Black Robe

Rating:
Summary: Very realistic, bleak, harsh, cold and more bleak.
Review: I first saw Black Robe on Bravo and they next day i had to go out and rent it. This is a very different change from the Dances with Wolves upbeat type of movie. This movie makes you feel as though your actually there, as if someone took a camcorder, and went back through time to show you what the old world was really like. The sounds of the cold, harsh wind made me shiver. I had to get a blanket out of the closet. The movie was not made to bring in the bucks, it dosen't have a charming, handsome Kevin Costner, nor does it have friendly, curious Indians who only want to become your friends. The journey is long, the weather is harsh and bitter, there is no rainbow over the mountain, just greyish-blue bleak clouds. The movie shows the true nature of people, there is no friendly Kevin Costner who admires the Indians, there is only misunderstanding and contempt for the "savages" from the settlers. If you want a wild ride rent The Matrix, if you want to see a side of realism rarely shown in Hollywood, rent Black Robe.

Rating:
Summary: Another Great Underappreciated Film
Review: I like to compare this film with Herzog's "Aguirre Wrath of God". On one hand, the source of courage is faith; on the other, hubris.

"Black Robe" makes me sit in awe, not only at the scenery, but at the idea of men like the Jesuit priest-martyrs of North America and the conquistadors of South America. Both meet similar fates - at least on this earth - but the motivations of the priests in Black Robe enoble their mission, whether you agree with their theology/philosophy or not, while those of the conquistador's debase their "mission".

"Black Robe" is wonderfully photographed, acted and scripted. It deserves far more recognition than it has received.

Rating:
Summary: Tragedy in the Pines
Review: It is a commonplace that Black Robe is the thinking man's (or the historian's) Dancing with Wolves. And so it is. I have not myself seen a better or bleaker vision of a great culture's interaction (that is, inevitably, invasion) of a warrior culture since the book "Fatal Encounter," set in the European invasion of the South Pacific. Tacitus did the same job on the Roman interaction with the Germans--the story being much the same.

Thus Black Robe goes a world beyond "PC." The French "invader" is a priest of passionate sincerity and courage. The French "higher-ups" believe, as why should they not, in the civilisation they are, with great difficulty, bringing. The Indians are not villainous (though sometimes very cruel); nor, in the end, are they either more or less foolish than the French in the maintainence of their own culture. The one tribe truly converted by the young priest, now dead, is destroyed by unconverted tribes. This was not hard to predict. Nor was the "conquest" of all the tribes by the French.

As a bonus, this is not a part of American history (the powers being French and Jesuit) familiar to many Americans. And the scenery is to die for.

Rating:
Summary: An overlooked; but superb film on cultures in conflict.
Review: It shouldn't come as any surprise that this film failed to rake it in at the box office. It contains no epic battle scenes or "bodice-ripping" romance like in 1992's "Last of the Mohicans." Nor is this a simplified retelling of the cultural clash between Europeans and Indians like in "Dance with Wolves." ("Dances with Wolves" followed the old tried and true Hollywood formula of good Indians, bad Indians, and the white man who stands above them all, and audiences lapped it up.) "Black Robe" could have fallen into that trap: the Algonquins=good Indians, the Iroquois=bad Indians, the Europeans=all bad except for a sensitive priest who comes to understand the error of his and other Europeans' ways. Tempt the priest with some comely Indian maiden, add some big budget battle scenes, and have the priest reject his past and join the Indians in a life of peace and harmony with nature, and "Black Robe" might have become a box office sensation. However, "Black Robe" did not compromise itself, and that is why it is as honest as any film on the subject of the early interaction between the Europeans and Indians.

The realistic look of the film is one thing most people will notice: Indians covered with grease and smudged paint and the Europeans with bad teeth and facial hair. You can almost smell these people. The cinematography is stunning with absolutly gorgeous views of the Canadian wilderness in late fall. The beauty of nature is fully detailed; yet so is its harshness. The bleakness of the winter landscapes and the howling winds show that nature was as much to be survived as it was to be admired.

The history portrayed in the movie is well done. New France portrayed as a struggling community of single men who either dream of a return to France,stoically try to survive, or "turn native." The later is represented by the young Frenchman Daniel (Aden Young) who falls in love with an Algonquin woman (Sandrine Holt). The Algonquins are New France's allies; but that alliance is portrayed as one of convenience. The Algonquins have their own customs and religion, and see little appeal in the Catholic version of an afterlife. Yet the Algonquins covet the material items that only the French can provide them: weapons and tools of iron, cloth, mirrors, ect. The French need the Algonquins to guide and help them survive in the wilderness. And they both fear the Iroquois. The Iroquois, although portrayed as brutal and savage towards their enemies, are not just dismissed as "bad Indians." The Algonquin leader Chomina (August Schnellenberger) informs the disbelieving Frenchmen that the Algonquins treat their enemies with same cruelty as the Iroquois. The complexities of North America in the 17th century are well detailed.

Rating:
Summary: A Raw and Compelling Glimpse at Reality
Review: No one ever said that living in sixteenth-century Canada was easy, but the brutal reality of that fact is driven home with subtle and perceptive craftsmanship in this film. Historical fact is frequently a casualty in films attempting to tread the fine line between fact and fiction, but Black Robe treads this line unerringly, and brings into sharp focus a saga whose seeds spawn a tragedy that will play out on the North American continent over two eventful centuries. It contains a sensitive and earnest portrayal of Indians, an honest portrayal of the French colonization effort, a look at the breathtaking and unforgiving environment in which their saga played out, and a real effort to present the whole affair in a reasonably accurate historical manner. This showcases many of the elements that made Dances With Wolves so compelling, but in a different, but and in many ways equally appealing, venue.

Rating:
Summary: Best Movie Ever!
Review: Other reviews on this site already describe this movie in some detail, so I won't rehash its content. Instead, I'd like to reinforce the enthusiasm of other reviewers by simply saying that THIS IS THE BEST MOVIE I'VE EVER SEEN! If you have an interest in history and culture, can approach these subjects with an open mind, and can withstand a dizzying shock to your worldview, no other movie can transport you like this one!

Rating:
Summary: Horrifying realism, but profound in picturing culture clash.
Review: Quebec 1634. Jesuit missionaries from France venture bravely into New France (Canada) to convert the Indian savages from their paganism. That's the historical background of "Black Robe", a movie based on the book by Brian Moore. It portrays the story of a fictional black robe Father Laforgue, who undertakes an arduous 1500 mile journey at the onset of a harsh winter. Guided by Algonquin Indians, threatened by Iroquois Indians, his destination is the Huron Indians. He is threatened by the elements, but most of all by the Indian paganism which construes him as a demon. The plot, however, is neither memorable nor outstanding - it is merely the background for a careful contemplation of characterization and complex questions about culture clash.

Laforgue's companion is the young Frenchman Daniel, and it is largely through his eyes that we see the clash between cultures and religions. The contrast between the faiths and cultures of the Western Christians and the native Indians is presented from the outset, with alternating shots portraying the "chiefs" of both sides preparing for a meeting. Both cultures fail to understand each other, and believe the other to be stupid and demon-possessed. At first, with Daniel, we are led to believe that the Jesuit's missionary endeavours are little else than misplaced colonialism and cultural arrogance. Laforgue is presented as rather arrogant and ignorant, his vocabulary of "poor barbarians" and "savage people", and his patronizing showing off of Western skills in reading and music and technology (an alarm clock) appears to confirm this impression. When Daniel suggests that the Indians are essentially Christian in their love for each other, and that with regard to their view of the afterlife the Indian beliefs are no harder to believe "than a Paradise where we all sit on clouds and look at God", Daniel seems to be a symbol of modern enlightened man who has realized it was wrong for Western man to force his beliefs on the natives. Daniel's romance with the Indian chief's daughter seems to be an unnecessary artificial intrusion of an unbelievable story of love at first sight, and appeared to be a concession to Hollywood's need to include sappy romance and sex. At this point I seriously wondered whether the movie was an apology for white supremacy and colonialism, a defence of multiculturalism, and another example of historical revisionism which romanticizes the Indians as saints and condemns the white imperialists as unforgivable criminals.

But as the movie progresses, it becomes clear that although Jesuit priests such as Laforgue were sometimes guilty of peddling colonialism rather than the gospel, their simple assessment is not simplistic but accurate: the Indians truly are savages who live in darkness. Daniel's multiculturalism is naïve, and Laforgue's view that it is a clash between two religions turns out to be correct, for he perceives the Indian religions to be work of the devil, while they in turn perceive him to be a demon. In the end, Laforgue is proven to be right, for the Indians show themselves to be true savages, engaged in brutal animalistic behaviour. Their hostility is not just due to the priest's rejection of their beliefs, but is rooted in their very nature. These scenes are not pleasant to see: the movie portrays their primitive behaviour with all its brutality and passion - unrestrained sex, torture, murder. The gruesome blood and gore is not for the faint-hearted and will at times make you want to close your eyes. But these fruits confirm that the apparently simplistic assessment of the black robe is right: "The savages are living in darkness. We must convert them." They need the light of the gospel and renewal of the Holy Spirit, to become like Laforgue, who despite his misplaced colonialism, is sincere in his love to reach out to the lost. The ending, however, is ambiguous on this point, with Laforgue apparently being converted to some of the Indian superstitions as he makes his final trek to the village of the Hurons. The tragic conclusion about the annihilation of the Hurons after they were converted is ambiguous in attributing blame for this horror: is it with the Christians who converted them, or is it with the darkness of their own kind who remained unconverted? Would the indigenous Indians have been better off if they had been untouched by European imperialism? If the movie has weaknesses aside from his dark portrait of brutality, it would be the ambiguity of the ending, for surely although the Jesuit mission work was at times misguided by colonialism, its identification of the kingdom of darkness was never truer.

Although it features wonderful cinematography of breathtaking Canadian scenery, this is not a pleasant movie to watch. Unlike most modern movies, the portrayal of violence and explicit sex is never entertaining, but always brutal, dark and representative of primitive barbarianism. On that point I personally found it rather too graphic and disturbing, and even the depth of the themes doesn't justify being exposed to this kind of darkness. But in the process it raises very complex and thought-provoking questions. The action is not fast and furious, but arranged at just the right places to stimulate contemplation. This is not typical Hollywood, because it gives the subject matter the realism, contemplation and seriousness it deserves. The blood and gore is all the more horrifying, because it is accurate. While this distinguishes it from the usual Hollywood cotton-candy, "Black Robe" is not surprisingly less popular because it requires an audience that can think. The movie is highly introspective, as Laforgue deals with his own struggles against lust and faith. But above all, it raises important questions about culture clash. While it portrays the truth about Jesuit missionaries being somewhat misplaced in their colonialism, it also portrays the truth about the barbarians that they sought to convert. Despite the weaknesses of the missionaries, in the end it becomes clear that as ambassadors of the kingdom of light, the black robes were truly symbols of light in battling against the powers of darkness. This is not an enjoyable movie to see, but it its treatment of colonialism and religion it raises profound questions - even if it doesn't answer them all.

Rating:
Summary: The antitdote to Dances With Wolves
Review: Quite possibly the best dramatic film on the subject of Native Americans. Bruce Beresford offers an unapologetic view of Algonquian and Iroqouis Indians in the early era of European colonization. Unfettered by any politically correct agenda, Beresford delivers a portrayal that is poignant, terrifying, and moving. Georges Delerue's hauntingly beautiful score is masterful. Lothaire Bluteau, Aden Young, and August Schnellenberg deliver outstanding performances. An absolute must-see.

Rating:
Summary: Powerful, scenic, violent, with tremendous sound.
Review: Similar to recent "Last of the Mohicans", but more factual, showing the difference between the French and English methods of dealing with the Indians. The priest, (Father La Forgue) and the Indian guide, Chomina, gave notable performances. The enmity between the Iroquois and Huron, apparently dating from before the white man's appearance, was highlighted.

Rating:
Summary: Great historical movie
Review: The Black Robe offers entertaining insights into the cultures of Native Americans in the face of approaching settlers/pioneers. The focus is on a Jesuit Priest who has left France and then the safety of a French Fort to venture into the wilderness in hopes of connecting with an Indian tribe. The movie conveys the commitment and utter sacrifice the priest makes to reach these people.

I think this movie offers an accurate glimpse of how the Indian tribes lived and clashed with each other and with the elements.

The interaction between the humans and each person's inner questioning and conflicts reveals much about faith, acceptance and life in general.

The scenery of the movie is amazing and alone would make the movie worth watching.

The story has sparked my interest in the events, so that I want to look into reading the book. It looks like the author and director were sincere in their efforts to tell a historically accurate story.