Canada just keeps getting better at making these pioneer pieces. BIG BEAR is a mini-epic that tells the story of a rebel chief who refused to accept inferior land from the Canadian government at the expense of a better, long term future for his people. Although his decision brought short term tragedies to his people and himself, his name remains synonymous with one who has enough foresight and will power to not compromise his principles. The short term tragedies are heart wrenching: the killing of dogs and horses to stave off starvation, the prostitution of young women to get meat from the powers that be, the pressure put on them by other First Nations people to accept the treaty land, and the sub plot of defending Louis Riel and the Metis. This is Gil Cardinal's best film to date. Yes, nepotism abounds: the film has more Cardinals than the Vatican. However, that this film is a quasi-family affair only accentuates the love Cardinal has put into this film. The camera work symbolism(the buffalo vanishing off the face of the earth, Big Bear's spirit shape shifting into a block of stone)all come off masterfully. Co-author Rudy Wiebe's white man "garble talk" is a nice in-joke penance to all the Hollywood films that had the Indians speaking gibberish. If you have access to CBC merchandizing, I'd recommend you pick up this mini classic and I hope you find it as rewarding as I did.
