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'Wounded Knee': A Powerful Tale Lost on Impact

By JEN CHANEY
washingtonpost.com Staff Writer
Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2007

The program that earned the most overall Emmy nominations this year was not
"The Sopranos" or "Grey's Anatomy." It was "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee,"
an HBO film based on Dee Brown's well-known book about the displacement of
the American Indian in the late 1800s. The movie tallied an impressive 17
nods, which raises expectations when one sits down to watch the DVD
($26.98), released today to undoubtedly ride the wave of publicity leading
up to Sunday's Emmy Awards. Unfortunately, those expectations are only
halfway met.

"Wounded Knee" is beautifully filmed and was clearly made with a great deal
of reverence for the time period and for Native Americans. But that sense
of respect overwhelms the production, making it a commendable effort rather
than a deeply moving one. While watching it, you're more likely to feel
like sitting up straight than shedding a tear. "The Heart of a People," one
of the DVD's three featurettes, actually goes farther toward conveying the
real-life heartbreak of the American Indian experience. In the six-minute
mini-doc, Native Americans who worked as consultants on the film discuss
their own lives, including the loss of their language, and how working on
"Wounded Knee" helped them reconnect to their heritage. Those few moments
have more impact than much of the movie itself.

"It's incredibly important to get it right... and to do that in a dignified
and respectful and accurate manner," says Anna Paquin, one of the movie's
stars, during the DVD's "Making History" featurette. "Bury" certainly is
committed to precise detail; a pop-up track that provides additional
historical context only adds to the sense that the filmmakers want to
educate as much as entertain. But extras-wise, the most interesting
offering is the commentary track recorded by actors Aidan Quinn and Adam
Beach ("Flags of Our Fathers"), one of two featured here. (The other is
with director Yves Simoneau). True, the pair spends an inordinate amount of
time oohing and ahhing over how wonderful the movie is. But they genuinely
seem to enjoy each other's company, which gives the DVD a sense of fun
amidst a sea of dignified, respectful and accurate moments.

Most Political Bonus Point: Fred Thompson, recently declared presidential
candidate, briefly appears in the movie as -- yes, it's true -- President
Ulysses S. Grant. During their commentary, Quinn mentions to Beach that
Thompson may run for the office: "Do you know this could be our next
president?" Amusingly, Beach has no idea who Thompson is ("Really?" he
exclaims when Quinn says he was a senator) or that he is considering a
presidential run.