Grey Owl (1999)

I wasn't expecting much seeing Pierce Brosnan on the cover posing as a Native American. The redeeming factors were that it was a fairly recent movie and it was directed by Richard Attenborough (Gandhi, Shadowlands).

But I was pleasantly surprised. If you know the true story of Archie Grey Owl, you know that Brosnan is a good pick for the part and he plays it beautifully. His counterpart, a young Canadian actress, is exuberant too. They both bring a welcome gentleness to the screen as they tell the story.

The story however is very simple. The real subject is Grey Owl himself. Fortunately Grey Owl is a very interesting subject. I think for most Canadians my age, he became a footnote in social studies class, but for the rest of the world, he is regarded as one of the most famous Canadians. One review of the film comments that he isn't like the other historical revolutionaries of the screen like Braveheart or Spartacus. He's more like Attenborough's other historical subjects, quiet, introverted.

The scenery of course if very wild. For me the Canadian wilderness seem very plain, but after being in Guatemala for two years, it was a welcome site and quite beautiful to behold.

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