SLIFF 2009 Review: THE ONLY GOOD INDIAN

If there’s one movie I’ve seen this year that has started with a great premise but has suffered from a failed execution, it would have to be THE ONLY GOOD INDIAN. Written by Thomas L. Carmody and directed by Kevin Willmott (CSA: The Confederate States of America), this fictional pseudo-western tells the tale of a teen-aged Native American boy with the given white man name of Charlie (played by Winter Fox Frank).

Taking place in Kansas during the early 1900’s, the movie follows Charlie’s story, one of many Native American youths that were forcibly removed from their homes and placed into re-education schools that feel more like prison camps. Students are scolded, or even beaten into submission, and punished for speaking their native tongues. These scenes of the school master and the teacher forcing their ways onto these young Native Americans with the idea they are benefiting them are difficult to watch, but illustrate an unfortunate and unspoken chapter in our country’s history.

Seen by the white men as worthless savages, the school attempts to teach the Native American youths their “civilized” ways, how to dress, how to speak, how to live their lives and worship their God. Charlie wants none of this. He resists where his peers have all but given in and submitted to what they feel is a losing battle. In retaliation, Charlie escapes the school, only to be tracked down and captured by Sam Franklin (Wes Studi), a Native American man who has bought fully into the idea of being like the white man.

Sam is a self-made private investigator with hopes of becoming Pinkerton Agency’s first Native American detective. He holds Charlie and proceeds to deliver him for a bounty, lecturing Charlie the whole time about how his insistence on maintaining his indian ways is an outdated and hopeless battle. Sam is proud of his perceived status and acquired material goods, which includes a motor bike and outfit purchased from Lord & Taylors in Kansas City.

During Sam and Charlie’s journey, they end up teaching each other valuable lessons. This relationship between Sam and Charlie is the best part of THE ONLY GOOD INDIAN, developing naturally and with a tangible sense of honesty. After a deadly encounter with three white bounty hunters, Sam and Charlie find themselves being hunted by Sheriff Henry McCoy, a legend amidst white folk for his alleged heroism in battles against the Native Americans.

McCoy (J. Kenneth Campbell) is a tough-as-nails, cold-hearted man with a deeply-ingrained hatred for the Native American man. He repeatedly points out that his entire life has been devoted to killing the indians, but finds himself even more disgusted by the re-education schools, sending McCoy into a crazed and delusional internal struggle over his actions in life. Campbell’s performance is forced and unrefined, but the essence of his character is delivered well enough for the message to be received loud and clear.

THE ONLY GOOD INDIAN ultimately becomes as much a tale of redemption for Sam as it is a powerful story of historical events neglected by our history books, told through Charlie’s experience. Winter Fox Frank gives a promising debut performance as Charlie. While this film carries a powerful message and a great story, the overall pace of the film is slow and tedious. The impact of the story is lessened by the various flaws from certain performances and inadequacies in production, but if the audience can stay awake for the 114-minute running time they’ll find THE ONLY GOOD INDIAN to be a movie worth the effort, despite it’s flaws.

THE ONLY GOOD INDIAN will screen at the Tivoli on Friday, November 20th at 7:00pm during the 18th Annual Whitaker Saint Louis International Film Festival.