(spoiler free)
The journey most filmmakers take to arrive at their debut features can span years longer than expected. Riley Keough and Gina Gammell can attest to this, as their debut War Pony first originated in 2015 on the set of Andrea Arnold’s American Honey (2016). It was here that Keough became friends with two of the film’s extras, Franklin Sioux Bob and Bill Reddy, and introduced them to Gammell. Over the subsequent years the foursome would collaborate on the film with the hope of accurately representing Native American culture on the big screen.
Set and filmed on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota and based on the real life experiences of Sioux Bob and Reddy, who pen the screenplay, War Pony follows the lives of two young Lakota men, Bill (Jojo Baptise Whiting) and Matho (Ladainian Crazy Thunder). While these boys live in the same reservation, they don’t know each other, so the film consistently jumps between their different stories. It does this in an unhurried fashion that allows audiences to fully witness two varied examples of life here. Bill is the older of the two, even having a number of children himself. While Matho is younger and still at school. The pair are portrayed wonderfully by first-time actors Jojo Baptise Whiting and Ladainian Crazy Thunder, who each, considering their inexperience quite remarkably bring a genuine quality to their work.
The same can be said about the picture as a whole, as Keough and Gammell direct with a confidence that suggests they’ve been at this for much longer than they have. Their apparent ease at shooting their subjects and location feels indicative of their preparation though, as it’s clear that the filmmakers’ good intentions and thorough research (spending 7 years with this community) have stead them well. It’s certainly a competently made film, yet other than its underrepresented setting and characters it can feel a little too familiar. Not every film needs to break new ground to be worthwhile, yet it can be hard to stand out and make a lasting impact otherwise. But despite the screenplay’s use of previously well-trodden themes, it unquestionably succeeds in achieving what it sets out to do: authentically portray reservation life.
A simple moment: when Matho and his friends can’t afford their snacks at a shop and another resident immediately covers them, showcases the sense of community in this place. Conversely the dangers of living on the reservation, both from inside and maybe more pressingly from outside it, are also presented, and without restraint; acutely demonstrating the hardships that can be true of life here as well. The boys’ stories are representative of their multifaceted home and as a result easily engage. Although it’s the aforementioned performances that will really endear audiences to the film. Baptise Whiting in particular stands out, with his natural charm effortlessly affording Bill the qualities of a loveable rogue, admittedly helped by his jocular antics with his newly acquired pet poodle. Yet Crazy Thunder’s more understated performance might be even more skilful, astutely charting Matho’s downward spiral and conveying an existence that could easily become a reality for many more just like him.
Yet it’s evident that amongst the more challenging aspects of reflecting on reservation life, the writers of course have great affection for Pine Ridge and that War Pony is a collaborative effort approached with the utmost respect. Keough and Gammell have delivered a well-intentioned, efficiently-made, and sensitive piece of cinema, which thanks to its informed screenplay represents its subjects’ culture admirably. However, this alone isn’t enough to make War Pony an outstanding debut or a must-see, yet these noteworthy achievements and its breakout lead performances do undoubtedly make it worthwhile.
Written by Hamish Calvert
★★★
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Thanks to Queen’s Film Theatre for screening access
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