I had my television disconnected some five years ago now and have never regretted it or missed it. I can't even pick up our local station KEYC-TV (a blessing, actually) since I'm down in a valley.

But...I did keep the set proper and a VCR. Instead of letting a cable company dictate what I watch, I now use a fraction of the money I save each month in access charges to buy several good videos a year.

The purpose of this section, then, is to alert you to some extraordinary movies and shows which should be of interest to anyone with a love of the prairie or historic trails or the West. Believe it or not, some of these originally aired on television (PBS and the like). These are all in my own personal collection, and I've watched them a number of times, learning something new on each viewing.

I've decided to keep the related external links to the right of each program listing in this section. (But be sure to come back here when you're done checking each one out!). The links are provided so that you can find out more about the shows from their creators or critics. If one interests you particularly, keep in mind that public libraries will often loan these out on tape. (For instance, the Blue Earth County Library, in Mankato, has the magnificent nine part show, The West on its shelves.)

No, Dr. Leary, Tune Out!

I didn't pull the plug for puritanical reasons. No, I yanked the goggle-box because I resented forking out ten bucks a month to receive drivel aimed at a junior high level mentality. And as the number of channels increased, the number of "watchable" shows decreased dramatically, an inverse square relationship if ever there was one. I can't believe there are actually people out there who watch the tube more than once a week; where do they find the time?

Should you wish to own a copy of any of these films, online stores can often source them at bargain prices. For convenience, I've given links at the bottom of this page to the descriptions in the Amazon catalog. But please remember, I'm not necessarily endorsing Amazon or any other company. I am not connected with any commercial enterprise and simply offer these links as an additional source of information. You might find the unbiased (and frequently deranged) customer reviews there interesting.

Dances with Wolves

Perhaps one of the grandest films ever made was Dances with Wolves, even if it did win an Oscar for Best Picture. The story is great, of course. But it is the richness of incidentals, scenery and cinematography that leads me to believe this is the finest portrayal of the prairie ever and why someone (like John Dunbar or the Lakota) would love it so. Every time I watch it, I want to pack the car and head out west with alacrity. Some of the peak moments in the film for me are:

• the cottonwoods: cotton flying in the air, and then later the leaves of the same turning yellow in autumn, and later still a solitary cottonwood in the middle of an immense shortgrass prairie
• John Dunbar standing in the bluestem, brushing the tops just like he might stroke the hair of a lover
• lots of "big sky," behind the scenery of Fort Pierre National Grassland, Badlands National Park and the Spearfish Canyon
• the ponies kicking up dust; this is real grasslands dust, not some cheap Hollywood prop
• and actor Graham Greene — can you imagine anyone else in his role?

Whatever you might think of Kevin Costner, it must be said that he approached this film with an uncanny eye for detail. You'll notice this not only in the portrayal of the different prairie seasons, but in the representation of the everyday concerns of the Lakota. Certain scenes make more sense to me now after having learned a bit more about the lives of the Plains Indians.

Lastly, the music is outstanding and moving. I often hum the main theme to myself when I'm hiking in a particularly gorgeous and remote spot, like the Pawnee or Comanche National Grasslands. It's hard to believe that the composer was John Barry, the same chap who wrote the James Bond music!

I have a good friend who pooh-poohed this film with the comment, "it's just a western." With the greatest respect, I beg to differ; this is a movie about a prairie that just happens to be in the West. And it's also a story about what might have been.

The West

Here we have one of the finest documentaries ever made. Spanning some nine episodes, The West was originally aired on PBS. This came from the Ken Burns stable, but was in fact directed by Stephen Ives (Burns is credited as a producer, though).

My mere words cannot do justice here; go out and get it at once to see for yourself why I'm raving. You'll be hooked after the first ten minutes. And at the end of the last episode, you'll be wishing there was more. This is the way history should have been taught in my tutelage at Ames High School, Ames, Iowa. Instead I always managed to get an athletic coach who was reluctantly pressured into "covering" the class, and so I grew up thinking I hated history. That's just one more reason why sports should be banned from schools as organized activities.

The range of coverage in The West is staggering, from Mexico and Texas and the Alamo, to the Forty-Niners, the Oregon and Mormon Trails, the betrayal of John D. Lee, the Battle at the Little Bighorn, Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, Wounded Knee and the Ghost Dance...the list goes on and on. The real eye-openers for me were the episodes covering the Sand Creek Massacre in Colorado, the Mormons in Utah and the early days of California.

The writing for this show is extremely literate and thought provoking (it makes you wonder how it ever ended up on TV). One of the things I love about the program is the broad range of people who are interviewed. Some of my favorites are N. Scott Momaday (what a voice!), Richard White, Patricia Nelson Limerick and former governor of Texas, Ann Richards. And Ives also brought in a number of American Indian commentators, like Rick Williams, whose perspectives fascinate me. Some of these same people show up in other documentaries, like the ones described below.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Running throughout the show are passages read from old diaries, newspaper accounts and so forth. These are handled by an amazing array of professional actors well known for their vocal abilities. (For example, Derek Jacobi pops up, perhaps England's greatest living actor). By the way, the whole shebang was narrated by Peter Coyote, a perfect choice. I really appreciated how well he was able to handle the Mexican and American Indian names. They flowed off his tongue as though he were a native speaker.

I hope you get a chance to view this show. In the meanwhile, be sure to check out the official Web site for it; there's a link above. Don't let the seemingly sparse menus fool you; this is an exceedingly full presentation touching on just about everything you'd ever want to learn about the West.

The cinematography in The West is spectacular, with lots of archival photos of the "real thing" throughout. And there are many wonderful outdoor shots of today's west. (Don't miss the uncredited flyover of the Pawnee Buttes in Pawnee National Grassland during the opening scene in episode six.) And the music...well, what can I say. It's haunting. In fact, I picked up a copy of the soundtrack CD as a birthday gift to my sweetheart; we listen to it quite often and it recalls many scenes from the show.

In Search of the Oregon Trail

This is another of my favorite documentaries, equal in quality and "goosebumps" factor to The West, mentioned above. Let me hasten to clarify something right away. There are several Oregon Trail shows kicking around, but this is the one you want to home in on. Note the title carefully, In Search of the Oregon Trail.

This program, carrying the imprimatur of the Nebraska ETV Network and Oregon Public Broadcasting, was produced and directed by Michael Farrell. It originally aired on PBS in 1996, and placed in the top ten national ratings that year! Luckily, my girlfriend taped it and I've had the pleasure of watching it many times since then. If you're looking to buy this one for your own collection, I'm sorry to report that it currently goes for the stiff price of around eighty bucks. But in defense of this fee, let me emphasize once again that In Search of the Oregon Trail is one of the finest documentaries ever made and is worth every penny. You might want to keep your eyes open in case it should ever run on television again (supposing you're still connected to that black hole).

The program is presented in two 1-1/2 hour segments (three hours total), with the split coming just as the emigrants arrive at the Continental Divide. The two things that really stand out in my mind are the quality of the music and the huge number of original paintings, drawings and artifacts that the director included. Of all the documentaries, this is the one that really took time with the artwork, and each is labeled so that you'll know the artist and the date it was created — a very nice touch.

Like most shows of this sort, there are live action scenes of the sites as they appear today, pans of pictures and artifacts, and interviews with historians and descendents of some of the original Indian tribes whose land was trespassed upon.

My favorite of the historians is Richard White, who also appeared in The West, mentioned above. This guy is great! White has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the Overland Trail, but even more importantly, is able to draw our attention to a number of connections that might pass by most of us. And his commentaries always seem so balanced; he's frequently able to get across how some of the incidents along the trail might have looked from someone else's perspective (most notably, the displaced residents). It's a real treat to listen to a guy like this, and fortunately he gets a large amount of air time in the show. And he's got a cool moustache...

I've listed the names of some of the other participants, above. I always enjoy listening to Rick Williams (a Lakota academician); his comment about the emigrants being guilty of the first drive-by shootings was an interesting one. Susan Armitage, I thought, did a nice job of making the day-to-day struggles on the trail seem very lifelike.

The narration is by Stacy Keach, and I must say that he carries it off remarkably well. He's very low key and yet in subtle ways is able to convey excitement or suspense or surprise at unexpected times.

Some notable things to watch for in the show are the wonderful shots of the Platte, the breathtaking flyovers of Chimney Rock and grasslands, the cottonwood trees' cotton drifting through the air, and especially the wonderful scene showing Alcove Spring burbling away.

The Journey of the Corps of Discovery

This wonderful Ken Burns film originally appeared on PBS in four one hour segments. It was written by Dayton Duncan, one of my favorite commentators on the West. (I've seen him in at least three documentaries now; this is the sort of person I'd love to meet and chat with).

Burns covers the entire trip with some of the most beautiful cinematography along the Missouri River you'll ever see. I think he's done an especially good job of capturing its majesty in Nebraska, South Dakota and North Dakota. And the winter scenes at the Mandan Indian Villages are out of this world.

Every time I watch this film, I come away with a profound sympathy and empathy for Meriwether Lewis; I can really relate to this melancholy genius. Actor Adam Arkin reads many passages from Lewis' journal throughout the show and his renditions very simply give me the goosebumps. The strength of the presentation, then, is that you learn quite a bit about the actual journey, but thanks to Arkin's superior vocal interpretation you feel like you know the man's deeper soul as well. I think it will grip you, too.

As usual in this type of film, a number of guests appear to make comments or add historical insights. My favorites here were Dayton Duncan (mentioned above), historian James P. Ronda and geographer John Logan Allen. The latter two are among America's pre-eminent Lewis & Clark scholars and writers; the incredible Gary Moulton is also on this short list, and was an advisor to the show.

I suspect that Burns gives the story a bit of a slant from time to time, just to change the pacing or the dramatic impact. That's okay with me; after all, this isn't necessarily a film for professional historians who might quibble over various fine points. He lays out the journey in an exciting way, with spectacular cinematography throughout, peppered with learned interviews and actors' recreations of the labors involved. Even Lewis' dog Seaman makes an appearance! By the way, veteran thespian Hal Holbrook narrates in his usual impeccable manner. And, oh, I should mention that a number of Karl Bodmer paintings are featured in the program. I referred to this fine artist back in the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center section.

Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee

Here's an interesting film released by Turner Pictures in 1994. You know Ted Turner, of course. He's the guy who keeps buying up all of the most beautiful land in the panhandle of Nebraska, among other places out west. But at least he has the smarts to vacate the cattle and to replace them with buffalo.

Anyway...this is an absorbing movie treatment of the book Lakota Woman that I praised so highly elsewhere. As usual, the film version is weaker than the source. Since it was produced for a typical American television audience, quite a bit was diluted. And the coverage was restricted primarily to what happened at Wounded Knee in 1973.

Nonetheless, it's still an engaging film. With all of the frightening nonsense coming from Washington lately about giving the FBI increased freedom to build files on American citizens (like it once did on Martin Luther King and other patriots), this might be a good program for all high school students to view in a civics class. Soon-to-be voters and prospective career politicians need to know how things looked and look from the "other" side. The FBI does not come across as the good guys here.

I've already given a brief rundown of Lakota Woman, the book by Mary Crow Dog and Richard Erdoes upon which the film is based, so won't say more about the story here. Instead, let me just mention some of the memorable moments in the program, from my point of view.

First, the whole shebang was filmed in South Dakota; you'll get many gorgeous shots of the prairie and badlands in it. The producers fairly accurately recreated a number of the key locales, from the poverty houses in Pine Ridge, to the cemetery and church at Wounded Knee, to the bleak portrayal of a certain racist border town. Just in general, the cinematography is excellent; it really captures what some of the desolate terrain and threadbare villages out here look like.

Ah, but I haven't mentioned the acting! Surprisingly for a television show, it's excellent throughout. The director wisely used a number of superior Indian actors, and filled the stage with what I took to be many, many locals, equally truthful in their representations. Let me acknowledge some of the cast which caught my eye. First, there's August Schellenberg as tribal president Dick Wilson, the man who the authors of this story (and most historical commentators) hold responsible for the reign of terror which gripped the Rez in the years leading up to Wounded Knee. Irene Bedard as Mary Crow Dog herself is wonderful. She manages to mix a youthful and optimistic belief in fair play with an increasing sense of duty to a political cause. And keep your eyes open for Bruce Ellison in a bit part as Leonard Crow Dog's lawyer; in real life he's one of Leonard Peltier's attorneys and a devoted activist for civil rights. Even former Senator James Abourezk pops up, playing a district attorney.

There are also interesting portrayals of Russell Means, Dennis Banks and Clyde Bellecourt, names that should ring a bell for those of you who, like me, came of age on a college campus in the 70s. Names perhaps not so well known also appear as real life characters in the program: Raymond Yellow Thunder and Buddy Lamont. Go to my Pine Ridge Reservation section to learn why they're important.

Like the book, this isn't great art. (The fact it was made for television precludes that). But it is an important American story more people should know about. Check it out. Then go to the Rez in the heart of our Great Plains and see the land there and its people for yourself.

Thunderheart

I love this movie! The plot is gripping, the acting wonderful, but most of all, the cinematography in and around Buffalo Gap National Grassland is out of this world — you won't believe film can capture "dry and hot" so well! When I can't actually be on the road out west, I'll pop this video in to remind me just how beautiful a shortgrass prairie can be. And though just a story, it also suggests how little we can trust certain federal agencies. (By the way, I'm not a survivalist kook or a conspiracy freak, or a mathematician/Luddite roaming the hills of Montana. But I have lived through Watergate, the Iran/Contra mess and too many other unAmerican activities to be quite so gullible anymore.)

Thunderheart is loosely based upon actual incidents which took place during the reign of terror gripping the Pine Ridge Reservation in the early seventies. This is the Rez at its unhappiest: when the tribal government was in turmoil, when murders went unsolved repeatedly, when the U.S. government turned a blind eye to the blatant corruption and violence here. While certain aspects of the plot have been embellished or perhaps fictionalized, I suspect that a good deal of the general ambiance has been accurately portrayed.

So, in a nutshell, this is the story of how two FBI men came to the Rez as special agents. One is old and corrupt, the other a young man who gradually comes to despise the dishonesty his department has pressed him into. There are secret deals with the government to conduct uranium mining on the Rez, regular drive-by shootings, and a reservation split into two factions, traditionalists and supporters of the tribal chairman's administration.

Sam Shepard is the star of the show; his characterization of a malevolent FBI agent is riveting. As for Val Kilmer, I had never heard of him before, not being much of movie-goer, but thought he was quite good as a young investigator with much to learn about his agency's practices.

And Graham Greene is here, one of my favorite actors. He takes on the rôle of a tribal policeman. I think you'll really like his appearance and cocky behavior. There are tons and tons of other fantastic actors in the show, with quite a few right from the Pine Ridge area or of other Indian descent. Most noticeable is John Trudell, who was national chairman of the American Indian Movement for six years back in the turbulent seventies. On the other end of the scale, I thought Fred Ward as the tribal chairman was a bit hammy, the program's only weak link in my estimation.

It's pretty obvious as you watch the show that director Michael Apted was treading on eggshells, trying to avoid libel suits. Throughout there are certain name changes or deliberate vagueness injected, I suppose to minimize the likeliness of legal action. But if you've read anything about the Leonard Peltier case, for instance, you should recognize most of the allusions. I particularly like what happens when Shepard turns on the tap in the motel room — that's got to be in Gordon, Nebraska don't you think? If you're interested in tracing the real life connections in the film, be sure to see the incredibly detailed Viewer's Guide to Thunderheart Web site. There's a link to it above.

A couple pieces of trivia might surprise you. First, the same director, Michael Apted, also made a documentary on the Peltier affair at roughly the same. Called Incident at Oglala, I've described it below. In this show, he did use all the real names and places. And also, I'm almost afraid to tell you that Apted was the director of the recent James Bond flick, The World is Not Enough — that hardly breeds confidence, but I suppose the guy's got to eat. Another interesting fact is that the crew and cast used the motels in Kadoka ("Gateway to the Badlands") as their homebase during filming; it's a pretty part of South Dakota I've been to many times.

This is a great show and worth watching if for no other reason than to get a bit of a feel for the lay of the land and Lakota/U.S. relations. I never tire of it.

Incident at Oglala

This ninety minute documentary is devoted to the Leonard Peltier case. As you probably know, Peltier was the Lakota man convicted for the murder of two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge Reservation back in 1975. If he was convicted in a court of law, I hear you ask, then why the need for a show about the affair?

In a nutshell, something — actually quite a few things — don't add up right. I won't give away the story completely, but will mention there are all sorts of problems here: the fact that two supposed accomplices were acquitted in the same case but in a different state, the business of misidentified vehicles, ill-defined ballistics forensic work, queer eyewitness accounts from sleazy or mentally incompetent informers, dodgy extradition papers... This was not the American judicial system's finest hour.

The program details it all, using interviews, recreations and original footage from a quarter century ago. The creators see to it that a wide variety of people get to speak about the case: jury members, prosecutors, defenders, judges, FBI operatives, tribal policemen, witnesses, phony witnesses, browbeaten witnesses, terrified witnesses, etc. By the way, Robert Redford handles the narration calmly and directly throughout.

This is gripping drama, the stuff of which captivating detective stories are made. Incident at Oglala is the type of film you watch only after taking the phone off the hook, drawing the curtains and turning the lights low. But, unfortunately, this is a real story, involving real deaths, and a real person sitting in a real penitentiary after a trial riddled with as many holes as Swiss cheese, to my mind. But I'll let you draw your own conclusion.

As mentioned above, Michael Apted directed both this documentary and the fictionalized account Thunderheart, at about the same time. (I believe both were released in 1992). By the way, I bought my VHS copy via mail order from Amazon.

Yes, this is a good documentary about a very sad incident. After viewing it a certain irony hit me smack in the face: back during the cold war, our country used to deride the Soviet Union for its KGB, use of untrustworthy affidavits and a trumped up court system. Change a few names here and there, and well...

• Dances With Wolves
• Incident at Oglala
• The Journey of the Corps of Discovery
• Lakota Woman: Siege at Wounded Knee
• Thunderheart
• The West

• Amazon
• Ames High School
• Blue Earth County Library
• Gary Moulton: Journals of Lewis & Clark
• Nebraska ETV Network
• Oregon Public Broadcasting