• Wild Indian is the debut film from writer/director Lyle Mitchell Corbine Jr.
  • The film follows two men- Makwa and Teddo- both as children and as adults (Michael Greyeyes plays the older version of Makwa and Chaske Spencer is in the role Teddo).
  • Wild Indian is a depressing film- there is a savage event that takes place when they are young that changes the trajectories of the lives of Makwa and Teddo. Corbine Jr. seems to be making quite a statement about the world (or the United States) in which it is Makwa who ends up successful (a sort of a making of a monster origin story) and Teddo who ends up as a victim and eventually a casualty.
  • There is a splendid Malick/Kurosawa shot up to the sun through the foliage
  • The mood Corbine Jr. creates is meditative, long pauses in the deliberate writing and acting- and dissolves are often his editing transition tool of choice.
  • It is a moral tale- guilt and confession. Makwa has a very hard stare- and Greyeyes’ delivery of “We are all descendants of cowards- everyone worthwhile died fighting” (talking about his Native American ancestors) is staggering.
  • Makwa has a breakdown at the end and undoubtedly this is not a wholly sympathetic character. It makes for a less than smooth landing as the curtains come down rather abruptly (90 minute running time).
  • Recommend but will not end up terribly close to the top 10 of 2021.