Experience one of the most definitive and triumphant chapters in American history by journeying Into the West with this powerful 4-disc DVD set. Presented by TNT in association with DreamWorks Television and executive produced by Steven Spielberg, this 12-TV-hour event contains all 6 timeless episodes of the action-packed mini-series and boasts an entire disc of exclusive bonus features. Chronicling the struggles, heartache and conquests of two inspiring families, Into the West captures the hopes and perseverance of both the explorers who risked everything to fulfill their dreams and the land’s indigenous people forced to watch their way of life disappear. Featuring an ensemble cast of Hollywood’s brightest stars, including Beau Bridges, Graham Greene, Matthew Modine and Keri Russell, Into the West is an American Dream saga that Entertainment Weekly calls “epic in scope and cast.”Spanning 65 years and several generations, Into the West succeeds as an ambitious compendium of authentic American history. Originally broadcast in the summer of 2005 as a six-part miniseries on TNT, it’s the kind of well-intentioned epic that can’t possibly satisfy everyone, and some critics complained that it covers too much territory, with characters functioning more as archetypes than full-blooded human beings. Criticisms aside, Into the West admirably achieves the goal of executive producer Steven Spielberg, who envisioned this expansive project as an accurate and corrective history lesson with long-term educational value. Placing important emphasis on the Native American perspective, it follows the Lakota Indians as they are gradually overwhelmed by the white man’s irrevocable westward expansion. As conceived by playwright/screenwriter William Mastrosimone, the drama uses two primary symbols–the wagon wheel and the Lakota medicine wheel–to join the Lakota story with that of the Wheelers, a Virginia family of wheelwrights who witness many of the 19th century’s pivotal historical milestones. From the pioneering explorations of mountain men in 1825 to the tragic massacre of downtrodden Lakota at Wounded Knee in 1891, these parallel storylines encompass migrating wagon trains, the California Gold Rush, construction of the transcontinental railroad, the violence of Quantrill’s Raiders, and much, much more.
Through it all, Into the West preserves Lakota customs and language (accompanied by English subtitles) with unprecedented authenticity. In showing how Native cultures were systematically oppressed by the white man’s westward capitalism, this tragic tale is inevitably heartbreaking, although it ends on a hopeful note of cultural preservation. Some violent content from the original TNT broadcast has been edited for this DVD release to better accommodate classroom viewing, but Into the West still qualifies as essential viewing for anyone seeking an inclusive dramatization of truthful American history, as opposed to the wildly inaccurate and woefully biased accounts that dominated for decades. With different directors for all six parts, the miniseries is remarkably consistent in tone and vision, its outstanding production values matched by the excellence of a prestigious and well-chosen cast including Irene Bedard (who gives the standout performance in a half-white/half-Lakota role spanning decades), Keri Russell, Skeet Ulrich, Balthazar Getty, Matthew Modine, Graham Greene, Wes Studi, Beau Bridges, Sean Astin, Lance Henriksen, Rachael Leigh Cook, Keith Carradine, and others too numerous to mention. They all contribute to a heartfelt tapestry of bicultural history, both tragic and inspiring, and impressive enough to make its flaws easily forgiven.
DVD features
A standard making-of documentary covers all aspects of the production of Into the West, with a brief introductory comment by Steven Spielberg. The “Communication Gap” featurette explores the challenge of translating dialogue into authentically spoken Lakota language. Also included is a survey (with interview clips) of the large cast; the original TNT promo trailer; and a music video of the miniseries-inspired song “World on Fire,” combining Into the West footage with a performance by Sarah McLachlan and Robbie Robertson. –Jeff Shannon
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April 20, 2008
#1
INTO THE WEST is basically an excellent miniseries that is tainted by a few flaws.
April 20, 2008
#2
I was so moved by this series, I found myself crying out loud many times. It was difficult to follow some of the family members as they progress through time, but this is a minor hiccup compared to the tremendous story line being shared. Not at all what you were taught in school, this series begs the question “what was wrong with the white folks”? In all honesty, I am ashamed of what some of my ancestors did to these great people. It changes, or in my case, enhances the level of compassion for those who have been wronged.
This film is based in emotion, and emotion you will feel. Unless you have stone for a heart, you will be forever changed. Most definitely one of the top 5 series of all time!
April 20, 2008
#3
My wife and I watched all 6 parts of this series. The cast is good and the acting and scenes well done as you might expect from Steven Spielberg. But I’m assuming this mini series wound up on Turner Network because it wasn’t a big seller to other cable channels such as HBO who ran two of Spielberg’s former mini series. Band of Brothers and From the Earth to the Moon.
This series is about 3 parts to long. It tells the story of the Plains Indians and the Wheeler family and the descendents of both from about 1825 until the later 1880′s. The westward expansion of the white man further and further into Indian lands, with the countless struggles and clashes of the two civilizations.
There are some poinant moments, and a number of massacres on both sides. The native indian being the bigger looser of course. Loss of lands, culture and finally starvation at the hands of the government when placed on reservations with no game to hunt, no weapons, and no food. It culminates with the massacre at Wounded Knee, South Dakota.
The story is too long. It should have been condensed more and kept moving. It bogs down at many times and with the endless televison commercials, about one hour and twenty minutes of story is shown over a two hour period. Perhaps it would be easier to watch on DVD without the commercial interruptions and you can at least fast forward through some of the scenes which seem to never end.
April 21, 2008
#4
I’ve been reading about this topic for over 30 years. I was looking forward to this mini-series. You just can’t condense history into this amount of time and do it justice. This movie has quite a few errors, some very, very bad acting (I won’t mention names), and just made a mish-mash of history. I have fond memories of Centennial, but I haven’t seen it since it first aired and I was much younger and less knowledgeable about the era. I’d love to see it released on DVD. As for this, maybe I would have liked it better if I wasn’t so familiar with the real history. Even then, I had a very hard time following the main white family.
April 21, 2008
#5
“Into the West” was TNT’s much hyped attempt to revive the genre of the historical mini-series. It’s goal was to join the pantheon of its well-loved and critically acclaimed predecessors: Roots, Centennial, The Awakening Land, and Lonesome Dove, as one of the great TV events. “Into the West” had the budget and the huge cast of known actors to pull off this attempt. However, “Into the West” falls well short of greatness and, in fact, it barely rises above the level of mediocrity.
The biggest weakness of “Into the West” is its script which an absolute mess. Characters come and go with no continuity- Sean Astin’s character? Plot strings just fizzle out- Keri Russell’s being taken captive by the Cheyennes? And a lot of just plain dumb plot events- why does Matthew Settle character decide not to go to California after he is hurt? “Into the West’s” script was the product of screenwriters pulling their story out of thin air- it’s not based on anything. Unlike Lonesome Dove, Centennial, and The Awakening Land which were based on the works of some of America’s most famous novelists, Larry McMurtry, James Michener, and Conrad Richter, “Into the West’s” script was the creation of a group project that seems to have been slapped together in order to meet deadlines. The end result is a miniseries that is all over the place with none of the characters or plots being truly developed.
I won’t bother too much discussing the historical failings of this film which are rampant. It’s was made as a work of popular entertainment, not as a history lesson. That being said- even if you have just a basic knowledge of history you’re going to be shaking your head at some of the historical stretchers told in this one.
Finally, we get to its the portrayal of the American Indian. The Lakota’s and Cheyennes are shown as group of peaceful environmentalists who don’t have an aggressive bone in their bodies. If they react violently to anything- well, they always have a great excuse- the Cheyennes wipe out a wagon train because they fear that the settlers will bring smallpox. The “innocent” Lakotas are shown being unfairly attacked by other tribes with whom they are competing for buffalo- lets ignore that the Lakotas were an highly expantionist lot who took their lands from weaker tribes. “Into the West” also seems to have adopted a stance that murder, kidnap, and rape are fine as long as their done by American Indians- the incomplete Keri Russell plot. As I said, I don’t want to dwell too much historical accuracy or a lack thereof, but I will state that portraying the tribes of the Great Plains as new age Eagle scouts with a bent for ecology is as historically inaccurate and dishonest as the old “me scalp’um, paleface” portrayal of the American Indian found in old western movies. Some have praised “Into the West’s” rejection of the old myth of the American Indians as mindless savages, but that ignores that it just replaced the old myth with another which is just as false.
I am being pretty tough on this miniseries because it’s just not that good. So I will end on a positive note- all the female actresses were incredibly gorgeous!