“Bones of Crows,” a new period drama now playing in theatres, covers decades of history, but is tied to recent, horrifying events.
Jumping through time, from the 1800s to the 2020s, the story of the intergenerational trauma caused by the Canadian residential school system, focusses on the family of Aline Spears (Grace Dove). A Cree woman born to a large, happy family in 1930s Manitoba, everything changes when Aline and her siblings are forcibly taken from their parents who are told they will be thrown in prison if they don’t sign over their children to the residential school system.
Abused, physically and emotionally—“I could kill you and bury you out back and nobody would care,” a priest snarls at the headstrong Aline.—the priests and nuns systematically attempt to strip the siblings of their Indigenous heritage, religion and identity, forcing them to assimilate them into the dominant Canadian culture. It is, as one character says, “a lesson in unrelenting cruelty.”
During World War II Aline escapes the horrors of the school by enlisting in the Canadian Army.
“The only way we can make sure they don’t send you back to that school is to send you to war.” During her raining to become part of an elite squad of code talkers who used the Cree language to disguise military intelligence, she meets and marries Adam (Phillip Lewitski).
Returning home from war to raise their family, Adam suffers PTSD, while Aline is haunted by the abuse she suffered at the hands of her sadistic teachers.
As the movie skips through time, we learn more about the residential school, Aline’s life after the war, her sister’s legal woes and the next generation, the children that carry the trauma in their DNA.
The process of healing is ever present, however, as Aline remembers the words her mother said to her as she enlisted in the army. “You be everything you are meant to be. Don’t let the darkness win. Don’t let them win.”
Métis-Dene writer and director Marie Clements covers a great deal of ground, much of it hard going. The cruelty and attempts to dehumanize Indigenous youth are brought to horrific life, and the depictions of residential schools; child abuse, sexual and psychological abuse and racism may be very unsettling for many viewers.
But even though the film chronicles a century of generational trauma, it is also a celebration of Cree resilience and tradition. There are eye-opening depictions of atrocities, necessary to tell the story, but as Aline confronts the past, there is also a sense of justice.
It is a story of hard truths, told with skill—despite its sprawling nature, it doesn’t feel bloated—and emotion that gets to the heart of how generational trauma forever altered the lives of the characters.
Seven movies in, the “Predator” franchise takes extraterrestrial terror back 300 years to the Comanche Nation in a new film now streaming on Disney+.
The action centers around Comanche warriors Naru (Amber Midthunder) and her brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers). Raised on the Great Plains, Naru is a skilled hunter but isn’t allowed to participate with the men. Her expertise is put to the test when strange things happen in her camp.
“There’s something out there,” Naru says. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“I’m not frightened by a bear,” snorts Taabe.
“It’s not a bear,” she replies.
Turns out it’s a Predator, a highly evolved alien hunter who resembles an outer-space crustacean and announces his presence with a series of unnerving clicks and throaty gurgles. Equipped with the power of invisibility and technically advanced weapons, the Predator attacks a group of colonizing French fur trappers and then Naru’s family.
The odds seem stacked against Naru in the resulting showdown, but, as she says, “It knows how to hunt. But I know how to survive.”
It’s been tough to be a Predator fan in recent years. The alien bullies have featured in several not-so-great flicks, including 2018’s suburban terror entry, “The Predator.” That one included lines like, “They’re large, they’re fast and ‘bleeping’ you up is their idea of tourism.” It’s a really bad movie that makes “Sharknado” look like “2001: A Space Odyssey.”
I’m happy to report “Prey” is a return to form. Directed by Dan “10 Cloverfield Lane“ Trachtenberg from a script by Patrick Aison, this is a stripped-down sci fi action movie with a strong hero and tension to spare. The story is a bare-bones tale of survival, but given an interesting twist.
As an Indigenous woman Naru is a determined central figure, one battling for her place in the tribe as well as for the survival of the only way of life she has ever known. Midthunder is terrific, making Naru jump off the screen with a minimum of dialogue. It’s a performance that delivers the required action, while still allowing a fully-formed character to emerge.
“Prey” takes the “Predator” franchise in a different direction while still maintaining the bloodthirsty scenes that fans crave. The image of an invisible Predator made visible by bear blood and guts is a standout.
“Prey” is a period piece, that delivers solid action, but just as importantly, doesn’t treat its Indigenous characters as secondary to the story. A primarily Indigenous cast transcends stereotypes to create varied, interesting and complex characters in a genre that has not always been inclusive or respectful.
