REEL INJUN (Canada 2009) ***1/2
Directed by Neil Diamond

What begins as an ordinary documentary of how native Indians in Hollywood films were incorrectly portrayed eventually ends on an unexpected upbeat note with clips from one of the best native films ever made – ATANARJUAT, THE FAST RUNNER. 

Director Neil Diamond takes his audience on a kind of educational road trip.  As he travels to Hollywood to make sense of the politically incorrect depiction of natives in movies, the audience is given entertaining and insightful information through clips from old movies, interviews and voiceover.  Though most cineastes are familiar with films like native politically correct Hollywood films as LITTLE BIG MAN, ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST and the first nation films (POWWOW HIGHWAY, SMOKE SIGNALS), Diamond has assembled an impressive load of footage from which he has constructed quite an argument.  Diamond makes the Duke, John Wayne look like a bigoted racist from his list of films.

The last few minutes of screen time devoted to ATANARJUAT proves that natives (as in other prejudiced minorities like Blacks and gays) have come a long way and finally succeeded as Diamond’s film has.  Diamond has also craftily incorporated Clint Eastwood in the interviews so that he is on the side of the REEL INJUNS.  That way, John Wayne can be singled out as the main baddie of this movie.  REEL INJUN is a well researched, meticulously crafted documentary that opens audiences eyes to what has been previously have been taken as acceptable racist stereotyping.