Written by Nevin Allen. Photo courtesy of SCAD Savannah Film Festival.
In a stunning debut for co-directors Gina Gammell and Riley Keough and writers Franklin Sioux Bob and Bill Reddy, “War Pony” tells the story of two young men as they grow and learn on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Bill, portrayed by Jojo Bapteise Whiting, aims to mend his relationship, care for his sons, and increase his social status, while Matho, portrayed by LaDainian Crazy Thunder, aims to escape from a life shaped by both the presence and absence of his father. The film follows the two young Oglala Lakota men with similar, though often separate, interests.
Despite what co-director Gina Gammell described as “a movie of firsts” for nearly the entire cast and crew, the final produce is a meditative, richly textured film with breakout performances in nearly every role. The dialogue flows forth with unparalleled looseness, bringing life to the characters without putting them in a box. While this made many lines difficult to interpret, it also drew attention to the film’s impressive visual storytelling. Long shots and quick cuts break an already unintimidating runtime into digestible acts, making the film fly by while still implying a lifetime of history. What appears at first to be an awkwardly absent score builds throughout the film, bookmarked by several appropriate, if unexpected, needle drops.
Calling this film anything less than triumph would be a gross understatement. Its showing at Trustees filled nearly every seat, each attendee contributing to a thunderous round of applause between the film and the brief panel that followed. During the panel, co-director Gina Gammell, co-writer Franklin Sioux Bob, and producer Willi White discussed the challenges, both logistical and social, of funding and making a film that authentically portrays the lived experiences of many Oglala Lakota people. The authenticity with which the filmmakers discussed the film permeates its every frame, transforming already impactful real events into a cinematic force of nature that burns bright and true to the very end.
