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Michael Greyeyes

Blood Quantum: Shedding History’s Blood

April 28, 2020 by Steve Norton Leave a Comment

In Blood Quantum, things begin to spiral out of control on the isolated Mi’gMaq reserve of Red Crow when an unseen virus begins to turn the locals into blood-thirsty zombies. As the dead begin to come back to life, the Indigenous inhabitants discover that they are strangely immune to the plague and are forced to care for those in the area who are desperately seeking sanctuary themselves.

Directed by Jeff Barnaby, Quantum takes the all-too-familiar zombie genre and somehow makes it feel fresh and engaging. While the structure follows the necessary zombie tropes, the setting and its unique voice breathe new life into the film. By framing the narrative through the lens of the Indigenous people, Barnaby’s vision balances blood and carnage with social commentary, making the film both fun and thought-provoking at the same time. Led by an especially strong performance by Michael Greyeyes as the courageous but emotionally broken Traylor, Quantum’s solid casting helps the story feel more personal as opposed to simply another horror epic. However, the struggle within Quantum runs much deeper than a fight against the killer virus. Along with the blood and guts, the battle within Quantum also reaches to the heart of a culture that speaks at a historical level. 

More specifically, while Quantum definitely entertains, the film allows Barnaby to explore tensions between Indigenous people and the white community. As the virus begins to spread throughout Red Crow, the fight for survive begins to also expose the underlying racial tensions that run throughout the community. (Incidentally, the film’s title refers to a colonial blood measurement system that is used to determine the validity of one’s aboriginal status.) As such, while some Mi’gMaq are willing to see potential for the cultures to build a new future together, there are others who remain entrenched in their hatred. While the walls literally keep those infected at bay, they also serve as a visual metaphor for the self-protection of a people that have been taken advantage of over the years. While white families are invited inside the compound, they are met with a suspicious eye, both as a potential carrier of the virus but also because of past experiences. As a result, Quantum highlights the struggle to build something new when history remains such an obstacle. 

Questions of what it means to tear down painful barriers and begin again are often painful and, thankfully, Quantum is willing to explore the impact of such decisions. Who can be trusted when history has shown us others have not been trustworthy before? Can forgiveness break through in an effort to move forward? What does it mean to celebrate our differences but come together as one? Even though it’s not  uncommon for horror films to delve into social commentary, it’s questions such as these that help give Quantum its unique voice and soul. 

While the zombie genre may have been mined frequently, thankfully Barnaby is able to breathe fresh air into his horror epic through his passion to explore new ground. Strong performances, a solid script and poignant direction give the film its unique voice and, as a result, Blood Quantum definitely rises above the [zombie] herd.

To hear audio of our conversation with Jeff Barnaby, click here.

Blood Quantum brings the carnage to VOD on Tuesday, April 28th, 2020.

Filed Under: Featured, Film, VOD Tagged With: Blood Quantum, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Elle-Maija Tailfeathers, Forrest Goodluck, horror, indigenous people, Jeff Barnaby, Kiowa Gordon, Michael Greyeyes, Olivia Scriven, Virus, zombie

Saints and Strangers: We Must Learn From the Past

November 20, 2015 by J. Alan Sharrer Leave a Comment

The Pilgrims
(photo credit: National Geographic Channels/David Bloomer)

Thanksgiving is finally upon us, which means that we’ll gather with family and friends to enjoy a sumptuous feast involving a turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and cranberry sauce.  A game of football will be watched on television (or played in the backyard), followed by a slice of pumpkin pie and a nice nap. Hopefully, there will also be time to consider the many things we’re thankful for in life. But for many of us, thoughts of the Mayflower, pilgrims, and the native inhabitants of this country will be far removed from our minds. That’s a real shame—one that the National Geographic Channel is attempting to remedy with a film called Saints and Strangers. It’s a challenging and gritty look at a unique period in American history and is well worth a viewing. Hopefully, the lessons learned from the movie will keep us from repeating their mistakes in today’s society.

The title of the film originates from the fact that there were two groups of individuals on board the Mayflower—saints (those coming to the New World to start a new life and worship free of persecution) and strangers (those from the Merchant Adventure Company looking for fortune and prosperity). Obviously, conditions were less than ideal, and numerous individuals perished along the way. What was an attempt to settle in Virginia soon became an attempt to survive in the cold reaches of Massachusetts. It’s pretty easy to see the numerous and potentially overwhelming difficulties this group of 102 individuals would face–find a place to settle; build houses; develop a system of order; stay healthy; and keep the natives at bay.

Massasoit and Hobbamock
(photo credit: National Geographic Channels/David Bloomer)

These Native Americans (known to the Pilgrims as savages) are obviously leery of their new neighbors and begin planning what they need to do—especially in the light of discovering their stored corn has been stolen from the Nauset tribe. The leader of the local Pokanoket sachem (or tribe) is Massasoit (Raulo Trujillo), a wise leader who is flanked by his main warrior Hobbamock (Tatanka Means). He gathers other groups together to discuss the situation and learns that there’s a lot of uncertainty—will they be taken over by the new arrivals from across the sea?  Canonicus from Narragansset (Michael Greyeyes) has a huge tribe and wants to increase his own power and standing and have no problem stating such.  Masaasoit’s response paves the way for the rest of the film—and a particularly interesting character named Squanto.  He’s a Native American but speaks English as well—this proves to be quite beneficial for the Pilgrims, but are his translating skills helping or hurting the cause?

The Pilgrims learn a lot that first year and celebrate Thanksgiving in a pretty grand manner. But as time progresses, tensions begin to develop–tribe against tribe, saint against stranger, tribe against Pilgrim colony, Pilgrim colony against new folks arriving from England, and everyone against Squanto (Kalani Queypo)–except for Governor William Bradford (Vincent Kartheiser). The result of these frictions brings about the true beginnings of America—and it’s not always pleasant to see. We have to be thankful for it, however, because it brought about the country we now know and love.

Thanksgiving
(photo credit: National Geographic Channels/David Bloomer)

Saints and Strangers is a two-part film, to be shown this Sunday and Monday (November 22 and 23) at 9 PM (8 PM Central). The first part ends just before the first Thanksgiving, so you’ll have to wait a day to see what that looks and sound like.  As for the film itself, it’s done quite well and director Paul Edwards provides a gritty, earthy view of what life was like in those early days. The acting is, for the most part, top-notch and doesn’t jar one back into the modern day with colloquialisms and such. The Native Americans all speak Algonquin, but are thankfully subtitled.  This is used to nice effect as Squanto tries to translate between the two groups of people (producing some humorous moments).

There’s character development throughout, including some really fascinating changes to Massasoit, Bradford, and Stephen Hopkins (Ray Stevenson).  Oh, and composer Hans Zimmer does the music—a nice touch. The early faith of the Pilgrims is put on display quite noticeably and even includes a few passages from the Bible (including a portion of 1 Corinthians 13). With that said, I think the treatment of Christian faith in Saints and Strangers is impressive and pretty even-handed, making sense in the context of the time and situation.  National Geographic even went so far as to include a study guide for the film (downloadable here in PDF format).

So what does Saints and Strangers have to offer in the form of lessons for today? Well, the main thing to  consider when watching is the attitude of all the groups involved—saints, sinners, and savages. They convey one specific word—fear:

  • The Pilgrims were afraid of the unknown and the natives.
  • The natives were afraid the Pilgrims were going to run them out of town and take over.
  • The saints were afraid the strangers would keep them from worshiping God.
  • The strangers were afraid they would be converted and change them for the worst.

Fear kept them all from making the situation in front of them better.  If this sounds vaguely like the whole situation with the discussion in the US regarding Syrian refugees, it’s because it is.  We have to take a look at the past in order to keep from preventing the same thing from occurring in the present.  Sure, not everyone in the Pilgrim colony was on the same page, but the fear of a few poisoned the whole group to the point where their attitudes gave way to actions that threatened everyone. It’s interesting to note that within fifty years of the Pilgrims reaching Plymouth, there was a major war that turned out to be one of the costliest in US history—all because of fear leading people to not get along with each other.  If God has things in control, then why do so many people ignore the words “Do not be afraid” that are peppered throughout the Bible? It’s something to consider, as life is too short to be a prisoner of fear.

This is the time of year when we sit back and watch Snoopy battle a lawn chair and Charlie Brown serve popcorn to a bunch of confused individuals. Perhaps it would be wise to add Saints and Strangers to your must-see schedule this Thanksgiving. Those Pilgrims and Native Americans have much to teach—and we still have much to learn.

Saints and Strangers airs on the National Geographic Channel this Sunday and Monday, November 22/23, at 9 PM (8 PM Central).

Filed Under: Reviews, Television Tagged With: America, canonicus, Faith, Fear, God, Hans Zimmer, Hobbamock, Love, Massachusetts, Massasoit, Mayflower, Merchant Adventure Company, Michael Greyeyes, National Grographic, Native Americans, Paul Edwards, Pilgrims, Plymouth, Pokahonet, Raulo Trujillo, Ray Stevenson, Refugees, Saints and Strangers, savages, Stephen Hopkins, Syria, Tatanka Means, Vincent Kartheiser, Virginia, Willim Bradford

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