I really enjoyed this film, and I do consider it a masterpiece. But for such a long film not to have even one mention of 'manifest destiny' or the genocide of the American Indians in the whole script is slightly dishonest.
"The cook's a SEAL?!!"
Howard does at least provide a brief nod to the fact the Oklahoma land had been seized from the Indians.
As the settlers are lining up at the starting line and the officer in charge is shouting out the instructions for making claims, explaining "everybody is going to get 40 acres," there is a very brief shot -- about three seconds -- of two Indians in dress suits looking on with considerably less than full enthusiasm.
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4) You ever seen Superman $#$# his pants? Case closed.
OK well it was so brief I completely missed it, and really not enough in such an epic movie to properly address the genocide and theft which preceded this romantically-portrayed landrush.
"The cook's a SEAL?!!"
This was 'Far And Away', not 'Death Of A Thousand Cuts'; the film was long enough, as it was. It would be poignantly appropriate if the scenes you describe had been considered, or scripted, or even filmed, and then have wound up in an editing room dustbin, largely forgotten.
shareThe film wasn't about Indians and only marginally about manifest destiny
Folk didn't care much about the Indians then or now
The only reason you do is to make a point to poorly try to put the edge of guilt on a post
You don't have to stand tall, but you have to stand up!
This movie has all the beats of a fairy tale.
I judge it as such.
So many delightful little things, the awkward moments, the looks: it's superb, very underrated.
Nicole Kidman is fantastic in this, she was at the peak of her most radiant beauty and gave a great performance too.
A feel-good movie indeed but one that works on every level.
The focus of the film is Joseph and Shannon's relationship, so I do not find it odd that there was no mention of 'manifest destiny' or the genocide of American Indians. The perspective is what happens to them as a couple...in their world. Everything else really is a footnote, as awful as that may sound. They just needed a vehicle to bring them together: the shooting of Mr. Maguire, working to live in the apartment to save for Oklahoma, surviving after being evicted, claiming land in Oklahoma. Remember when Joseph first spots Shannon in Oklahoma and he says, "I'm cursed"? He knows that something is bringing them together. He couldn't stop thinking about her even though 8 months passed and while thinking of his Da' his rolled blanket falls into his lap as the train stops. He takes it as a sign and even tells his boss, "I was on the wrong road." Everything was working together to reconcile these two characters. I think the focus was so narrow--although it was set during a significant event in time--that it would have lost it's effectiveness to mention everything you stated. The event is just a vehicle for these characters, but the event is not the focus. Just my two cents.
If you can't be good, at least be good at it!
But for such a long film not to have even one mention of 'manifest destiny' or the genocide of the American Indians in the whole script is slightly dishonest.
Well, omitting the truth is slightly better than flat out lying, so I give them credit for that. Besides, there was quite sufficient gloom as it was. And, given that they seem to have depicted the Irish in a manner that displeases them, they would probably have made a bit of a mess of that as well.
"If you want to improve, be content to be thought foolish and stupid."