaking
Hahaha thanks! Yeah so many of you mentioned it on the Sicario video that I had to give it a look myself and man..what a incredible experience. The writing is absolutely masterful!
Love your videos and insight into the films. Definitely listen to everyone saying you should watch "Hell or High Water" to cap off the Taylor Sheridan bangers. It's a hell of a movie, pun intended.
I have watched this incredible movie but had forgotten about it. It is such an amazing movie and the reaction you were feeling, I felt exactly the same. And I agree the screen writing and dialogues in this movie are absolutely top notch.
