Worst2First: My Top Ten Native American Films

Worst2First: 

My Top Ten Native American Films

Native Americans were the first to live on this land, and as colonization by the British expanded, they were unfortunately pushed farther and farther from their homeland.  Now, most Native Americans live within their own communities, often forgotten by those who infiltrated their land.  Still, there's some stories that have been told about their plight and the world they currently live in, and those stories have been showcased in some true cinematic classics.

Here are my personal top ten Native American films, worst2first...

**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**

#10

The Indian in the Cupboard

Directed by Frank Oz (the same guy who played Yoda in the "Star Wars" movies), "The Indian in the Cupboard" is a film based off the 1980 children's book by Lynne Reid Banks.  The film follows a young boy who gets a cupboard and a plastic Native American toy for his birthday, and finds that the cupboard brings him to life.  The Native American - an Iroquois named Little Bear - teaches the young boy what it's like being Native American, and the boy learns to appreciate his heritage and treat him as more than just a toy, but a real person.  I remember reading the book when I was younger, and I've only seen the film a few times, and although it adheres to certain Native American stereotypes, it still sheds light on how Native Americans live.

#9

Windtalkers

During World War II, the Navajo were recruited by the American government to give an unbreakable military code to translate English words into Navajo to avoid enemy interpretation.  It remains the only oral military code to never have been broken by the enemy.  In "Windtalkers," Nicolas Cage plays a Marine who is assigned to protect a Navajo code talker during the Battle of Saipan.  The film also stars Adam Beach, Mark Ruffalo, Christian Slater and Jason Isaacs.

#8

The Missing

Directed by Ron Howard, "The Missing" is a story that takes place in the 19th Century.  When a rancher's daughter goes missing, she fears her child has been abducted by people who take young girls into Mexico to be sold into slavery.  She enlists the help of her estranged father and the Chiricahua Apache tribe to find her daughter - and other missing girls - before they're taken across the border.  The film features great performances by Tommy Lee Jones and Cate Blanchett, and also stars Evan Rachel Wood, Aaron Eckhart and Val Kilmer.

#7

Frozen River

Melissa Leo stars in her Oscar-nominated role as a single mother who is down-and-out, who finds a possible source of income smuggling immigrants to America through a frozen river that sits between Ontario and the Akwesasne St. Regis Mohawk Reservation.  It's a compelling, harrowing story and Leo shines, as does her co-star Missy Upham, who plays a widowed Mohawk.

#6

Legends of the Fall

Brad Pitt stars as Tristan, an early 20th-Century man who is well versed in the ways of the Cree traditions who lives with his father (Anthony Hopkins) and two brothers.  The family is tight-knit, and during World War I they relocate to Montana with their Cree friends to avoid the betrayal of the government.  When tragedy strikes, the brothers find themselves at odds of the aspirations for a certain woman (Julia Ormond), that threatens to tear the family apart.  The film is filled with great performances and solidified Brad Pitt as one of the best actors of our time.

#5

Pocahontas

Pocahontas was a Native American woman who rescued the life of John Smith, who established Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in America.  In Disney's tale, Pocahontas meets Captain John Smith and shows him the ways of her people, and the two fall in love, despite her heritage going against it.  While it's wildly inaccurate to the real story, it's still a fun, exciting love story filled with classic Disney music and wonderful animations.

#4

Wind River

On the Wind River Indian Reservation, a young woman has died.  An FBI agent is brought in to investigate, and uncovers that she had been murdered, but the assailant is unknown.  Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen give commanding performances as they try to decipher the truth, and come into contact with a different type of law set up by the Native Americans that control their own ways of life.  It's a stunning mystery suspense film brilliantly told by the writer of "Sicario" and "Hell or High Water," with an ending that you won't soon forget.

#3

The Revenant

In his Oscar-winning role, Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Hugh Glass, an expert tracker who was married to a Pawnee woman and has a half-Pawnee son.  When he's violently attacked by a bear, another trapper chooses to leave him for dead and tell the others that he did indeed die - as well as killing his son.  Hugh recovers and embarks on an expansive trek back home to get his revenge.  The film is a visual masterpiece, with stunning visuals and awe-inspiring natural lighting, and DiCaprio goes through the ringer, but it finally earned him the elusive Oscar.

#2

Dances With Wolves

In this sprawling epic, Kevin Costner plays a Civil War soldier who meets the Lakota Native Americans and forms a relationship with them, living among them and adapting to their simplistic lifestyle.  When Union soldiers threaten their existence, he joins with the Lakota to protect their land.  It was nominated for twelve Oscars, winning seven (including the first western to win Best Picture, Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay), and became the career-defining role for Kevin Costner (who also directed the film).

#1

The Last of the Mohicans

Taking place during the French-Indian War, "The Last of the Mohicans" tells the story of the Mohican tribe - a dying Native American tribe who lives at peace with the British colonists.  When the daughters of a British colonel are kidnapped, they set out to rescue them and become involved in the war.  Daniel Day-Lewis plays Hawkeye, a white man adopted into the Mohican tribe who falls in love with one of the daughters (played by Madeleine Stowe).  As always, Day-Lewis delivers an impeccable performance that's withstood the test of time and solidified him as one of the foremost thespians of the generation, and the story is epic and sweeping, with exciting action sequences and a passionate tale at its heart.  Truly a pitch-perfect movie from start to finish.