Incident at Ogala

Real incidents are in the film to expose the reality of the problem, while the fictional plot was to remind viewers of the lives that are being affected. The straight angle shots were dull and reflected a lifeless aspect of those that were interviewed. The Native Americans that went through the incident and the trauma were able to describe the scenario in their own words and with their own emotion attached. While the people that spoke were meant to symbolize the reality of the incident, many of their emotions seemed hidden in order to match the image of a documentary. The director’s development of the characters cause the views to be unable to dismiss the emotions that come with knowing that the events that caused them are a reality. The detail and complexity of the characters made their lives more realistic.

In the film, “Incident at Ogala”, the director uses a similar approach to attract viewers to the message.

The director set out to create an example of the hypothetical damage that could be done to Indian Reservations all over the country if the government continues to allow for corruptive power to remain in the treatment of Native Americans and their rights. In doing this, the director makes the actual incident seem more real to the viewers because they are more emotionally connected to the incident. It was harder to see the peoples’ anger and pain as they told their stories in a matter-of-fact style. Although the film included Native American victims to share their own information, the overall style of the documentary took away from emotion that was created by those who gave their story. The final shot in “Thunderheart” demonstrates the overall objective of the director.