The Last Of The Dogmen Essay

The Last Of the Dogmen The social problem this movie portrays is a very old problem. It is coupled by fear of the unknown and acceptance of each other as human beings with differences. These differences stem from a lack of understanding of race, culture, customs, and religious beliefs of societies. It is well know through out history that the Indians posed a problem for white settlers. Many Indian tribes were for the most part friendly and willing to share the land and its produce with everyone. Some tribes were warrior tribes and fought other warring tribes. White men began to see them as a problem especially when natural resources such as gold or land holdings on Tribal lands or they saw a need for population control for fear that
the Indian society would “pollute” the white society.
Lewis Gates and Lillian Sloane knew that the world today would again annihilate the descendants of the 1864 Sand Creek, Colorado massacre.
It may not have happened the way Gates’ nightmare was portrayed, but the society we have today would have pushed for assimilation of our society currently. This is evidenced by what we actually see today when tribal councils have to negotiate for educational rights and to have teachers that speak in Native American tongues. The main point of the movie is when you find something that you have spent your entire life looking for that you will risk everything to protect it.
However, I believe the director was trying to add more. If it was not for the Native Americans, we would not have the present governmental society we have today. Sloane made this statement in the movie, but it is an accurate statement. Case and point the Cheyenne Dog soldier. Originally the Cheyenne were a society of murders and
thieves.

It was not until Sweet Medicine went to a mountain called Noahvose and spoke to the elders (a vision) came back with instructions to clean up the Cheyenne Nation. He did just so, he developed the Council of forty- four and then recruited the strongest, bravest, honorable and trust worthy men and turned them into a militia. These men would later become feared by white and Indians alike. They were a force to be reckoned with. It is also interesting to note that the Cheyenne Dog soldiers were at the battle of Little Big Horn, their job was to patrol the perimeter of the large encampment. This was to assure that young braves wanting to make a name for themselves did not sneak out to attack the white soldiers.
The director wanted us to see more than a guilt ridden bounty hunter and a love story, he wanted us to look at this particular tribe a peaceful people with love and likes, trying to survive in this world just as we all wish to do. In other words live and let live. The scenery in this movie is spectacular! The cave behind the waterfall is just awesome. The land is beautiful to look at but it has its “thorns.” (In the scene, just after they have come out of the cave, it reminded me of an area in the Orogrande mountains.
If you hike up four miles from the desert floor, on the El Paso side, you come into a full fledged forest with running streams, all weather conditions, and forest wildlife.)
The narration by Wilford Brimley was perfect.
His voice has a good story telling quality and you really feel you are sitting with him as he is telling this story. Another added bonus is that the director did his research on the history of the Cheyenne. It is evidenced by the costumes and the face paintings and the symbols painted on the horses. The dog pin is a good example: In the screen during Gates’ nightmare you see Yellow Wolf prepared to fight off Deegan’s posse. If you notice he is in full regalia and he stakes himself to the ground. This staking meant he will fight to the death for his people and he will not leave unless another dog soldier relieves
him.
Music always play an important role in films. It alerts the audience to danger, romance, mystery and many other emotions. The music was perfect and it was not over done.
Panoramic views from the sky and close ups really added a touch of perfection. It was like you were a by stander or you could insert yourself in the movie. The director’s techniques were very good. He is the type of director that allows you to see what he sees. His visions and portrayal of the characters come through the lens and with the authenticities of the Cheyenne make all his techniques believable. Why is this a good movie for the class to watch? It is because it does say a lot. It addresses many of the social issues we have in society today. One as I mentioned earlier is acceptance of each other and our differences. In the movie Sloane spoke Cheyenne which saved their lives literally. This gave her access to be accepted. It is a prime example how we as a society can learn from each other. I believe she said something about being the teacher now she can be the student it is exactly the way we as a society should approach other people. Just another added comment, I have done many hours of research on the Cheyenne Dog Soldier (for a previous class 2 semesters ago) and the history books are not always accurate and many are biased. The native Americans have a story of their own and we owe it to ourselves to look at both sides. I have and there has been and there still is an injustice being done to the Cheyenne, Lakota Sioux,Navaho, Comanche, Apache and Cherokee. History is abundant and alive with the oral traditions of these tribes and their way of life. The Last of the Dogmen touches briefly on the customs and the society through out the movie. It is a good movie to watch because it does make you think and question who, what, when, where and how.