Reel Injun (2009)

85% of critics liked it
(13 reviews)
79% of users liked it
(1,145 ratings)

Native American and Aboriginal peoples have long played a part in Hollywood filmmaking, but the picture presented of them was not always flattering or accurate. Most westerns of Hollywood's Golden Age presented "Indians" as either ruthless savages with no sense of honor or fools who were lost… More Native American and Aboriginal peoples have long played a part in Hollywood filmmaking, but the picture presented of them was not always flattering or accurate. Most westerns of Hollywood's Golden Age presented "Indians" as either ruthless savages with no sense of honor or fools who were lost without the help of the white man. (Adding insult to injury, they were usually played by white actors in make up.) However, as issues of Native American rights came to the forefront in the 1960s, more filmmakers stepped forward to offer a more positive and thoughtful portrayal of Aboriginal characters on screen, and Native American performers were given a greater opportunity to present the story of their people in television and the movies. Director Neil Diamond (a member of Canada's Cree community) offers a look at the past, present and future of Native People on the big screen in the documentary Reel Injun, which includes interviews with actors Adam Beach, Graham Greene and Sacheen Littlefeather, filmmakers Chris Eyre and Zacharias Kunuk, and artists and activists John Trudell and Russell Means; Clint Eastwood and Jim Jarmusch also speak about Hollywood's history and their own experiences in presenting Native Americans in their films. Produced in cooperation with the National Film Board of Canada, Real Injun was an official selection at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 25 min.
Directed By: Neil Diamond
Written By: Catherine Bainbridge, Neil Diamond
Genres: Documentary, Special Interest

In Theaters: Apr 2, 2010 Wide
On DVD: Nov 29, 2011

Critic Reviews

Mike Hale, New York Times
Setting off in his barely road-worthy "rez car," Mr. Diamond films a series of bittersweet, and sometimes bitingly funny, encounters.
V.A. Musetto, New York Post
Reel Injun will most likely give you a new perspective the next time you watch John Wayne battle Native Americans.
Andrew Schenker, Village Voice
Combining a road trip from his native Arctic reservation to Los Angeles with an archival cinematic survey, Diamond's treatment of each is perfunctory to the point of inutility.
James Adams, Globe and Mail
Entertaining and informative.
Kam Williams, NewsBlaze
A powerful, mythbusting documentary which manages to humanize America's unfairly-marginalized indigenous peoples, albeit belatedly."
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Reel Injun is not a peace pipe but a convincing case for a place at the table.
Donald J. Levit, ReelTalk Movie Reviews
Though stricter selectivity would not have harmed this documentary, its enthusiastic embrace is instructive and moving.
Avi Offer, NYC Movie Guru
A fascinating, well-researched documentary that simultaneously informs and captivates the audience.
Kam Williams, NewsBlaze
A powerful, mythbusting documentary which manages to humanize America's unfairly-marginalized indigenous peoples, albeit belatedly.
Bill Weber, Slant Magazine
The debate over the evolution of the movies' depiction of native peoples is not always on the mark.
David Fear, Time Out New York
Both the talking-head interviews and montages trace distortions and puncture myths with professional rigor.
Prairie Miller, NewsBlaze
Exhaustively explores Hollywood's perpetuation of mythical misconceptions through footage from the nearly four hundred culturally distorted westerns, contrasted with corrective feature films made by aboriginal directors across North America.
Pam Grady, Boxoffice Magazine
There are gaps here and there, but it provides a fascinating introduction to a corner of film history that has gotten too little attention.
John Coulbourn, Jam! Movies
For Diamond, Reel Injun is a highly personal odyssey, undertaken in an attempt to reconcile the realities of his native childhood with the natives he saw portrayed on screen.

Read all 14 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Randy T

An eye opening and thought provoking investigation into the evolution of Native American portrayals in film. Director Neil Diamond examines contemporary projects and revisits a few old classics on his way to exposing racial stereotypes and blowing up long held misconceptions about… More
An eye opening and thought provoking investigation into the evolution of Native American portrayals in film. Director Neil Diamond examines contemporary projects and revisits a few old classics on his way to exposing racial stereotypes and blowing up long held misconceptions about Aboriginal culture.
Jens S

Interesting documentary following the history of the portrayal of Native Americans in US pop culture and film history. With a lot of interesting historical and details, humor and interviews with people who know what they're talking about.