User Reviews

I thought this to be one of Mr. Greyeyes' better films since he was perfectly suited for the role of Crazy Horse. Of course, the supporting cast was very well picked as Native people themselves played the Native roles like the way its supposed to be. I read some of the comments that other members put for this film and I tend to disagree with what these pessimists say. Personally I think this film should have made it to the big screen.. too bad it didn't make it to the big screen.

But........ anyways...... I cannot recall how Crazy Horse died in the film since its been a while when I last saw it. In real life, he was only 35 when he was murdered by 3 white policemen who came to arrest him for no known reason. Apparently he was bayoneted in the back by one of these policemen while the other 2 held him so he couldn't free himself. It was truly a sad day in Lakota history when he died. It was also the way he died too that makes this situation even more sad.

Well..... however..... this is why I gave this film a 7 out of 10.

This film is about an Indian hero, a Native American leader and chief. His name is Crazy Horse; he is honored by his people and tribal members as a brave warrior. In his early age, he presented his excellent abilities that he kills a buffalo. When he was 16 years old, he was named by Crazy Horse which was his father's name. Then, he became an Oglala Lakota leader. In this film, he fights with the US Federal government which invades their territories and wants to explore gold from this soil. As a tribal chief, he took up arms against invaders and wins a lot of campaigns. At this time, he received a lot of respects and supports; however, he got jealous from his tribal person------Red Cloud. Red Cloud framed-up Crazy Horse. On the morning of September 5, 1877, Crazy Horse was arrested and killed outside the adjutant's office.

Our textbook also mentioned about the rugged individual and macho hero. I find some similarities between movies and books. They all tell about a hero and some hero characters. For many years, the frontier experience was romanticized in popular movies and television show that featured cowboy heroes fighting Indian villains.(From our book described)This movie, however, focuses on the American Indians, stands on their aspects and shows that what tragedy is bringing to Native Indians. White people invade their land and killed thousands of Native Indians. What's more, they broke many promises. What they mentioned about are their benefits. From this movie, Crazy Horse, a tribal leader, has some rugged individual characters, like brave, self-reliant and intelligent. The macho hero, always feel lonely because they will think about big problems and make a big decision; maybe no one could help him. Crazy Horse always feels lonely too much because he worried about his people. What he could do is avoiding what happened to them and protect them from invasions. Crazy Horse has his faith that they could live alike their ancestors.

I love this movie very much. His spirit is more or less admired by us. What he pursued is freedom. What he always concerned are his people. We can learn a lot of personal qualities from this. In our lives, we also face a lot of difficulties or enemies; we should be brave to solve them instead of escaping. Crazy Horse is very intelligent, he uses of tactics to vanquish white people in many major wars. He could use fully of advantages of terrains to win the whole war. What's more, besides its attractive plot, its music or scenes are all fine. So it is a perfect film.

Though entertaining and well acted, the script doesn't follow Sandoz's biography. Sandoz who traveled more than any other researcher in Ogalala country compiled much of her biography from descendants and other community members who carry stories of Crazy Horse. According to Sandoz The Strange Crazy Horse a political critic - opposing three primary features of Ogalala society: 1) the idea of paying for brides with horses (dowry); 2) the idea that community acknowledgment and recognition are synonymous with an individuals' spiritual or metaphysical (for lack of better words) standing 3) the idea that there are a fixed number of formal ways in which to seek knowledge and understanding. Crazy Horse according to Sandoz felt that the influx of Horses had corrupted Oglala society somewhat and made it more (in contemporary terms) - wealth bound and greed ridden. He also she suggests felt that there were in some respects formalized aspects of the society that were too rigid and so conflicted with (in contemporary terms) basic human rights. Sandoz's Crazy Horse in essence supported Oglala culture and society strongly only as a reformer he, by example suggested several small adjustments to the culture so as to make it better.

Rather than being unique in this I imagine, he showed up at a time when the West was interested in Native people much like they are interested in Middle Eastern peoples today. War seems to create a sensationalist fascination with the other and so some attention was given his life in the popular media. Many of the biographies seem to contain details that conflict strongly with Sandoz, but no other researcher seems to have spent the same amount of time both in archives and in the communities. She has a pointed, detailed yet equivocal touch and so I trust her account better than any I have seen. This book (as is common) puts the film to shame.

'Crazy Horse' is a well acted, beautifully shot film that should have gone to big screen.

While this movie may deviate from the finest research points of one author, Sandoz, it plays well, overall, to the spirit of Native American experience, as well as to the nature of Crazy Horse. Keep in mind it is not listed as a docudrama. I grew up all my life on the Rez, my family is Native American and our minds and hearts were moved by this film. Although we are Nez Perce, all tribes unite in their admiration of Crazy Horse and the ability he had to be 'invisible' in the face of an army when necessary. So, when I use the euphemism "the devil's in the details" my message is "don't let the devil distract you from something great by tying you up with trivia." It is great to see a movie that is true to form in showing the nature of war. I grew up believing Indians were bad. My twin sisters came home crying one day from first grade because one of their friends told them that they were Indians. To my sisters, that meant they had to ride horses to white peoples' houses and scalp them. That's what they had learned from TV shows. Our mother had some reassuring to do and 'Coyote' tales to tell, like how humans came to be - http://www.ilhawaii.net/~stony/lore59.html

If you love Westerns, history, and have a heart for all peoples, you will love this film!

A must see movie Outstanding movie, Great Direction by John Irvin. The visuals are superb, great cast. A story that tells it like it is with out the usual bias and in a form that keeps your interest. I wood highly recommend people see other movies directed by John Irvin.

I think this was the best film made about the life and death of a great Native American Chief. Chief Crazy Horse life was filled with much sorrow but he never denied his people any thing including a way to live freely. Michael Greyeyes did an excellent job protraying Crazy Horse. Others in the film- Frank Avina, Zahn McClarnon, Irene Bedard, Wes Studi, August Schellenberg, and the rest of the cast did great with their charactors. I recommend this film for every one especially those who want a better understanding about Crazy Horse and The Sioux Nation.

This movie was one of my favorite ones.. where i lived the movie store had it to rent so every week i would rent it for like 3 months.. and i tried to find it to buy.. no where but .. i love native American movies..they are....so wonderful. to watch... I like it when they are more true.... and you know the history about it.. but my children loved to watch it as much as i did.. so i do give it a ten.. and no less thank you ..If you like native movies you should also see dream keeper..

and edge of America.. that is also a good one.. my children watch dream keeper also.. to listen about stories of the past..

This is the best film I've ever seen on the life of the Great Chief of The Oglala's,Crazyhorse.. I'm of 1/4 Oklahoma Cherokee Blood And Proud to be A Native American.I've been to Crazyhorse Mtn twice and I've also been to the place where Crazyhorse was murdered at fort Robinson.

I watched this movie when it came out and have seen it a few more times since. Been trying to find an affordable dvd copy for my movie library for years. This movie has always been one of my favorite movies depicting the life of the Native American people lead.

This made-for-TV film about Crazy Horse has good acting and beautiful visual images. However, key details have been left out of the story in its hurry to wrap up a very complex issue and time in history. (For more detail, I'd highly suggest you read "Crazy Horse: The Strange Man of the Oglalas" by Mari Sandoz). Additionally, though the story fortunately does stay focused on Crazy Horse and his people, the script makes only a half-hearted attempt to tell the tale with a native american voice. For example, very little of the music sounds native American. However, this movie does probably set the record for Most Horses Knocked Over, and If there isn't an Academy Award for that, well gosh darnit there should be!

Great movie love Michael Gertrude and the other cast members.Check out Michael's costume.

This is history? It's one of those revisionist epics where the indians are depicted as goodie-goodies on a weekend scouting trip, have a beauty parlor and a gym in the camp somewhere, don't commit anything that could be viewed as offensive to modern viewers, all whites are evil brutes to a man and Custer is made personally responsible to all things bad that ever happened to the poor indians.

Furthermore it's doubtful that any indian tribe ever discussed matters military in terms of front lines and troops or whatever.

It's not even good as a old fashioned shoot-'em up adventure movie - it's too dull for that. If you want to see anything serious on the subject, watch "Dances With Wolves" or "Son of the Morning Star" instead.