Indian Horse

Indian Horse endures, and commands attention.

... for the most part the cast fails to support the weighty material. Still, the essence and importance of [Richard] Wagamese's book - both the brutality and the beauty - shines through, more vital than ever.

Important but not very nuanced.

That this story needs to be told is unquestionable, especially in the hope that broadcasting past shamefulness might prevent future abuse and bias.

Overall the film could use a little more nuance but there is no denying the important and timely nature of the story.

If the Canadian film "Indian Horse" is an index of how aggressive assimilation was brought to bear in the real-life context of the country's indigenous peoples, it leaves no doubt that "aggressive" was the operative word.

The film winds up not adding much to the conversation and only focuses on melodrama. [Full review in Spanish]

Abuse and trauma can be masked, but they persist and follow families through generations, and Campanelli understands the importance of hearing their stories that have been buried. [Full review in Spanish]

If a film like this can help cast off people's racist assumptions about Indigenous life in Canada, then that is still a public good worth commending.

...a well-intentioned yet catastrophically misguided endeavor...