Nez Perce - Season 2
Nez Perce - Trail
Genre: Historical
Director: Scott Cooper
Writer: Dwight Gallo
Cast:
Adam Beach .... Joseph
Matthew Rhys .... General Oliver O. Howard
Martin Sensmeier …. Ollokot
Gil Birmingham .... Toohoolhoolzote
Forrest Goodluck …. Wahlitits
Julia Jones …. Springtime
Tatanka Means …. Red Grizzly
Amber Midthunder …. Little Bird
Zahn McClarnon .... Looking Glass
Ben Schnetzer .... Captain David Perry
Grace Dove …. Fairland
Lily Gladstone .... Oyema
William Belleau .... Yellow Wolf
David Midthunder .... Bannock Scout
Irene Bedard .... Little Bird's Mother
Plot:1877. General Oliver O. Howard (Matthew Rhys) sits at his desk in his tent writing some correspondence when Captain David Perry (Ben Schnetzer) enters to tell him that some Bannock Indians have come to meet with him. Howard stands and follows Perry out the door. Howard walks with Perry through the camp to a group of six Bannock scouts waiting. Howard greets them and asks if they speak English. One Bannock Scout (David Midthunder) nods, so Howard addresses him. Howard explains to the Bannock scouts that they are in pursuit of a fugitive band of Nez Perce Indians. He tells them that he needs scouts who know the land and can serve as guides and interpreters. The English-speaking scout asks how much he is paying. Howard offers ten dollars a day to each of them. The scout asks for whiskey and guns as well, but Howard tells them he won't do that. Howard goes on to tell the Bannock scouts that there is to be no scalping either. If they engage in battle, the Bannock scouts are not to take hair from the bodies of the dead, take it or leave it. The Bannock scout reluctantly nods yes. Howard tells Perry to get the scouts some food as the army moves out in one hour. One hour later, General Howard's giant army comes charging over a ridge in the Snake River Plains. Every man on a horse, in hot pursuit.
The Nez Perce continue their flight, trekking through the Weippe Prairie. Chief Joseph (Adam Beach) see two Nez Perce scouts approaching. He rides over to meet them. Ollokot (Martin Sensmeier) and Looking Glass (Zahn McClarnon) follow close behind. Joseph asks them what news they bring. They tell him they saw General Howard. They tell him he's a day's ride away, maybe less, and that Howard's numbers have increased. Joseph turns to Ollokot and Looking Glass and tells them they need to ride through the night. Looking Glass and Ollokot nod in agreement, then kick their horses and follow Joseph back towards the fleeing tribe.
That night the Nez Perce hear a coyote howl as they enter the thick timber of the Lolo Trail. Tired from walking all day, they keep going deeper into the trees. Oyema (Lily Gladstone) brings her hand to her chest. She's sore. Ollokot and his wife Fairland (Grace Dove) ride together. Both look tired. Little Bird's mother (Irene Bedard) begins drifting to sleep. Toohoolhoolzote (Gil Birmingham) rides up and gives her a little nudge. She snaps awake. Little Bird (Amber Midthunder) thanks him. Toohoolhoolzote gives her a nod and rides ahead. Nearby, Wahlitits (Forrest Goodluck) rides alone. He stares at Little Bird. In his hands he holds the necklace she returned to him. Yellow Wolf (William Belleau) rides, staring at Red Grizzly (Tatanka Means), riding awake and alert like a predator. Near the front, Springtime (Julia Jones) holds her sleeping daughter and struggles to stay awake. Joseph rides up beside her and tells her to give him the child. Joseph lifts his young daughter into his arms. Springtime rubs her tired eyes. The tribe presses forward. Everyone struggles to stay awake. Near the back of the line, Yellow Wolf sees something strange: a riderless horse walking alone through the trees.
In the morning, the sun beats down on the face of a young Nez Perce boy, still asleep on the ground where he fells off his horse. The boy opens his eyes. The Bannock scouts are standing over him. They grab his hair and lift the boy to his feet. Howard arrives at the Weippe Prairie with the rest of this men. Captain Perry rides over to greet him and tell him that the scouts captured a prisoner. Howard enters a tent to find that the young Nez Perce boy has been beaten badly. His face is swollen and bleeding. Howard looks to Perry for an explanation. Perry insists that he wasn't here when they found him. Howard stares down at the young boy.
An army doctor attends to the boy's wounds. The Bannock Scout stands nearby. Howard stares at him. The scout's eyes show no remorse. The doctor finishes and packs up his bag. Howard thanks the doctor, who nods and leaves. Howard turns to the boy and asks if he is hungry. The boy just stares at him, so Howard tells the scout to relay the question. The scout steps forward and translates. The young boy shakes his head no. Howard unfolds a map and slides it across the table. He tells the boy that he needs to know where the Nez Perce are planning to make their final stand and asks the boy if he can point it out. The Bannock scout translates. The young boy looks at Howard, confused, and says nothing. Howard asks why Joseph decided to cross the Snake River. The Bannock scout translates, but again the boy says nothing. Howard starts to get frustrated and demands to know which way the Nez Perce went. The Bannock scout translates, and this time the boy replies. The scout tells Howard the boy says it is too late. You won't find them. They're already gone. Howard says he knows they're gone, but wants to know where they have gone. The scout tells Howard the boy says they've disappeared into the timber and you won't find them. Howard suddenly realizes that they must have started up the Lolo Trail. The young boy realizes he's said too much and shuts his mouth. Howard wonders aloud why they would go there. The Lolo Trail would take them into the Bitterroot Mountains, the Bitterroot Mountains would take them into Montana. That's Crow Country. If they were to go East, they'd be trapped in Yellowstone Park, if they were to go West, they'd run into the army. If the tribe were to go North, it would be nothing but wide open plains as far as Canada. Howard suddenly stops. His eyes go wide. He gets it. He stands up quickly and leaves the room.
Genre: Historical
Director: Scott Cooper
Writer: Dwight Gallo
Cast:
Adam Beach .... Joseph
Matthew Rhys .... General Oliver O. Howard
Martin Sensmeier …. Ollokot
Gil Birmingham .... Toohoolhoolzote
Forrest Goodluck …. Wahlitits
Julia Jones …. Springtime
Tatanka Means …. Red Grizzly
Amber Midthunder …. Little Bird
Zahn McClarnon .... Looking Glass
Ben Schnetzer .... Captain David Perry
Grace Dove …. Fairland
Lily Gladstone .... Oyema
William Belleau .... Yellow Wolf
David Midthunder .... Bannock Scout
Irene Bedard .... Little Bird's Mother
Plot:1877. General Oliver O. Howard (Matthew Rhys) sits at his desk in his tent writing some correspondence when Captain David Perry (Ben Schnetzer) enters to tell him that some Bannock Indians have come to meet with him. Howard stands and follows Perry out the door. Howard walks with Perry through the camp to a group of six Bannock scouts waiting. Howard greets them and asks if they speak English. One Bannock Scout (David Midthunder) nods, so Howard addresses him. Howard explains to the Bannock scouts that they are in pursuit of a fugitive band of Nez Perce Indians. He tells them that he needs scouts who know the land and can serve as guides and interpreters. The English-speaking scout asks how much he is paying. Howard offers ten dollars a day to each of them. The scout asks for whiskey and guns as well, but Howard tells them he won't do that. Howard goes on to tell the Bannock scouts that there is to be no scalping either. If they engage in battle, the Bannock scouts are not to take hair from the bodies of the dead, take it or leave it. The Bannock scout reluctantly nods yes. Howard tells Perry to get the scouts some food as the army moves out in one hour. One hour later, General Howard's giant army comes charging over a ridge in the Snake River Plains. Every man on a horse, in hot pursuit.
The Nez Perce continue their flight, trekking through the Weippe Prairie. Chief Joseph (Adam Beach) see two Nez Perce scouts approaching. He rides over to meet them. Ollokot (Martin Sensmeier) and Looking Glass (Zahn McClarnon) follow close behind. Joseph asks them what news they bring. They tell him they saw General Howard. They tell him he's a day's ride away, maybe less, and that Howard's numbers have increased. Joseph turns to Ollokot and Looking Glass and tells them they need to ride through the night. Looking Glass and Ollokot nod in agreement, then kick their horses and follow Joseph back towards the fleeing tribe.
That night the Nez Perce hear a coyote howl as they enter the thick timber of the Lolo Trail. Tired from walking all day, they keep going deeper into the trees. Oyema (Lily Gladstone) brings her hand to her chest. She's sore. Ollokot and his wife Fairland (Grace Dove) ride together. Both look tired. Little Bird's mother (Irene Bedard) begins drifting to sleep. Toohoolhoolzote (Gil Birmingham) rides up and gives her a little nudge. She snaps awake. Little Bird (Amber Midthunder) thanks him. Toohoolhoolzote gives her a nod and rides ahead. Nearby, Wahlitits (Forrest Goodluck) rides alone. He stares at Little Bird. In his hands he holds the necklace she returned to him. Yellow Wolf (William Belleau) rides, staring at Red Grizzly (Tatanka Means), riding awake and alert like a predator. Near the front, Springtime (Julia Jones) holds her sleeping daughter and struggles to stay awake. Joseph rides up beside her and tells her to give him the child. Joseph lifts his young daughter into his arms. Springtime rubs her tired eyes. The tribe presses forward. Everyone struggles to stay awake. Near the back of the line, Yellow Wolf sees something strange: a riderless horse walking alone through the trees.
In the morning, the sun beats down on the face of a young Nez Perce boy, still asleep on the ground where he fells off his horse. The boy opens his eyes. The Bannock scouts are standing over him. They grab his hair and lift the boy to his feet. Howard arrives at the Weippe Prairie with the rest of this men. Captain Perry rides over to greet him and tell him that the scouts captured a prisoner. Howard enters a tent to find that the young Nez Perce boy has been beaten badly. His face is swollen and bleeding. Howard looks to Perry for an explanation. Perry insists that he wasn't here when they found him. Howard stares down at the young boy.
An army doctor attends to the boy's wounds. The Bannock Scout stands nearby. Howard stares at him. The scout's eyes show no remorse. The doctor finishes and packs up his bag. Howard thanks the doctor, who nods and leaves. Howard turns to the boy and asks if he is hungry. The boy just stares at him, so Howard tells the scout to relay the question. The scout steps forward and translates. The young boy shakes his head no. Howard unfolds a map and slides it across the table. He tells the boy that he needs to know where the Nez Perce are planning to make their final stand and asks the boy if he can point it out. The Bannock scout translates. The young boy looks at Howard, confused, and says nothing. Howard asks why Joseph decided to cross the Snake River. The Bannock scout translates, but again the boy says nothing. Howard starts to get frustrated and demands to know which way the Nez Perce went. The Bannock scout translates, and this time the boy replies. The scout tells Howard the boy says it is too late. You won't find them. They're already gone. Howard says he knows they're gone, but wants to know where they have gone. The scout tells Howard the boy says they've disappeared into the timber and you won't find them. Howard suddenly realizes that they must have started up the Lolo Trail. The young boy realizes he's said too much and shuts his mouth. Howard wonders aloud why they would go there. The Lolo Trail would take them into the Bitterroot Mountains, the Bitterroot Mountains would take them into Montana. That's Crow Country. If they were to go East, they'd be trapped in Yellowstone Park, if they were to go West, they'd run into the army. If the tribe were to go North, it would be nothing but wide open plains as far as Canada. Howard suddenly stops. His eyes go wide. He gets it. He stands up quickly and leaves the room.
Nez Perce - Storm
Genre: Historical
Director: Scott Cooper
Writer: Dwight Gallo
Cast:
Adam Beach .... Joseph
Matthew Rhys .... General Oliver O. Howard
Martin Sensmeier …. Ollokot
Forrest Goodluck …. Wahlitits
Julia Jones …. Springtime
Tatanka Means …. Red Grizzly
Zahn McClarnon .... Looking Glass
Ben Schnetzer .... Captain David Perry
Grace Dove …. Fairland
Lily Gladstone .... Oyema
William Belleau .... Yellow Wolf
Plot:1877. Storm clouds gather in the darkening sky above the Weippe Prairie. Strong gusts of wind blow throw the army camp. General Oliver O. Howard (Matthew Rhys) hands a message to a soldier. He tells him to wire ahead to Charles Rawn in the Bitterroot Valley. Warn him eight hundred Indians will be coming down out of the mountains. They should lock their doors, board their windows, and stay inside. Howard hands the soldier another envelope. This one is sealed. Howard tells the soldier to send this letter to General Sherman in Washington. The soldier climbs on his horse and gallops away. Howard watches him disappear into the dark sky. Captain David Perry (Ben Schnetzer) emerges behind Howard and says that the Nez Perce were going to surrender. Howard slowly turns toward him. Perry says they were going to surrender at White Bird Canyon. They were going to turn over the warriors who committed the raid on Norton's Ranch. The army fired first. Another strong gust of wind whips through the camp as thunder erupts. Howard watches the storm.
The Nez Perce hear the same thunder as they march through the heavy woods. A torrential downpour begins raining down upon them. The tribe keeps moving as the ground beneath them begins to soften. A large mudslide suddenly sweeps twenty Nez Perce down the hillside, slamming them into the trees, breaking their bones. Red Grizzly (Tatanka Means) rides past the injured Nez Perce, caring only for himself, he refuses to stop. Yellow Wolf (William Belleau) and Wahlitits (Forrest Goodluck) dismount and help the wounded as the rain continues to pound the earth. Chief Joseph (Adam Beach) watches a giant tree shake loose in the mud and fall to the ground with a great thud. He then gets an idea and tells Ollokot (Martin Sensmeier) they should push them all down. Ollokot stares at Joseph, confused.
In the morning, the sun is bright and beautiful after the previous night's storm. Howard follows the Bannock scouts into the forests of the Lolo Trail. They stop dead in their tracks when they see what Joseph and the Nez Perce have left in their wake. A Bloody Trail of fallen trees, boulders, and jagged branches obscure the path as far as the eye can see. Howard's men try to make their way through, but soon horses are breaking legs, stumbling, and tripping. One horse falls and impales itself on a jagged tree branch, letting out a harsh death scream.
The Nez Perce make a steep climb up the Bitterroot Mountains. Two of their pack mules suddenly fall to their deaths down a harrowing drop, but the tribe keeps climbing.
Howard's men use axes to cut their way through the trail, inching forward at a snail's pace. Howard looks back at the dying animals in their wake, noticing a literal trail of blood as far as the eye can see.
A bald eagle soars in blue skies above the Bitterroot Mountains. The Nez Perce move along the steep mountain ridge, stunning views in every direction. Joseph and his wife Springtime (Julia Jones) ride beside each other, staring at the horizon, ten thousand feet high. Springtime says the view is beautiful. Joseph looks at her, then nods. That afternoon, the tribe comes out of the mountains, descending towards the Bitterroot Valley. They see a small town, far in the distance, nestled between thick forest and rolling hills. Looking Glass (Zahn McClarnon) shouts to several members of the tribe that there should be no trouble with the whites of this area. They are not the enemy as they are not the ones who attacked them in Wallowa. Red Grizzly, riding nearby, looks over at Looking Glass and says he is as foolish as Joseph. All whites are the enemy. Looking Glass doesn't respond. Red Grizzly rides on ahead.
The small town is empty. Buildings are boarded up. Everything is completely still. People have locked themselves indoors, crammed close together, nervously waiting for the Indians to arrive. Far in the distance, the Nez Perce come into view. The tribe pours into town like a great flood, filling the street. People watch with amazement as hundreds of Indians fly past their windows and pass through the town. A saloon owner stands on his balcony and watches the tribe move beneath him like a herd. Prostitutes peek out their bedroom windows with curious smiles on their tired faces. Joseph rides down the street, making eye contact with those who stare at him. The remaining tribe members pass through the town. Residents come outside to watch as the tribe disappears into the distance.
The Nez Perce tribe rests in a nearby valley after a long day's march. Oyema (Lily Gladstone) sits quietly by herself. The old women of the tribe approach. Oyema looks up and begins to struggle as the women take hold of her. They tear off her shirt and force her expel the breast milk from her body. Oyema begins sobbing. Those nearby watch with sympathy, knowing it must be done. The old women bind Oyema's breasts with thick strips of canvas, then they stand and leave, one at a time. Oyema remains on the ground, sobbing. Fairland (Grace Dove) kneels beside her and gently strokes Oyema's hair. Nearby Yellow Wolf watches, not sure what to do.
Looking Glass walks through the camp when he discovers a few warriors with some store bought goods. He asks where they got them. The warriors stay silent. Looking Glass steps closer and asks again. Inside a store, a mother hides beneath the counter with her two daughters in the ransacked store. Her husband, the store owner, peers out of the shattered windows with a shotgun in his hands. Out the window Looking Glass comes into view. He is riding towards the store with five Appaloosa ponies in tow. The store owner tells his wife and kids to stay down and levels the shotgun, preparing to fire. Looking Glass puts the ponies in the corral and then marks each of them with the store owner's branding iron. He then climbs onto his own horse and rides away. The store owner lowers his gun, stunned.
The afternoon sun casts long, harsh shadows across the Bitterroot Valley. Settlers kneel beside their children on the high bluffs and watch the long Nez Perce train march into the twilight. A little girl waves at the tribe. A distant warrior waves back. The tribe keeps moving, deeper into Montana.
Genre: Historical
Director: Scott Cooper
Writer: Dwight Gallo
Cast:
Adam Beach .... Joseph
Matthew Rhys .... General Oliver O. Howard
Martin Sensmeier …. Ollokot
Forrest Goodluck …. Wahlitits
Julia Jones …. Springtime
Tatanka Means …. Red Grizzly
Zahn McClarnon .... Looking Glass
Ben Schnetzer .... Captain David Perry
Grace Dove …. Fairland
Lily Gladstone .... Oyema
William Belleau .... Yellow Wolf
Plot:1877. Storm clouds gather in the darkening sky above the Weippe Prairie. Strong gusts of wind blow throw the army camp. General Oliver O. Howard (Matthew Rhys) hands a message to a soldier. He tells him to wire ahead to Charles Rawn in the Bitterroot Valley. Warn him eight hundred Indians will be coming down out of the mountains. They should lock their doors, board their windows, and stay inside. Howard hands the soldier another envelope. This one is sealed. Howard tells the soldier to send this letter to General Sherman in Washington. The soldier climbs on his horse and gallops away. Howard watches him disappear into the dark sky. Captain David Perry (Ben Schnetzer) emerges behind Howard and says that the Nez Perce were going to surrender. Howard slowly turns toward him. Perry says they were going to surrender at White Bird Canyon. They were going to turn over the warriors who committed the raid on Norton's Ranch. The army fired first. Another strong gust of wind whips through the camp as thunder erupts. Howard watches the storm.
The Nez Perce hear the same thunder as they march through the heavy woods. A torrential downpour begins raining down upon them. The tribe keeps moving as the ground beneath them begins to soften. A large mudslide suddenly sweeps twenty Nez Perce down the hillside, slamming them into the trees, breaking their bones. Red Grizzly (Tatanka Means) rides past the injured Nez Perce, caring only for himself, he refuses to stop. Yellow Wolf (William Belleau) and Wahlitits (Forrest Goodluck) dismount and help the wounded as the rain continues to pound the earth. Chief Joseph (Adam Beach) watches a giant tree shake loose in the mud and fall to the ground with a great thud. He then gets an idea and tells Ollokot (Martin Sensmeier) they should push them all down. Ollokot stares at Joseph, confused.
In the morning, the sun is bright and beautiful after the previous night's storm. Howard follows the Bannock scouts into the forests of the Lolo Trail. They stop dead in their tracks when they see what Joseph and the Nez Perce have left in their wake. A Bloody Trail of fallen trees, boulders, and jagged branches obscure the path as far as the eye can see. Howard's men try to make their way through, but soon horses are breaking legs, stumbling, and tripping. One horse falls and impales itself on a jagged tree branch, letting out a harsh death scream.
The Nez Perce make a steep climb up the Bitterroot Mountains. Two of their pack mules suddenly fall to their deaths down a harrowing drop, but the tribe keeps climbing.
Howard's men use axes to cut their way through the trail, inching forward at a snail's pace. Howard looks back at the dying animals in their wake, noticing a literal trail of blood as far as the eye can see.
A bald eagle soars in blue skies above the Bitterroot Mountains. The Nez Perce move along the steep mountain ridge, stunning views in every direction. Joseph and his wife Springtime (Julia Jones) ride beside each other, staring at the horizon, ten thousand feet high. Springtime says the view is beautiful. Joseph looks at her, then nods. That afternoon, the tribe comes out of the mountains, descending towards the Bitterroot Valley. They see a small town, far in the distance, nestled between thick forest and rolling hills. Looking Glass (Zahn McClarnon) shouts to several members of the tribe that there should be no trouble with the whites of this area. They are not the enemy as they are not the ones who attacked them in Wallowa. Red Grizzly, riding nearby, looks over at Looking Glass and says he is as foolish as Joseph. All whites are the enemy. Looking Glass doesn't respond. Red Grizzly rides on ahead.
The small town is empty. Buildings are boarded up. Everything is completely still. People have locked themselves indoors, crammed close together, nervously waiting for the Indians to arrive. Far in the distance, the Nez Perce come into view. The tribe pours into town like a great flood, filling the street. People watch with amazement as hundreds of Indians fly past their windows and pass through the town. A saloon owner stands on his balcony and watches the tribe move beneath him like a herd. Prostitutes peek out their bedroom windows with curious smiles on their tired faces. Joseph rides down the street, making eye contact with those who stare at him. The remaining tribe members pass through the town. Residents come outside to watch as the tribe disappears into the distance.
The Nez Perce tribe rests in a nearby valley after a long day's march. Oyema (Lily Gladstone) sits quietly by herself. The old women of the tribe approach. Oyema looks up and begins to struggle as the women take hold of her. They tear off her shirt and force her expel the breast milk from her body. Oyema begins sobbing. Those nearby watch with sympathy, knowing it must be done. The old women bind Oyema's breasts with thick strips of canvas, then they stand and leave, one at a time. Oyema remains on the ground, sobbing. Fairland (Grace Dove) kneels beside her and gently strokes Oyema's hair. Nearby Yellow Wolf watches, not sure what to do.
Looking Glass walks through the camp when he discovers a few warriors with some store bought goods. He asks where they got them. The warriors stay silent. Looking Glass steps closer and asks again. Inside a store, a mother hides beneath the counter with her two daughters in the ransacked store. Her husband, the store owner, peers out of the shattered windows with a shotgun in his hands. Out the window Looking Glass comes into view. He is riding towards the store with five Appaloosa ponies in tow. The store owner tells his wife and kids to stay down and levels the shotgun, preparing to fire. Looking Glass puts the ponies in the corral and then marks each of them with the store owner's branding iron. He then climbs onto his own horse and rides away. The store owner lowers his gun, stunned.
The afternoon sun casts long, harsh shadows across the Bitterroot Valley. Settlers kneel beside their children on the high bluffs and watch the long Nez Perce train march into the twilight. A little girl waves at the tribe. A distant warrior waves back. The tribe keeps moving, deeper into Montana.
Nez Perce - Valley
Genre: Historical
Director: Scott Cooper
Writer: Dwight Gallo
Cast:
Adam Beach .... Joseph
Martin Sensmeier …. Ollokot
Forrest Goodluck …. Wahlitits
Julia Jones …. Springtime
Grace Dove …. Fairland
Lily Gladstone .... Oyema
William Belleau .... Yellow Wolf
Ray McKinnon .... General William T. Sherman
Luke Wilson .... Colonel John Gibbon
Zach Gilford .... Lieutenant James Bradley
Plot:1877. General William T. Sherman (Ray McKinnon) sits with his advisors aboard a steamboat. He stares out towards the southern bank of the Little Big Horn River. In the distance, a new military fort is under construction. A young soldier approaches and hands Sherman a message. Sherman opens the envelope and begins reading. The advisors discuss how the Cheyenne campaign is winding down nicely. The last of the hold out tribes have relocated to Oklahoma, the Crow and Blackfeet have been subdued, even the Pawnee have broken. As soon as the pesky Nez Perce rebellion is dealt with, they can put the whole damn thing to rest. Sherman tells the advisors that Howard has lost more ground. He tells them it's exactly what he wanted. They're confused as to why he would want the Nez Perce to escape. Sherman tells them that he just wants them to slow down, and the more Howard falls behind, the more likely that will happen. He says that it will give Colonel Gibbon more time to intercept the Nez Perce from the East. The advisors were unaware that Gibbon had been dispatched, but Sherman assures them he dispatched him before they left Washington. Sherman jokes that the only good Indian is a dead Indian. He then realizes the young soldier is still standing nearby at attention. He excuses the young soldier, who salutes and leaves. Sherman turns and stares at the new fort being built. The advisors asks Sherman if the fort has a name yet. He tells them he has decided to call it Fort Custer.
Two Nez Perce scouts stand atop a high mountain summit and survey the vast Montana Territory. The Nez Perce dance around roaring fires, celebrating in their camp along the Big Hole River. Springtime (Julia Jones) finds Joseph (Adam Beach) sitting alone. She sits down beside him and waits for him to look at her. She asks Joseph what's troubling him. He tells her the moon is high. The tribe should be sleeping. She tells him they are simply happy, as he should be too. Howard's men have not been seen for days. She says they've won, it's over. Joseph looks at Springtime for a very long time, and then finally asks her what exactly it is they have won. Springtime does not have an answer.
Colonel John Gibbon (Luke Wilson) comes into a pitch black room and urgently awakes a sleeping soldier, telling him to get the men ready at once. The soldier sits up and lights his bedside lantern. It is Lt. James Bradley (Zach Gilford), the man who discovered Custer's slaughtered men at Little Big Horn. Three hundred American soldiers, Bradley among them, stand at attention as Gibbon addresses them. He tells his men that their scouts have found the Nez Perce camp. It's just 12 miles away, in the Big Hole Valley. If they all march right away, there's a chance they could overtake the Nez Perce before sunrise. Gibbon tells his men that he knows they are all tired, but that their orders have come directly from General Sherman. He informs his men that the fugitive Indians have slaughtered innocent Americans and now aim to join forces with the Sioux, and it's fallen on them to stop the tribe. With that, Gibbon's men march forward.
General Sherman sits on the deck of the steam boat smoking a cigar. He spots the soldier who delivered the message to him earlier. Sherman tells the soldier that when the battle starts they should be able to hear it from the boat. The soldier asks if Sherman thinks Gibbon's men will get there in time. Sherman says he does because Gibbon is fueled by revenge. The soldier is confused. Sherman continues, telling the soldier that Gibbon and his men were supposed to be at Little Big Horn with Custer's men, but they were a day late. His men found the mutilated bodies of their friends and brothers. For them this is very personal, Sherman insists. Sherman takes a long puff on his cigar and then throws it overboard.
A full moon illuminates the Big Hole Valley. Oyema (Lily Gladstone) is talking in her sleep. Yellow Wolf (William Belleau) touches her gently on the shoulder. She suddenly stops. He asks her what's the matter. She tells him that she thought she heard the baby. Yellow Wolf doesn't know how to respond. He gets up and leaves the tipi. He comes outside. A few other warriors are already up. Squaws begin to light their morning fires. Ollokot (Martin Sensmeier) forces himself to get up while Fairland (Grace Dove) sleeps peacefully. Wahlitits (Forrest Goodluck) sits by a fire staring at the necklace Little Bird returned to him. Ollokot kneels and gently wakes his brother Joseph. He tells him it's almost morning. Joseph nods and slowly gets to his feet. Joseph and Ollokot walk through camp. The number of people up and about is quickly growing.
Gibbon's army lies waiting, hidden in the trees. They load their rifles and fix their bayonets. Nearby, soldiers work to assemble a Howitzer canon. The soldiers watch as the morning fires begin to light up the Nez Perce tipis. Gibbon looks at his men and tells them to get ready.
Joseph walks through camp and approaches Yellow Wolf. Joseph tells him to round up the horses. Yellow Wolf jumps on his Appaloosa horse and rides off towards the herd. Unbeknownst to him, he is riding toward Gibbon's hidden army. Gibbon's army watches Yellow Wolf come closer. They level their rifles, awaiting orders. Yellow Wolf soars across the valley. Gibbon raises his hand. Yellow Wolf gallops closer. Gibbon brings his hand down. Forty rifles fire at once. Yellow Wolf's body is torn apart. He falls from his horse and hits the ground dead.
Genre: Historical
Director: Scott Cooper
Writer: Dwight Gallo
Cast:
Adam Beach .... Joseph
Martin Sensmeier …. Ollokot
Forrest Goodluck …. Wahlitits
Julia Jones …. Springtime
Grace Dove …. Fairland
Lily Gladstone .... Oyema
William Belleau .... Yellow Wolf
Ray McKinnon .... General William T. Sherman
Luke Wilson .... Colonel John Gibbon
Zach Gilford .... Lieutenant James Bradley
Plot:1877. General William T. Sherman (Ray McKinnon) sits with his advisors aboard a steamboat. He stares out towards the southern bank of the Little Big Horn River. In the distance, a new military fort is under construction. A young soldier approaches and hands Sherman a message. Sherman opens the envelope and begins reading. The advisors discuss how the Cheyenne campaign is winding down nicely. The last of the hold out tribes have relocated to Oklahoma, the Crow and Blackfeet have been subdued, even the Pawnee have broken. As soon as the pesky Nez Perce rebellion is dealt with, they can put the whole damn thing to rest. Sherman tells the advisors that Howard has lost more ground. He tells them it's exactly what he wanted. They're confused as to why he would want the Nez Perce to escape. Sherman tells them that he just wants them to slow down, and the more Howard falls behind, the more likely that will happen. He says that it will give Colonel Gibbon more time to intercept the Nez Perce from the East. The advisors were unaware that Gibbon had been dispatched, but Sherman assures them he dispatched him before they left Washington. Sherman jokes that the only good Indian is a dead Indian. He then realizes the young soldier is still standing nearby at attention. He excuses the young soldier, who salutes and leaves. Sherman turns and stares at the new fort being built. The advisors asks Sherman if the fort has a name yet. He tells them he has decided to call it Fort Custer.
Two Nez Perce scouts stand atop a high mountain summit and survey the vast Montana Territory. The Nez Perce dance around roaring fires, celebrating in their camp along the Big Hole River. Springtime (Julia Jones) finds Joseph (Adam Beach) sitting alone. She sits down beside him and waits for him to look at her. She asks Joseph what's troubling him. He tells her the moon is high. The tribe should be sleeping. She tells him they are simply happy, as he should be too. Howard's men have not been seen for days. She says they've won, it's over. Joseph looks at Springtime for a very long time, and then finally asks her what exactly it is they have won. Springtime does not have an answer.
Colonel John Gibbon (Luke Wilson) comes into a pitch black room and urgently awakes a sleeping soldier, telling him to get the men ready at once. The soldier sits up and lights his bedside lantern. It is Lt. James Bradley (Zach Gilford), the man who discovered Custer's slaughtered men at Little Big Horn. Three hundred American soldiers, Bradley among them, stand at attention as Gibbon addresses them. He tells his men that their scouts have found the Nez Perce camp. It's just 12 miles away, in the Big Hole Valley. If they all march right away, there's a chance they could overtake the Nez Perce before sunrise. Gibbon tells his men that he knows they are all tired, but that their orders have come directly from General Sherman. He informs his men that the fugitive Indians have slaughtered innocent Americans and now aim to join forces with the Sioux, and it's fallen on them to stop the tribe. With that, Gibbon's men march forward.
General Sherman sits on the deck of the steam boat smoking a cigar. He spots the soldier who delivered the message to him earlier. Sherman tells the soldier that when the battle starts they should be able to hear it from the boat. The soldier asks if Sherman thinks Gibbon's men will get there in time. Sherman says he does because Gibbon is fueled by revenge. The soldier is confused. Sherman continues, telling the soldier that Gibbon and his men were supposed to be at Little Big Horn with Custer's men, but they were a day late. His men found the mutilated bodies of their friends and brothers. For them this is very personal, Sherman insists. Sherman takes a long puff on his cigar and then throws it overboard.
A full moon illuminates the Big Hole Valley. Oyema (Lily Gladstone) is talking in her sleep. Yellow Wolf (William Belleau) touches her gently on the shoulder. She suddenly stops. He asks her what's the matter. She tells him that she thought she heard the baby. Yellow Wolf doesn't know how to respond. He gets up and leaves the tipi. He comes outside. A few other warriors are already up. Squaws begin to light their morning fires. Ollokot (Martin Sensmeier) forces himself to get up while Fairland (Grace Dove) sleeps peacefully. Wahlitits (Forrest Goodluck) sits by a fire staring at the necklace Little Bird returned to him. Ollokot kneels and gently wakes his brother Joseph. He tells him it's almost morning. Joseph nods and slowly gets to his feet. Joseph and Ollokot walk through camp. The number of people up and about is quickly growing.
Gibbon's army lies waiting, hidden in the trees. They load their rifles and fix their bayonets. Nearby, soldiers work to assemble a Howitzer canon. The soldiers watch as the morning fires begin to light up the Nez Perce tipis. Gibbon looks at his men and tells them to get ready.
Joseph walks through camp and approaches Yellow Wolf. Joseph tells him to round up the horses. Yellow Wolf jumps on his Appaloosa horse and rides off towards the herd. Unbeknownst to him, he is riding toward Gibbon's hidden army. Gibbon's army watches Yellow Wolf come closer. They level their rifles, awaiting orders. Yellow Wolf soars across the valley. Gibbon raises his hand. Yellow Wolf gallops closer. Gibbon brings his hand down. Forty rifles fire at once. Yellow Wolf's body is torn apart. He falls from his horse and hits the ground dead.
Nez Perce - Chaos
Genre: Historical
Director: Scott Cooper
Writer: Dwight Gallo
Cast:
Adam Beach .... Joseph
Martin Sensmeier …. Ollokot
Gil Birmingham .... Toohoolhoolzote
Forrest Goodluck …. Wahlitits
Julia Jones …. Springtime
Amber Midthunder .... Little Bird
Tatanka Means .... Red Grizzly
Zahn McClarnon .... Looking Glass
Grace Dove …. Fairland
William Belleau .... Yellow Wolf
Luke Wilson .... Colonel John Gibbon
Plot:1877. Everyone looks up in the Nez Perce camp, not sure what has just happened. All is quiet for one brief moment, and then, from the distant trees, Col. John Gibbon's (Luke Wilson) men come screaming "For Custer!" Smoke fills the valley as hundreds of rifles explode. The Americans charge, taking the Nez Perce by surprise. The American Howitzer rains death from the hills above as soldiers swarm the tipis. Bayonets slice and stab. The air is filled with smoke and savage screams. The ground is covered with dead and dying women and children. The tipis are set on fire. Joseph (Adam Beach) grabs Springtime (Julia Jones) and their daughter Running Feet and heads for the river. Toohoolhoolzote (Gil Birmingham) knocks a soldier down and cuts his throat. Red Grizzly (Tatanka Means) fights with fury, killing one soldier after another. He's unstoppable. Lookin Glass (Zahn McClarnon) and the rest of the warriors fight as best they can, but are quickly driven back by overwhelming numbers.
The battle is absolute chaos. Figures dart in and out of the thick gun smoke. Bullets fly in every direction. Every few seconds, a Howitzer canon shell explodes, tearing bodies apart and showering the earth with blood and dirt. A solider sees one of his friends being dragged into a tipi. He rushes in, kills the squaw who was about to kill his friend, then runs his bayonet through a screaming baby. He is then immediately shot himself by a barrage of gunfire ripping the tipi apart.
Little Bird (Amber Midthunder) is thrown to the ground by a soldier. She struggles against her attacker, when Wahlitits (Forrest Goodluck) suddenly throws the soldier off of her and bashes his skull in with a rock. Breathing heavy, Wahlitits turns to face Little Bird. His eyes grow wide when he sees that she has been shot in the chest. She collapses into his arms. He lowers her gently to the ground as the battle continues all around them. He tells her he is sorry. Little Bird reaches out and gently touches his face. Tears stream from his eyes. Suddenly an explosion consumes them both. Toohoolhoolzote sees the Howitzer on the hillside and starts running towards it.
Joseph hurries to get his family to safety. He glances back at the raging battle, deeply conflicted. Springtime looks at him. She understands, and tells him to go and fight. Joseph hesitates, then nods. He tells Springtime to get their daughter to the river. Joseph then heads back into the fray. Springtime and her daughter, Running Feet, run for their lives as bullets whiz past their heads. Suddenly, Springtime is hit with two bullets. She falls to the ground and does not get back up. Her daughter tries to wake her up, but Springtime is not responsive. She begs her mother to get up, but Springtime does not answer. She senses she must flee and forces herself to leave her mother and run away on her own. Fairland (Grace Dove) is cut down by gunfire. She falls to ground and rolls to the bottom of a hill, lifeless. Running Feet comes up over a hill, and starts heading back towards the camp. People are dying all around her as she runs through the camp. She keeps moving, miraculously unharmed. She reaches the charred remains of a tipi and stops. She picks up a doll. She turns and takes in the slaughter going on all around her. Tears stream down her face. She starts looking for her father. A Howitzer shell explodes nearby, engulfing her in smoke, but not harming her. She starts running back towards the river. Soldiers shoot at her, narrowly missing her. She reaches the river, which is full of floating bodies, both American and Indian. She crawls into the water. She floats with the bodies down river, clutching onto her doll.
Toohoolhoolzote charges through the chaos. He hops on a horse and gallops towards the Howitzer. The horse rears up and falls down. Toohoolhoolzote hits the ground hard, his leg pinned by the fallen horse. He reaches for his rifle, but it's just out of reach. Soldiers fire all around him. He pulls out a knife. He apologizes to the horse, and then digs the knife into the horse's back, The horse kicks up. Toohoolhoolzote grabs his rife and charges for the Howitzer. Two soldiers man the canon. One takes a bullet to the head. The other looks up just in time to see Toohoolhoolzote bury a knife into his chest. Toohoolhoolzote turns to the howitzer and finds that the fuse has already been lit. He throws all his weight against the canon and manages to move its aim just in time to send the the canon toward the American soldiers.
Joseph and Looking Glass summon their men and charge back into the village, overwhelming the Americans. Toohoolhoolzote sees Gibbon retreating on his horse. He aims his rifle and fires. Gibbon's shoulder explodes from the bullet. He falls off his horse and hits the ground. Toohoolhoolzote drops his gun, draws his knife and charges towards Gibbon. An American soldier comes out of nowhere and buries his bayonet in Toohoolhoolzote's side. Toohoolhoolzote knocks the soldier down and kills him. He removes the bayonet from his body with great pain. The wound slows him down, and half a dozen soldiers carry Gibbon away as they retreat.
Joseph, Ollokot (Martin Sensmeier) and Looking Glass drive the remaining Americans out of their camp, screaming after them. Toohoolhoolzote watches the Americans retreat, slumped against the Howitzer, struggling to catch his breath. More than a hundred Nez Perce, mostly women and children, have been slaughtered. An equal number of American soldiers litter the ground beside them. Joseph begins frantically looking for his family. He passes death with each step. He reluctantly looks at each body fearing one might be his wife or daughter. Joseph comes down a hill and finds Ollotkot clutching Fairland's dead body, crying. Joseph watches with heartache. Looking Glass calls out for Joseph, telling him he's found Springtime.
Genre: Historical
Director: Scott Cooper
Writer: Dwight Gallo
Cast:
Adam Beach .... Joseph
Martin Sensmeier …. Ollokot
Gil Birmingham .... Toohoolhoolzote
Forrest Goodluck …. Wahlitits
Julia Jones …. Springtime
Amber Midthunder .... Little Bird
Tatanka Means .... Red Grizzly
Zahn McClarnon .... Looking Glass
Grace Dove …. Fairland
William Belleau .... Yellow Wolf
Luke Wilson .... Colonel John Gibbon
Plot:1877. Everyone looks up in the Nez Perce camp, not sure what has just happened. All is quiet for one brief moment, and then, from the distant trees, Col. John Gibbon's (Luke Wilson) men come screaming "For Custer!" Smoke fills the valley as hundreds of rifles explode. The Americans charge, taking the Nez Perce by surprise. The American Howitzer rains death from the hills above as soldiers swarm the tipis. Bayonets slice and stab. The air is filled with smoke and savage screams. The ground is covered with dead and dying women and children. The tipis are set on fire. Joseph (Adam Beach) grabs Springtime (Julia Jones) and their daughter Running Feet and heads for the river. Toohoolhoolzote (Gil Birmingham) knocks a soldier down and cuts his throat. Red Grizzly (Tatanka Means) fights with fury, killing one soldier after another. He's unstoppable. Lookin Glass (Zahn McClarnon) and the rest of the warriors fight as best they can, but are quickly driven back by overwhelming numbers.
The battle is absolute chaos. Figures dart in and out of the thick gun smoke. Bullets fly in every direction. Every few seconds, a Howitzer canon shell explodes, tearing bodies apart and showering the earth with blood and dirt. A solider sees one of his friends being dragged into a tipi. He rushes in, kills the squaw who was about to kill his friend, then runs his bayonet through a screaming baby. He is then immediately shot himself by a barrage of gunfire ripping the tipi apart.
Little Bird (Amber Midthunder) is thrown to the ground by a soldier. She struggles against her attacker, when Wahlitits (Forrest Goodluck) suddenly throws the soldier off of her and bashes his skull in with a rock. Breathing heavy, Wahlitits turns to face Little Bird. His eyes grow wide when he sees that she has been shot in the chest. She collapses into his arms. He lowers her gently to the ground as the battle continues all around them. He tells her he is sorry. Little Bird reaches out and gently touches his face. Tears stream from his eyes. Suddenly an explosion consumes them both. Toohoolhoolzote sees the Howitzer on the hillside and starts running towards it.
Joseph hurries to get his family to safety. He glances back at the raging battle, deeply conflicted. Springtime looks at him. She understands, and tells him to go and fight. Joseph hesitates, then nods. He tells Springtime to get their daughter to the river. Joseph then heads back into the fray. Springtime and her daughter, Running Feet, run for their lives as bullets whiz past their heads. Suddenly, Springtime is hit with two bullets. She falls to the ground and does not get back up. Her daughter tries to wake her up, but Springtime is not responsive. She begs her mother to get up, but Springtime does not answer. She senses she must flee and forces herself to leave her mother and run away on her own. Fairland (Grace Dove) is cut down by gunfire. She falls to ground and rolls to the bottom of a hill, lifeless. Running Feet comes up over a hill, and starts heading back towards the camp. People are dying all around her as she runs through the camp. She keeps moving, miraculously unharmed. She reaches the charred remains of a tipi and stops. She picks up a doll. She turns and takes in the slaughter going on all around her. Tears stream down her face. She starts looking for her father. A Howitzer shell explodes nearby, engulfing her in smoke, but not harming her. She starts running back towards the river. Soldiers shoot at her, narrowly missing her. She reaches the river, which is full of floating bodies, both American and Indian. She crawls into the water. She floats with the bodies down river, clutching onto her doll.
Toohoolhoolzote charges through the chaos. He hops on a horse and gallops towards the Howitzer. The horse rears up and falls down. Toohoolhoolzote hits the ground hard, his leg pinned by the fallen horse. He reaches for his rifle, but it's just out of reach. Soldiers fire all around him. He pulls out a knife. He apologizes to the horse, and then digs the knife into the horse's back, The horse kicks up. Toohoolhoolzote grabs his rife and charges for the Howitzer. Two soldiers man the canon. One takes a bullet to the head. The other looks up just in time to see Toohoolhoolzote bury a knife into his chest. Toohoolhoolzote turns to the howitzer and finds that the fuse has already been lit. He throws all his weight against the canon and manages to move its aim just in time to send the the canon toward the American soldiers.
Joseph and Looking Glass summon their men and charge back into the village, overwhelming the Americans. Toohoolhoolzote sees Gibbon retreating on his horse. He aims his rifle and fires. Gibbon's shoulder explodes from the bullet. He falls off his horse and hits the ground. Toohoolhoolzote drops his gun, draws his knife and charges towards Gibbon. An American soldier comes out of nowhere and buries his bayonet in Toohoolhoolzote's side. Toohoolhoolzote knocks the soldier down and kills him. He removes the bayonet from his body with great pain. The wound slows him down, and half a dozen soldiers carry Gibbon away as they retreat.
Joseph, Ollokot (Martin Sensmeier) and Looking Glass drive the remaining Americans out of their camp, screaming after them. Toohoolhoolzote watches the Americans retreat, slumped against the Howitzer, struggling to catch his breath. More than a hundred Nez Perce, mostly women and children, have been slaughtered. An equal number of American soldiers litter the ground beside them. Joseph begins frantically looking for his family. He passes death with each step. He reluctantly looks at each body fearing one might be his wife or daughter. Joseph comes down a hill and finds Ollotkot clutching Fairland's dead body, crying. Joseph watches with heartache. Looking Glass calls out for Joseph, telling him he's found Springtime.
Nez Perce - Aftermath
Genre: Historical
Director: Scott Cooper
Writer: Dwight Gallo
Cast:
Adam Beach .... Joseph
Matthew Rhys .... General Oliver O. Howard
Gil Birmingham .... Toohoolhoolzote
Julia Jones …. Springtime
Tatanka Means .... Red Grizzly
Zahn McClarnon .... Looking Glass
Ben Schnetzer .... Captain David Perry
Lily Gladstone .... Oyema
Ray McKinnon .... General William T. Sherman
Luke Wilson .... Colonel John Gibbon
Irene Bedard .... Little Bird's Mother
Zach Gilford .... Lieutenant James Bradley
Plot:1877. General Oliver O. Howard (Matthew Rhys) arrives to find Gibbon's camp turned into a makeshift hospital filled with wounded and dying soldiers. A handful of army medics struggle to save those they can. Howard finds Col. John Gibbon (Luke Wilson) on a gurney in the middle of the room. Gibbon struggles to speak, but manages to say that the Indians drove them back. A medic yells that he needs a tourniquet. Howard looks up. A young soldier is about to have his leg amputated. Several soldiers are attempting to hold him down. Howard unfastens his belt and hands it to the medic, who wraps it tightly around the soldier's wounded leg. The medic then picks up a rusty saw, already caked with blood. Howard tells him to give the soldier something to bite down on. A small piece of wood is placed in the soldier's mouth. The medic begins cutting off the limb like firewood. Howard cringes, and looks over where his missing arm should be.
Toohoolhoolzote (Gil Birmingham) stares at the distant American camp from a hillside. He can hear the soldier scream as his leg is cut off. He turns and heads back to the Nez Perce camp. Joseph (Adam Beach) watches as medicine men attend to his wife Springtime (Julia Jones). Toohoolhoolzote cautiously approaches, asking if she'll live. Joseph tells him the medicine men don't know. Toohoolhoolzote tells Joseph that General Howard has arrived to the American camp. Joseph takes a deep breath, not sure what to say. Suddenly he sees something off in the distance. Running Feet is coming down the hill. Joseph runs over and picks up his daughter in his arms. He holds her tightly as tears stream from his eyes.
Later, Joseph slowly walks through the camp. Nearly everyone has been wounded. The air is filled with funeral chants. Joseph discovers Little Bird's mother (Irene Bedard). She sits all alone. Joseph then hears a baby crying. He makes his way through the bodies and discovers an infant in the arms of a dead mother. He stares down at the crying child. Oyema (Lily Gladstone) sits, mourning the death of her husband in addition to the child she already lost. Joseph approaches with the crying baby. Oyema looks up and immediately understands. Without words she takes the child from Joseph and unbinds her breasts. She puts the child's mouth to her nipple and the baby stops crying. Joseph turns and leaves.
Howard and Captain David Perry (Ben Schnetzer) walk quietly among the fallen bodies on the battle field. Perry takes in the slaughter and slowly comes to the realization that this was the plan all along. They would keep the Indians at a slow pace so that Gibbon could intercept them and massacre them. Howard doesn't answer. He just stares at the bodies littering the ground. Up ahead he sees the Bannock Scouts scalping Nez Perce corpses. Howard chases them away.
At the American camp, Lt. James Bradley (Zach Gilford) is having a nightmare. He jolts awake. He leaves the camp and walks across a peaceful meadow. He hears something up ahead. He sees a riderless horse covered in blood. He wonders aloud if it is the same horse from Little Big Horn. He approaches carefully and gently strokes the horse's mane. Bradley is so caught up in thought that he doesn't hear the sound of galloping horse hooves approaching behind him. Bradley suddenly turns around just in time to see a pipe tomahawk slam into his face. Six Nez Perce warriors charge past Bradley's dead body and disappear into the night.
The next morning, General William T. Sherman (Ray McKinnon) is reading a newspaper. The front page story is all about Chief Joseph. Sherman is not amused and orders a young soldier to bring him in a different newspaper. This paper has a cover story about Joseph as well. Sherman knocks everything off of his desk in a burst of anger.
Joseph watches as his tribe begins to move. Slowly, silently, their spirits have been broken. Nearby Springtime sits on a horse. She looks pale and sick. Joseph asks her if she is capable of riding. Springtime manages a nod. The Nez Perce tribe marches across the endless Montana landscape. Looking Glass (Zahn McClarnon) rides over to Joseph. Looking Glass tells him that he needs Joseph to come with him. Joseph follows Looking Glass through thick forest trees towards a clearing. They see smoke first, and then they see a cabin being consumed by flames. Joseph dismounts. He walks towards the burning house where he finds a family of five slaughtered, flayed with arrows. Joseph stares at the bodies for a moment, then turns and leaves. Joseph walks back to the woods and disappears behind some trees. He falls to the ground and begins to cry.
The Nez Perce tribe slowly begins to make its way across the beautiful terrain of Yellowstone National Park. The tribe comes over the pass and goes around Henry Lake, moving deeper into Yellowstone. The colors are beginning to turn as Fall quickly approaches. The Nez Perce look tired wounded. This is no longer the tribe that scaled the Bitterroot Mountains and crossed the Snake River. The mighty geyser, Old Faithful, explodes into the sky. Some Nez Perce watch with wonder, but most are too tired to notice.
Joseph holds his daughter close and rides beside Springtime. He asks her if she's still with him. Springtime nods. Joseph sees Red Grizzly (Tatanka Means) riding nearby. The two men stare at each other for a moment. Joseph turns back to his family and keeps moving forward.
Genre: Historical
Director: Scott Cooper
Writer: Dwight Gallo
Cast:
Adam Beach .... Joseph
Matthew Rhys .... General Oliver O. Howard
Gil Birmingham .... Toohoolhoolzote
Julia Jones …. Springtime
Tatanka Means .... Red Grizzly
Zahn McClarnon .... Looking Glass
Ben Schnetzer .... Captain David Perry
Lily Gladstone .... Oyema
Ray McKinnon .... General William T. Sherman
Luke Wilson .... Colonel John Gibbon
Irene Bedard .... Little Bird's Mother
Zach Gilford .... Lieutenant James Bradley
Plot:1877. General Oliver O. Howard (Matthew Rhys) arrives to find Gibbon's camp turned into a makeshift hospital filled with wounded and dying soldiers. A handful of army medics struggle to save those they can. Howard finds Col. John Gibbon (Luke Wilson) on a gurney in the middle of the room. Gibbon struggles to speak, but manages to say that the Indians drove them back. A medic yells that he needs a tourniquet. Howard looks up. A young soldier is about to have his leg amputated. Several soldiers are attempting to hold him down. Howard unfastens his belt and hands it to the medic, who wraps it tightly around the soldier's wounded leg. The medic then picks up a rusty saw, already caked with blood. Howard tells him to give the soldier something to bite down on. A small piece of wood is placed in the soldier's mouth. The medic begins cutting off the limb like firewood. Howard cringes, and looks over where his missing arm should be.
Toohoolhoolzote (Gil Birmingham) stares at the distant American camp from a hillside. He can hear the soldier scream as his leg is cut off. He turns and heads back to the Nez Perce camp. Joseph (Adam Beach) watches as medicine men attend to his wife Springtime (Julia Jones). Toohoolhoolzote cautiously approaches, asking if she'll live. Joseph tells him the medicine men don't know. Toohoolhoolzote tells Joseph that General Howard has arrived to the American camp. Joseph takes a deep breath, not sure what to say. Suddenly he sees something off in the distance. Running Feet is coming down the hill. Joseph runs over and picks up his daughter in his arms. He holds her tightly as tears stream from his eyes.
Later, Joseph slowly walks through the camp. Nearly everyone has been wounded. The air is filled with funeral chants. Joseph discovers Little Bird's mother (Irene Bedard). She sits all alone. Joseph then hears a baby crying. He makes his way through the bodies and discovers an infant in the arms of a dead mother. He stares down at the crying child. Oyema (Lily Gladstone) sits, mourning the death of her husband in addition to the child she already lost. Joseph approaches with the crying baby. Oyema looks up and immediately understands. Without words she takes the child from Joseph and unbinds her breasts. She puts the child's mouth to her nipple and the baby stops crying. Joseph turns and leaves.
Howard and Captain David Perry (Ben Schnetzer) walk quietly among the fallen bodies on the battle field. Perry takes in the slaughter and slowly comes to the realization that this was the plan all along. They would keep the Indians at a slow pace so that Gibbon could intercept them and massacre them. Howard doesn't answer. He just stares at the bodies littering the ground. Up ahead he sees the Bannock Scouts scalping Nez Perce corpses. Howard chases them away.
At the American camp, Lt. James Bradley (Zach Gilford) is having a nightmare. He jolts awake. He leaves the camp and walks across a peaceful meadow. He hears something up ahead. He sees a riderless horse covered in blood. He wonders aloud if it is the same horse from Little Big Horn. He approaches carefully and gently strokes the horse's mane. Bradley is so caught up in thought that he doesn't hear the sound of galloping horse hooves approaching behind him. Bradley suddenly turns around just in time to see a pipe tomahawk slam into his face. Six Nez Perce warriors charge past Bradley's dead body and disappear into the night.
The next morning, General William T. Sherman (Ray McKinnon) is reading a newspaper. The front page story is all about Chief Joseph. Sherman is not amused and orders a young soldier to bring him in a different newspaper. This paper has a cover story about Joseph as well. Sherman knocks everything off of his desk in a burst of anger.
Joseph watches as his tribe begins to move. Slowly, silently, their spirits have been broken. Nearby Springtime sits on a horse. She looks pale and sick. Joseph asks her if she is capable of riding. Springtime manages a nod. The Nez Perce tribe marches across the endless Montana landscape. Looking Glass (Zahn McClarnon) rides over to Joseph. Looking Glass tells him that he needs Joseph to come with him. Joseph follows Looking Glass through thick forest trees towards a clearing. They see smoke first, and then they see a cabin being consumed by flames. Joseph dismounts. He walks towards the burning house where he finds a family of five slaughtered, flayed with arrows. Joseph stares at the bodies for a moment, then turns and leaves. Joseph walks back to the woods and disappears behind some trees. He falls to the ground and begins to cry.
The Nez Perce tribe slowly begins to make its way across the beautiful terrain of Yellowstone National Park. The tribe comes over the pass and goes around Henry Lake, moving deeper into Yellowstone. The colors are beginning to turn as Fall quickly approaches. The Nez Perce look tired wounded. This is no longer the tribe that scaled the Bitterroot Mountains and crossed the Snake River. The mighty geyser, Old Faithful, explodes into the sky. Some Nez Perce watch with wonder, but most are too tired to notice.
Joseph holds his daughter close and rides beside Springtime. He asks her if she's still with him. Springtime nods. Joseph sees Red Grizzly (Tatanka Means) riding nearby. The two men stare at each other for a moment. Joseph turns back to his family and keeps moving forward.
Nez Perce - Atlas
Genre: Historical
Director: Scott Cooper
Writer: Dwight Gallo
Cast:
Adam Beach .... Joseph
Matthew Rhys .... General Oliver O. Howard
Julia Jones …. Springtime
Tatanka Means .... Red Grizzly
Zahn McClarnon .... Looking Glass
Ben Schnetzer .... Captain David Perry
Lily Gladstone .... Oyema
Jim Beaver .... Harold
Damon Herriman .... Col. Nelson A. Miles
Plot:1877. The tribe comes to a stop for the evening after a long day of marching. An old woman suddenly collapses from exhaustion. A few people surround her, but it is too late. She is already dead. The tribe performs a funeral dance. Joseph (Adam Beach), arms wrapped around Springtime (Julia Jones), watches. Oyema (Lily Gladstone) sits nearby, gently rocking her new baby to sleep. Red Grizzly (Tatanka Means) lurks in the shadows. He sees Ollokot (Martin Sensmeier) standing a few feet away. The two men stare at each other for a moment, then Red Grizzly turns and disappears into the darkness.
In the morning, General Oliver O. Howard (Matthew Rhys) rides next to Captain David Perry (Ben Schnetzer), leading his army through Yellowstone. The soldiers and their horses seem tired. The wind blows. Perry looks up at the grey skies and comments on how cold the wind is getting. Howard remains quiet and the American keep moving forward.
Joseph rides up beside Springtime as the Nez Perce continue their journey. She looks at him and tells him she is cold. Joseph tries to rub her shoulders for warmth. Their daughter, Running Feet, says she is cold too. Joseph looks down at his daughter with aching eyes. It's breaking his heart that there is nothing he can do to help them. Suddenly gunshots are heard up ahead. Joseph kicks his horse and gallops towards the front of the line.
Two white men, carrying maps and surveying equipment, are forced to their knees as Nez Perce warriors surround them. Joseph climbs off his horse and slowly approaches. Ollokot tells Joseph the men were sleeping when we came upon them. The two men then had quickly fired their guns. Joseph looks at the two men, who are now trembling in fear, begging not to be killed. Joseph asks the men why they are there. They say they are making maps. One of the men, Harold (Jim Beaver), opens his case and pulls out several hand-drawn maps. Joseph studies them carefully. Harold suddenly realizes he's talking to Chief Joseph. Joseph doesn't respond. He hands the maps to Ollokot and Looking Glass (Zahn McClarnon). Harold tells his buddy that Chief Joseph is the one from all the newspapers. He then comments that the minute they saw soldiers they should've known there was trouble. Joseph asks Harold what he means. Harold spreads out one of his maps on the ground. Joseph kneels down. Looking Glass and Ollokot stand nearby. Harold shows Joseph on the map where he saw soldiers heading west three days prior. Joseph asks how many, and Harold tells him five hundred, maybe more. Ollokot says that if Harold is telling the truth they will run right into the soldiers. Looking Glass they can't turn around since Howard's men are coming from behind. Ollokot comments that they are not strong enough to face off against another army. Frustrated, Ollokot storms off. Looking Glass watches him go, then turns back to face Joseph, and asks Joseph what they should do with the surveyors. Joseph hesitates, unsure what they should do. Red Grizzly suddenly steps forward and says they should kill the white men since they'll just tell the soldiers where they all are. Ollokot, filled with rage, forces the two men to their knees. He then starts to load his rifle. Joseph is alarmed and asks his brother what he's doing. Ollokot agrees with Red Grizzly on the matter. Harold tries to stand, but Ollokot kicks him to the ground. Joseph reminds Ollokot that they do not kill women and innocent men, that has never been their way. He tells Ollokot that these are not the men who killed Fairland. Ollokot hesitates, then raises his gun to fire, but Joseph grabs the barrel and places it against his own chest. He tells Ollokot that if he wants to kill innocent men that he must kill him first. Harold asks for Joseph's attention. He tells Joseph there's a gulch nearby that nobody knows about. It's a thousand feet down and real narrow. If they can get there, it'll take them out of the park and the soldiers would never even see them. Ollokot lowers his gun. Harold and his buddy run off. Harold and his buddy run for their lives through the thick forest when they are stopped by a group of twenty American soldiers.
Joseph leads the tribe into the gulch of Clark's Fork Canyon. It's so narrow that two horses can barely walk beside one another. Looking Glass rides beside Joseph. Looking Glass asks Joseph if he's sure about this. Joseph doesn't answer. He just keeps pressing forward.
Howard and his men come across the body of the old woman. Howard stares at her dead body for a long, sad moment, before telling his men to keep moving. Harold is brought into a tent where he is confronted by Col. Nelson A. Miles (Damon Herriman), who demands to know where the Nez Perce went. Miles pulls out a map and tells Harold to point it out for him. Harold points to a spot on the map. Miles asks him if he's sure, and Harold nods his head.
The Nez Perce come out of the gulch at Clark's Fork Canyon. The weather is growing colder, darker, threatening to bring snow any moment.
Genre: Historical
Director: Scott Cooper
Writer: Dwight Gallo
Cast:
Adam Beach .... Joseph
Matthew Rhys .... General Oliver O. Howard
Julia Jones …. Springtime
Tatanka Means .... Red Grizzly
Zahn McClarnon .... Looking Glass
Ben Schnetzer .... Captain David Perry
Lily Gladstone .... Oyema
Jim Beaver .... Harold
Damon Herriman .... Col. Nelson A. Miles
Plot:1877. The tribe comes to a stop for the evening after a long day of marching. An old woman suddenly collapses from exhaustion. A few people surround her, but it is too late. She is already dead. The tribe performs a funeral dance. Joseph (Adam Beach), arms wrapped around Springtime (Julia Jones), watches. Oyema (Lily Gladstone) sits nearby, gently rocking her new baby to sleep. Red Grizzly (Tatanka Means) lurks in the shadows. He sees Ollokot (Martin Sensmeier) standing a few feet away. The two men stare at each other for a moment, then Red Grizzly turns and disappears into the darkness.
In the morning, General Oliver O. Howard (Matthew Rhys) rides next to Captain David Perry (Ben Schnetzer), leading his army through Yellowstone. The soldiers and their horses seem tired. The wind blows. Perry looks up at the grey skies and comments on how cold the wind is getting. Howard remains quiet and the American keep moving forward.
Joseph rides up beside Springtime as the Nez Perce continue their journey. She looks at him and tells him she is cold. Joseph tries to rub her shoulders for warmth. Their daughter, Running Feet, says she is cold too. Joseph looks down at his daughter with aching eyes. It's breaking his heart that there is nothing he can do to help them. Suddenly gunshots are heard up ahead. Joseph kicks his horse and gallops towards the front of the line.
Two white men, carrying maps and surveying equipment, are forced to their knees as Nez Perce warriors surround them. Joseph climbs off his horse and slowly approaches. Ollokot tells Joseph the men were sleeping when we came upon them. The two men then had quickly fired their guns. Joseph looks at the two men, who are now trembling in fear, begging not to be killed. Joseph asks the men why they are there. They say they are making maps. One of the men, Harold (Jim Beaver), opens his case and pulls out several hand-drawn maps. Joseph studies them carefully. Harold suddenly realizes he's talking to Chief Joseph. Joseph doesn't respond. He hands the maps to Ollokot and Looking Glass (Zahn McClarnon). Harold tells his buddy that Chief Joseph is the one from all the newspapers. He then comments that the minute they saw soldiers they should've known there was trouble. Joseph asks Harold what he means. Harold spreads out one of his maps on the ground. Joseph kneels down. Looking Glass and Ollokot stand nearby. Harold shows Joseph on the map where he saw soldiers heading west three days prior. Joseph asks how many, and Harold tells him five hundred, maybe more. Ollokot says that if Harold is telling the truth they will run right into the soldiers. Looking Glass they can't turn around since Howard's men are coming from behind. Ollokot comments that they are not strong enough to face off against another army. Frustrated, Ollokot storms off. Looking Glass watches him go, then turns back to face Joseph, and asks Joseph what they should do with the surveyors. Joseph hesitates, unsure what they should do. Red Grizzly suddenly steps forward and says they should kill the white men since they'll just tell the soldiers where they all are. Ollokot, filled with rage, forces the two men to their knees. He then starts to load his rifle. Joseph is alarmed and asks his brother what he's doing. Ollokot agrees with Red Grizzly on the matter. Harold tries to stand, but Ollokot kicks him to the ground. Joseph reminds Ollokot that they do not kill women and innocent men, that has never been their way. He tells Ollokot that these are not the men who killed Fairland. Ollokot hesitates, then raises his gun to fire, but Joseph grabs the barrel and places it against his own chest. He tells Ollokot that if he wants to kill innocent men that he must kill him first. Harold asks for Joseph's attention. He tells Joseph there's a gulch nearby that nobody knows about. It's a thousand feet down and real narrow. If they can get there, it'll take them out of the park and the soldiers would never even see them. Ollokot lowers his gun. Harold and his buddy run off. Harold and his buddy run for their lives through the thick forest when they are stopped by a group of twenty American soldiers.
Joseph leads the tribe into the gulch of Clark's Fork Canyon. It's so narrow that two horses can barely walk beside one another. Looking Glass rides beside Joseph. Looking Glass asks Joseph if he's sure about this. Joseph doesn't answer. He just keeps pressing forward.
Howard and his men come across the body of the old woman. Howard stares at her dead body for a long, sad moment, before telling his men to keep moving. Harold is brought into a tent where he is confronted by Col. Nelson A. Miles (Damon Herriman), who demands to know where the Nez Perce went. Miles pulls out a map and tells Harold to point it out for him. Harold points to a spot on the map. Miles asks him if he's sure, and Harold nods his head.
The Nez Perce come out of the gulch at Clark's Fork Canyon. The weather is growing colder, darker, threatening to bring snow any moment.
Nez Perce - Smoke
Genre: Historical
Director: Scott Cooper
Writer: Dwight Gallo
Cast:
Adam Beach .... Joseph
Julia Jones …. Springtime
Martin Sensmeier .... Ollokot
Zahn McClarnon .... Looking Glass
Gil Birmingham .... Toohoolhoolzote
Lily Gladstone .... Oyema
Damon Herriman .... Col. Nelson A. Miles
Irene Bedard .... Little Bird's mother
David Midthunder .... Bannock Scout
Plot:1877. Chief Joseph (Adam Beach) stands on a hillside overlook with two Nez Perce scouts. He tells that now that the country is flat, it is important to be on the lookout for people. A stampeding herd, a flock of birds changing course, these are signs to watch for. He says if they see soldiers, it's already too late.
That night, the freezing Nez Perce exhale visible breath into the night air. Joseph wraps his arms around his daughter. She asks him why they can't light a fire. He tells her that the soldier would be able to see it. Running Feet closes her eyes. Joseph looks over to Springtime (Julia Jones). Her eyes are growing more vacant by the day. Nearby, Ollokot (Martin Sensmeier) sees Oyema (Lily Gladstone) struggling to keep her baby warm. He offers her his blanket. At first she hesitates, then takes it and thanks him. Ollokot nods. Staring at the child, he tries to forget about his sorrow and the terrible cold piercing through his body.
The next morning, the Nez Perce cross the Missouri River, tired and hungry. Light run drizzles down on them. Joseph and Looking Glass (Zahn McClarnon) glance up at the sky. Looking Glass begs the sky to not snow. Near the back of the line, an old woman falls down, dead. The tribe keeps moving, unable to stop. She is just one of a dozen who fallen for good. The tribe keeps moving through the cold wind and rain. Joseph sees a group of Indian riders in the far distance. Looking Glass asks if they are Crow. Joseph nods.
Joseph and Looking Glass sit with the Crow warriors. They claim to come with good news. Looking Glass and Joseph plead with them for help. They need food and clothes, anything the Crow can spare. The Crow warriors say they misunderstand. They cannot help the Nez Perce. There are too many whites. More soldiers and more forts. The whites are everywhere and more are coming each day. Looking Glass is confused and asks what the supposed good news is. The Crow warriors tell him that Sitting Bull has returned. Joseph suddenly looks up, intrigued. They go on to say it is only a rumor, but they believe him to be nearby. They say to find him. Joseph nods as the cold wind blows.
General Nelson A. Miles (Damon Herriman) and his men ride under the cover of night. The sky begins to lighten from the impending sunrise. He tells his men to prepare to make camp. No tents, no fires, nothing that can be seen from a distance. Everyone must sleep against the hillside and keep out of sight.
As the sun rises, the Nez Perce camp awakens. On the hillside, two scouts look across the plains. There are figures, tiny dots, far in the distance. The scouts are unsure if they are buffalo or people.
The Nez Perce march across the landscape. Rain has turned to sleet. Joseph rides with Running Feet in his arms, shielding her as best he can. Springtime rides beside them, clearly in pain. Toohoolhoolzote (Gil Birmingham) and Looking Glass brace against the cold. Oyema keeps her baby bundled close. Ollokot rides beside her, doing what he can to protect her from the cold wind. The scouts appear over the horizon. Joseph and Looking Glass meet them halfway. They tell him no sign of Sitting Bull. Joseph asks about soldiers, and they tell him they haven't seen any soldiers either. The tribe keeps moving. They come over a small bluff. In the far distance, mountains appear. Looking Glass stares with disbelief as his face fills with recognition. Canada is just up ahead. Everyone looks up, exhausted and amazed. They're almost made it.
That night the tribe makes camp. Springtime sleeps, her breathing growing heavy and labored. Joseph watches her with great concern. He carefully lifts her shirt to check her wounds and discovers they've turned gangrenous. Knowing there's nothing he can do, he lowers her shirt and puts his blanket around her. Then he gets to his feet and leaves. He finds Ollokot standing at the edge of camp. Together, the two brothers stare into the darkness. Ollokot asks how Springtime is doing. Joseph shakes his head. She's still breathing, but that's about all he can say. Ollokot asks what the plan is once they get to Canada. Joseph stares at his brother, confused. Ollokot wonders if they can talk to the American Chief to make him understand it was the young warrior who did the killing, that they tried to surrender at White Bird. Joseph doesn't know what the future holds. They suddenly notice that somebody has started a fire. Joseph and Ollokot charge through the camp. Reaching the fire, they begin to frantically stomp it out. The small fire can be seen for miles. It flickers for a brief moment, then disappears into the darkness. Smoke rises from the extinguished fire. Joseph and Ollokot look down to see that it was Little Bird's mother (Irene Bedard) that started the fire. She sobs, crying that she's cold. Ollokot asks Joseph if he thinks anybody saw. Joseph shakes his head, not sure.
Miles away, a Bannock Scout (David Midthunder) comes out of the darkness and looks down at the Nez Perce camp. He saw the fire. He rides back to Col. Miles' camp to report his findings. Miles tells his men to ready as they must leave at once.
The Nez Perce awaken at dawn and gather their things. Ollokot and Oyema exchange a look as they get ready. Joseph gently nudges Springtime. She doesn't wake. For a moment, he's scared she has died, but then her eyes flicker open. Joseph sighs with relief. Nearby, Toohoolhoolzote helps Little Bird's Mother stand up. He assures her that they have just one more day, then it will all be over.
The Nez Perce scouts stare out across the plains. Bad weather makes it difficult to see. A herd of buffalo roam three miles away. The scouts stand and walk away. One realizes he's forgotten something and turns back. He bends over and picks his telescope off the ground. He looks up and his face floods with panic. The herd of buffalo is stampeding. He looks through his telescope. Hundreds of soldiers on horses, approaching fast. The two scouts hurry back to camp and yell that soldiers are coming. Order in the camp fragments as warriors prepare for battle.
Genre: Historical
Director: Scott Cooper
Writer: Dwight Gallo
Cast:
Adam Beach .... Joseph
Julia Jones …. Springtime
Martin Sensmeier .... Ollokot
Zahn McClarnon .... Looking Glass
Gil Birmingham .... Toohoolhoolzote
Lily Gladstone .... Oyema
Damon Herriman .... Col. Nelson A. Miles
Irene Bedard .... Little Bird's mother
David Midthunder .... Bannock Scout
Plot:1877. Chief Joseph (Adam Beach) stands on a hillside overlook with two Nez Perce scouts. He tells that now that the country is flat, it is important to be on the lookout for people. A stampeding herd, a flock of birds changing course, these are signs to watch for. He says if they see soldiers, it's already too late.
That night, the freezing Nez Perce exhale visible breath into the night air. Joseph wraps his arms around his daughter. She asks him why they can't light a fire. He tells her that the soldier would be able to see it. Running Feet closes her eyes. Joseph looks over to Springtime (Julia Jones). Her eyes are growing more vacant by the day. Nearby, Ollokot (Martin Sensmeier) sees Oyema (Lily Gladstone) struggling to keep her baby warm. He offers her his blanket. At first she hesitates, then takes it and thanks him. Ollokot nods. Staring at the child, he tries to forget about his sorrow and the terrible cold piercing through his body.
The next morning, the Nez Perce cross the Missouri River, tired and hungry. Light run drizzles down on them. Joseph and Looking Glass (Zahn McClarnon) glance up at the sky. Looking Glass begs the sky to not snow. Near the back of the line, an old woman falls down, dead. The tribe keeps moving, unable to stop. She is just one of a dozen who fallen for good. The tribe keeps moving through the cold wind and rain. Joseph sees a group of Indian riders in the far distance. Looking Glass asks if they are Crow. Joseph nods.
Joseph and Looking Glass sit with the Crow warriors. They claim to come with good news. Looking Glass and Joseph plead with them for help. They need food and clothes, anything the Crow can spare. The Crow warriors say they misunderstand. They cannot help the Nez Perce. There are too many whites. More soldiers and more forts. The whites are everywhere and more are coming each day. Looking Glass is confused and asks what the supposed good news is. The Crow warriors tell him that Sitting Bull has returned. Joseph suddenly looks up, intrigued. They go on to say it is only a rumor, but they believe him to be nearby. They say to find him. Joseph nods as the cold wind blows.
General Nelson A. Miles (Damon Herriman) and his men ride under the cover of night. The sky begins to lighten from the impending sunrise. He tells his men to prepare to make camp. No tents, no fires, nothing that can be seen from a distance. Everyone must sleep against the hillside and keep out of sight.
As the sun rises, the Nez Perce camp awakens. On the hillside, two scouts look across the plains. There are figures, tiny dots, far in the distance. The scouts are unsure if they are buffalo or people.
The Nez Perce march across the landscape. Rain has turned to sleet. Joseph rides with Running Feet in his arms, shielding her as best he can. Springtime rides beside them, clearly in pain. Toohoolhoolzote (Gil Birmingham) and Looking Glass brace against the cold. Oyema keeps her baby bundled close. Ollokot rides beside her, doing what he can to protect her from the cold wind. The scouts appear over the horizon. Joseph and Looking Glass meet them halfway. They tell him no sign of Sitting Bull. Joseph asks about soldiers, and they tell him they haven't seen any soldiers either. The tribe keeps moving. They come over a small bluff. In the far distance, mountains appear. Looking Glass stares with disbelief as his face fills with recognition. Canada is just up ahead. Everyone looks up, exhausted and amazed. They're almost made it.
That night the tribe makes camp. Springtime sleeps, her breathing growing heavy and labored. Joseph watches her with great concern. He carefully lifts her shirt to check her wounds and discovers they've turned gangrenous. Knowing there's nothing he can do, he lowers her shirt and puts his blanket around her. Then he gets to his feet and leaves. He finds Ollokot standing at the edge of camp. Together, the two brothers stare into the darkness. Ollokot asks how Springtime is doing. Joseph shakes his head. She's still breathing, but that's about all he can say. Ollokot asks what the plan is once they get to Canada. Joseph stares at his brother, confused. Ollokot wonders if they can talk to the American Chief to make him understand it was the young warrior who did the killing, that they tried to surrender at White Bird. Joseph doesn't know what the future holds. They suddenly notice that somebody has started a fire. Joseph and Ollokot charge through the camp. Reaching the fire, they begin to frantically stomp it out. The small fire can be seen for miles. It flickers for a brief moment, then disappears into the darkness. Smoke rises from the extinguished fire. Joseph and Ollokot look down to see that it was Little Bird's mother (Irene Bedard) that started the fire. She sobs, crying that she's cold. Ollokot asks Joseph if he thinks anybody saw. Joseph shakes his head, not sure.
Miles away, a Bannock Scout (David Midthunder) comes out of the darkness and looks down at the Nez Perce camp. He saw the fire. He rides back to Col. Miles' camp to report his findings. Miles tells his men to ready as they must leave at once.
The Nez Perce awaken at dawn and gather their things. Ollokot and Oyema exchange a look as they get ready. Joseph gently nudges Springtime. She doesn't wake. For a moment, he's scared she has died, but then her eyes flicker open. Joseph sighs with relief. Nearby, Toohoolhoolzote helps Little Bird's Mother stand up. He assures her that they have just one more day, then it will all be over.
The Nez Perce scouts stare out across the plains. Bad weather makes it difficult to see. A herd of buffalo roam three miles away. The scouts stand and walk away. One realizes he's forgotten something and turns back. He bends over and picks his telescope off the ground. He looks up and his face floods with panic. The herd of buffalo is stampeding. He looks through his telescope. Hundreds of soldiers on horses, approaching fast. The two scouts hurry back to camp and yell that soldiers are coming. Order in the camp fragments as warriors prepare for battle.
Nez Perce - Snow
Genre: Historical
Director: Scott Cooper
Writer: Dwight Gallo
Cast:
Adam Beach .... Joseph
Martin Sensmeier …. Ollokot
Julia Jones …. Springtime
Zahn McClarnon .... Looking Glass
Gil Birmingham .... Toohoolhoolzote
Tatanka Means …. Red Grizzly
Lily Gladstone .... Oyema
Damon Herriman .... Col. Nelson A. Miles
Plot:1877. Joseph (Adam Beach) puts Running Feet on a horse. He tells her to ride North until she no longer hears gunfire. She nods, terrified. Joseph slaps the horse and it takes off, carrying her away. Joseph races over to Springtime. He picks her up in his arms and flees for safety as guns explode all around them. Warriors form a protective perimeter around the camp, holding the soldiers at bay. There is a brutal exchange of gunfire as the Nez Perce fortify defenses and get the women and children to safety. Soldiers and Indians die in droves as bullets slam into living bodies and send them falling to the earth. Joseph reaches the safety of the perimeter. Gasping for breath, he gently lowers Springtime to the ground. She asks where there daughter is.
Running Feet gallops through the battlefield as bullets whiz past her head. Without looking back, she charges forward into the endless rolling plains of Northern Montana. Toohoolhoolzote (Gil Birmingham) looks across the landscape and sees the big picture. Soldiers swarm the battlefield in circling wings, surrounding the Nez Perce camp. The Americans attempt a charge, but the Nez Perce have dug in and are ready for them, unleashing a volley of gunfire. The soldiers who survive retreat back to their lines.
Ollokot (Martin Sensmeier) sees Oyema (Lily Gladstone) running with her adopted baby. She stumbles and falls. He goes to her and helps her up. They run towards the safety of the Nez Perce perimeter. Ollokot is suddenly shot in the back. Joseph watches in horror as his brother drops to his knees. Coughing up blood, Ollokot nudges Oyema forward, telling her to hurry and go. Another bullet slams into his back, killing him. Ollokot's body remains where it fell, among a hundred others littering the stretch of ground. Oyema and her baby reach safety. She collapses, trembling. Nearby, Joseph watches, devastated. The smoke starts to clear. The gunfire grows less as the reality of stalemate begins to sink in on both sides. Running Feet brings her horse to a stop. All alone in the empty landscape, she can no loner hear the sound of gunfire. Not sure what to do, she kicks her horse and keeps riding.
The Nez Perce have dug in for the night. Warriors sit in rifle pits, staring across the battlefield towards the distant American forces. Women and children work to bury the dead. Joseph kneels and sketches a map in the dirt. Toohoolhoolzote and five warriors stand nearby and watch. Joseph tells them there are two places where a rider might be able to slip past the white man's army forces and points them out on his map. He tells them that Sitting Bull is nearby. They must find him and tell him to come and help them. Toohoolhoolzote and the warriors slowly nod. Nearby, Red Grizzly (Tatanka Means) eavesdrops.
Looking Glass (Zahn McClarnon) sits with Springtime (Julia Jones), caring for her. Joseph approaches. The two men grab their rifles. Joseph lays a gentle hand on Springtime's shoulder. And then, reluctantly, Joseph leaes with Looking Glass. Toohoolhoolzote climbs on his horse. Joseph approaches. Joseph tells him that Running Feet is out there somewhere. Toohoolhoolzote tells Joseph he'll look for her. Red Grizzly climbs onto his horse. Joseph, Looking Glass, and the remaining warriors fire their guns at the Americans. Toohoolhoolzote and the warriors kick their horses, charging into the darkness. Red Grizzly rides into the fray as well. The Americans see the escaping warriors and fire on them. Three Nez Perce warriors fall victim to gunfire. Toohoolhoolzote and one other warrior manage to make it through safely. Red Grizzly also manages to escape. He rides into the darkness, leaving the misery of his people behind him. Joseph slowly lowers his smoking rifle. He walks over to Springtime and kneels beside her. He tells her there is still hope.
In the morning, gunfire erupts. The Americans once again trade shots withthe Nez Perce. Another stalemate and everyone knows it. Frustrated Col. Nelson A. Miles (Damon Herriman) looks to his advisors. He tells them they are the third army to go up against the Nez Perce. They tell him they can wait out the Nez Perce, but Miles scoffs at the idea. Sitting Bull is in the area. He has heard that two warriors on horses broke through the American lines last night. They'll surely lead the Sioux right to them. There's no time to wait the Nez Perce out. They need to win and get the hell out of there now. Miles stands and leaves his tent. He looks to the sky as it begins to snow.
The snow flakes spell doom for the already freezing Nez Perce. Members of the tribe huddle together, desperate for warmth. Looking Glass glances to the sky. Oyema shields her baby. Joseph wraps his arms around Springtime. The snow covers the dead with a soft layer of white. Blood soaks the blood red. Ollokot's body is slowly buried.
Miles asks a soldier if the Howitzer has been set up. The soldier confirms, and Miles tells him to wheel it into position. Through the pouring snow, Joseph and Looking Glass hear the sound of squeeking wheels. Across the battlefield, they see the Howitzer canon being wheeled into position. Remembering Big Hole, their faces drop. Joseph and Looking Glass yell for everyone to get down. Miles stares out at the Nez Perce camp and orders his men to fire the canon. With a great boom, the Howizter canon fires through the falling snow. Oyema clutches her baby. Looking Glass shields a young girl. Joseph throws his body over Springtime. The canon shell explodes in the middle of camp. Miles is unrelenting and continues to order his men to fire. His soldiers watch the distant explosions as the continues to fall thick and heavy. A explosion consumes a grandmother and her small child. Everyone stays down, knowing the next instant could be their last. Screams and cries fill the camp. Each explosion is more terrible than the last.
The bombardment finally stops when the dark of night finally falls. The crying in camp continues, and the snow keeps falling, covering the dead laying on the ground.
Genre: Historical
Director: Scott Cooper
Writer: Dwight Gallo
Cast:
Adam Beach .... Joseph
Martin Sensmeier …. Ollokot
Julia Jones …. Springtime
Zahn McClarnon .... Looking Glass
Gil Birmingham .... Toohoolhoolzote
Tatanka Means …. Red Grizzly
Lily Gladstone .... Oyema
Damon Herriman .... Col. Nelson A. Miles
Plot:1877. Joseph (Adam Beach) puts Running Feet on a horse. He tells her to ride North until she no longer hears gunfire. She nods, terrified. Joseph slaps the horse and it takes off, carrying her away. Joseph races over to Springtime. He picks her up in his arms and flees for safety as guns explode all around them. Warriors form a protective perimeter around the camp, holding the soldiers at bay. There is a brutal exchange of gunfire as the Nez Perce fortify defenses and get the women and children to safety. Soldiers and Indians die in droves as bullets slam into living bodies and send them falling to the earth. Joseph reaches the safety of the perimeter. Gasping for breath, he gently lowers Springtime to the ground. She asks where there daughter is.
Running Feet gallops through the battlefield as bullets whiz past her head. Without looking back, she charges forward into the endless rolling plains of Northern Montana. Toohoolhoolzote (Gil Birmingham) looks across the landscape and sees the big picture. Soldiers swarm the battlefield in circling wings, surrounding the Nez Perce camp. The Americans attempt a charge, but the Nez Perce have dug in and are ready for them, unleashing a volley of gunfire. The soldiers who survive retreat back to their lines.
Ollokot (Martin Sensmeier) sees Oyema (Lily Gladstone) running with her adopted baby. She stumbles and falls. He goes to her and helps her up. They run towards the safety of the Nez Perce perimeter. Ollokot is suddenly shot in the back. Joseph watches in horror as his brother drops to his knees. Coughing up blood, Ollokot nudges Oyema forward, telling her to hurry and go. Another bullet slams into his back, killing him. Ollokot's body remains where it fell, among a hundred others littering the stretch of ground. Oyema and her baby reach safety. She collapses, trembling. Nearby, Joseph watches, devastated. The smoke starts to clear. The gunfire grows less as the reality of stalemate begins to sink in on both sides. Running Feet brings her horse to a stop. All alone in the empty landscape, she can no loner hear the sound of gunfire. Not sure what to do, she kicks her horse and keeps riding.
The Nez Perce have dug in for the night. Warriors sit in rifle pits, staring across the battlefield towards the distant American forces. Women and children work to bury the dead. Joseph kneels and sketches a map in the dirt. Toohoolhoolzote and five warriors stand nearby and watch. Joseph tells them there are two places where a rider might be able to slip past the white man's army forces and points them out on his map. He tells them that Sitting Bull is nearby. They must find him and tell him to come and help them. Toohoolhoolzote and the warriors slowly nod. Nearby, Red Grizzly (Tatanka Means) eavesdrops.
Looking Glass (Zahn McClarnon) sits with Springtime (Julia Jones), caring for her. Joseph approaches. The two men grab their rifles. Joseph lays a gentle hand on Springtime's shoulder. And then, reluctantly, Joseph leaes with Looking Glass. Toohoolhoolzote climbs on his horse. Joseph approaches. Joseph tells him that Running Feet is out there somewhere. Toohoolhoolzote tells Joseph he'll look for her. Red Grizzly climbs onto his horse. Joseph, Looking Glass, and the remaining warriors fire their guns at the Americans. Toohoolhoolzote and the warriors kick their horses, charging into the darkness. Red Grizzly rides into the fray as well. The Americans see the escaping warriors and fire on them. Three Nez Perce warriors fall victim to gunfire. Toohoolhoolzote and one other warrior manage to make it through safely. Red Grizzly also manages to escape. He rides into the darkness, leaving the misery of his people behind him. Joseph slowly lowers his smoking rifle. He walks over to Springtime and kneels beside her. He tells her there is still hope.
In the morning, gunfire erupts. The Americans once again trade shots withthe Nez Perce. Another stalemate and everyone knows it. Frustrated Col. Nelson A. Miles (Damon Herriman) looks to his advisors. He tells them they are the third army to go up against the Nez Perce. They tell him they can wait out the Nez Perce, but Miles scoffs at the idea. Sitting Bull is in the area. He has heard that two warriors on horses broke through the American lines last night. They'll surely lead the Sioux right to them. There's no time to wait the Nez Perce out. They need to win and get the hell out of there now. Miles stands and leaves his tent. He looks to the sky as it begins to snow.
The snow flakes spell doom for the already freezing Nez Perce. Members of the tribe huddle together, desperate for warmth. Looking Glass glances to the sky. Oyema shields her baby. Joseph wraps his arms around Springtime. The snow covers the dead with a soft layer of white. Blood soaks the blood red. Ollokot's body is slowly buried.
Miles asks a soldier if the Howitzer has been set up. The soldier confirms, and Miles tells him to wheel it into position. Through the pouring snow, Joseph and Looking Glass hear the sound of squeeking wheels. Across the battlefield, they see the Howitzer canon being wheeled into position. Remembering Big Hole, their faces drop. Joseph and Looking Glass yell for everyone to get down. Miles stares out at the Nez Perce camp and orders his men to fire the canon. With a great boom, the Howizter canon fires through the falling snow. Oyema clutches her baby. Looking Glass shields a young girl. Joseph throws his body over Springtime. The canon shell explodes in the middle of camp. Miles is unrelenting and continues to order his men to fire. His soldiers watch the distant explosions as the continues to fall thick and heavy. A explosion consumes a grandmother and her small child. Everyone stays down, knowing the next instant could be their last. Screams and cries fill the camp. Each explosion is more terrible than the last.
The bombardment finally stops when the dark of night finally falls. The crying in camp continues, and the snow keeps falling, covering the dead laying on the ground.
Nez Perce - Compassion
Genre: Historical
Director: Scott Cooper
Writer: Dwight Gallo
Cast:
Adam Beach .... Joseph
Zahn McClarnon .... Looking Glass
Lily Gladstone .... Oyema
Damon Herriman .... Col. Nelson A. Miles
Derek Phillips .... C.S. Wood
Josh Wiggins .... Milan Tripp
Plot:1877. In the dark of night, a few brave Nez Perce warriors strip dead bodies of ammunition. One slices open the belly of a horse for food. Rifles suddenly crack. One warrior falls dead. The others hurry back to the safety of the perimeter.
Oyema (Lily Gladstone) sits with her baby, staring out at the field of dead bodies. She suddenly sees something strange. One of the soldiers lying on the ground is moving. Oyema hesitates, then hands her baby to a nearby woman. Oyema steps lightly through the field of dead bodies. She approaches the wounded soldier and kneels beside him. He's young, freezing, and afraid to die. Oyema looks down at him with compassion.
C.S. Wood (Derek Phillips) sits near the front line of the American camp staring out at the battlefield, trying to keep warm. Milan Tripp (Josh Wiggins) approaches. Tripp suddenly raises his rifle. Wood asks what he's doing. Tripp says he sees an Indian out in the battlefield. Wood looks out at the battlefield and sees Oyema. Tripp says he thinks she's going to scalp the soldier. Wood tells him that the Nez Perce don't take scalps and urges Tripp not to fire as the shot might hit their guy too. Tripp's rifle trembles in the cold.
Oyema takes her blanket and lays it over the dying soldier. With snow falling softly around them, she gently touches the soldier's face with her hand. Tripp still has his rifle aimed on Oyema. Wood chastises him, asking if he's really going to shoot a woman for giving a dying man a blanket. Tripp reluctantly lowers his rifle. The young soldier dies. The blanket is wet from snow and red with blood. Oyema stares at his peaceful face, then she slowly stands and walks back to the Nez Perce camp. Wood and Tripp watch as she leaces. Wood tells Tripp to relax, there will be plenty of Indians to kill in the morning.
The sun creeps over the horizon, revealing a battlefield blanketed in white snow. Joseph (Adam Beach), Looking Glass (Zahn McClarnon) and other members of the tribe take notice. They watch as several soldiers approach. They shout out that Col. Miles wishes to speak with Chief Joseph. Joseph glances at Looking Glass.
Tripp crawls on his belly, attempting to get a closer look at the Nez Perce camp. He sticks his head up and stares down at the fortifications. But then the click of a rifle hammer makes him turn around. He's surrounded by warriors.
Col. Miles (Damon Herriman) looks up as Joseph enters his tent. Miles is surprised as he didn't think Joseph would come. Miles motions to a chair. Joseph hesitates, then sits.
Tripp, now a prisoner, stares at the suffering Nez Perce camp. The Nez Perce offer him what little food they have left. Tripp eats, glancing again around at the layout of the camp.
Joseph and Miles sit in silence, each waiting for the other to speak. Finally, Miles leans forward and asks if Joesph speaks English. Joseph nods. Miles offers food and water. Joseph shakes his head, then nods at Miles' uniform. He comments that Miles' coat is not like Howard's, which has stars on the shoulders. Miles says that's because Howard is a general. Joseph asks what Miles is. Miles says he is the man who caught Joseph. Miles gets serious and asks Joseph if he thinks he enjoys launching canon fire into the Nez Perce camp. Joseph tells him to stop doing it then. Miles asks Joseph what he proposes he do instead. Joseph proposes that Miles and his men go home to their families. The Nez Perce are not at war with the white man and are not their enemy. Miles tells Joseph that he can't do that. He has orders. The Nez Perce are fugitives and must surrender, unconditionally. Otherwise, he'll be forced to continue doing what he's been doing. He will pound the Nez Perce into oblivion if he has to. The Nez Perce women and children will die, screaming in agony. It will be awful, but Miles won't stop. He'll hit the Joseph and the Nez Perce as hard as he can for as long as it takes. Joseph says that will only work until Sitting Bull arrives. Miles flinches and asks if Joseph is really willing to risk everything on that murderer. He asks Joseph what makes him so sure Sitting Bull will come anyway, and Joseph says that Sitting Bull enjoys killing white men. Miles looks at Joseph for a long moment, then says maybe Joseph is right. Maybe Sitting Bull is on his way that very moment, but it's still snowing, Joseph's people are freezing and starving and dying. Soon General Howard will arrive and the American numbers will double. Frustrated, Miles then tells a guard to get Joseph out of his tent. Joseph slowly gets to his feet. The guard takes him by the arm and leads him outside.
In the Nez Perce camp, Looking Glass walks over to Tripp and tells two warriors to stand him up. He says they won't release Joseph until their man is free. Looking Glass takes Tripp's arm and leads him away from the camp.
Joseph and Tripp walk towards each other as they make their way across the battlefield toward their respective camps. They exchange a glance as they pass each other. Joseph then sees Ollokot's body on the ground, but he keeps walking. Each side waits anxiously for their man to reach safety.
In the American camp, Miles stands beside Tripp. Two twelve pound canons are placed next to the Howitzer. Miles orders Tripp to tell the soldiers where to aim the canons. Tripp nods.
The Nez Perce surround Joseph, eager for news. Joseph glances over at Looking Glass. Joseph says their only hope is that Sitting Bull arrives in time. Joseph stands in the middle of the camp, looking around. Terrible thoughts fill his head. He turns to a nearby warrior and asks if the soldier they captured saw the entire camp. The warrior nods. Joseph turns and stares out at the Americans and sees three canons pointed their way.
Genre: Historical
Director: Scott Cooper
Writer: Dwight Gallo
Cast:
Adam Beach .... Joseph
Zahn McClarnon .... Looking Glass
Lily Gladstone .... Oyema
Damon Herriman .... Col. Nelson A. Miles
Derek Phillips .... C.S. Wood
Josh Wiggins .... Milan Tripp
Plot:1877. In the dark of night, a few brave Nez Perce warriors strip dead bodies of ammunition. One slices open the belly of a horse for food. Rifles suddenly crack. One warrior falls dead. The others hurry back to the safety of the perimeter.
Oyema (Lily Gladstone) sits with her baby, staring out at the field of dead bodies. She suddenly sees something strange. One of the soldiers lying on the ground is moving. Oyema hesitates, then hands her baby to a nearby woman. Oyema steps lightly through the field of dead bodies. She approaches the wounded soldier and kneels beside him. He's young, freezing, and afraid to die. Oyema looks down at him with compassion.
C.S. Wood (Derek Phillips) sits near the front line of the American camp staring out at the battlefield, trying to keep warm. Milan Tripp (Josh Wiggins) approaches. Tripp suddenly raises his rifle. Wood asks what he's doing. Tripp says he sees an Indian out in the battlefield. Wood looks out at the battlefield and sees Oyema. Tripp says he thinks she's going to scalp the soldier. Wood tells him that the Nez Perce don't take scalps and urges Tripp not to fire as the shot might hit their guy too. Tripp's rifle trembles in the cold.
Oyema takes her blanket and lays it over the dying soldier. With snow falling softly around them, she gently touches the soldier's face with her hand. Tripp still has his rifle aimed on Oyema. Wood chastises him, asking if he's really going to shoot a woman for giving a dying man a blanket. Tripp reluctantly lowers his rifle. The young soldier dies. The blanket is wet from snow and red with blood. Oyema stares at his peaceful face, then she slowly stands and walks back to the Nez Perce camp. Wood and Tripp watch as she leaces. Wood tells Tripp to relax, there will be plenty of Indians to kill in the morning.
The sun creeps over the horizon, revealing a battlefield blanketed in white snow. Joseph (Adam Beach), Looking Glass (Zahn McClarnon) and other members of the tribe take notice. They watch as several soldiers approach. They shout out that Col. Miles wishes to speak with Chief Joseph. Joseph glances at Looking Glass.
Tripp crawls on his belly, attempting to get a closer look at the Nez Perce camp. He sticks his head up and stares down at the fortifications. But then the click of a rifle hammer makes him turn around. He's surrounded by warriors.
Col. Miles (Damon Herriman) looks up as Joseph enters his tent. Miles is surprised as he didn't think Joseph would come. Miles motions to a chair. Joseph hesitates, then sits.
Tripp, now a prisoner, stares at the suffering Nez Perce camp. The Nez Perce offer him what little food they have left. Tripp eats, glancing again around at the layout of the camp.
Joseph and Miles sit in silence, each waiting for the other to speak. Finally, Miles leans forward and asks if Joesph speaks English. Joseph nods. Miles offers food and water. Joseph shakes his head, then nods at Miles' uniform. He comments that Miles' coat is not like Howard's, which has stars on the shoulders. Miles says that's because Howard is a general. Joseph asks what Miles is. Miles says he is the man who caught Joseph. Miles gets serious and asks Joseph if he thinks he enjoys launching canon fire into the Nez Perce camp. Joseph tells him to stop doing it then. Miles asks Joseph what he proposes he do instead. Joseph proposes that Miles and his men go home to their families. The Nez Perce are not at war with the white man and are not their enemy. Miles tells Joseph that he can't do that. He has orders. The Nez Perce are fugitives and must surrender, unconditionally. Otherwise, he'll be forced to continue doing what he's been doing. He will pound the Nez Perce into oblivion if he has to. The Nez Perce women and children will die, screaming in agony. It will be awful, but Miles won't stop. He'll hit the Joseph and the Nez Perce as hard as he can for as long as it takes. Joseph says that will only work until Sitting Bull arrives. Miles flinches and asks if Joseph is really willing to risk everything on that murderer. He asks Joseph what makes him so sure Sitting Bull will come anyway, and Joseph says that Sitting Bull enjoys killing white men. Miles looks at Joseph for a long moment, then says maybe Joseph is right. Maybe Sitting Bull is on his way that very moment, but it's still snowing, Joseph's people are freezing and starving and dying. Soon General Howard will arrive and the American numbers will double. Frustrated, Miles then tells a guard to get Joseph out of his tent. Joseph slowly gets to his feet. The guard takes him by the arm and leads him outside.
In the Nez Perce camp, Looking Glass walks over to Tripp and tells two warriors to stand him up. He says they won't release Joseph until their man is free. Looking Glass takes Tripp's arm and leads him away from the camp.
Joseph and Tripp walk towards each other as they make their way across the battlefield toward their respective camps. They exchange a glance as they pass each other. Joseph then sees Ollokot's body on the ground, but he keeps walking. Each side waits anxiously for their man to reach safety.
In the American camp, Miles stands beside Tripp. Two twelve pound canons are placed next to the Howitzer. Miles orders Tripp to tell the soldiers where to aim the canons. Tripp nods.
The Nez Perce surround Joseph, eager for news. Joseph glances over at Looking Glass. Joseph says their only hope is that Sitting Bull arrives in time. Joseph stands in the middle of the camp, looking around. Terrible thoughts fill his head. He turns to a nearby warrior and asks if the soldier they captured saw the entire camp. The warrior nods. Joseph turns and stares out at the Americans and sees three canons pointed their way.
Nez Perce - Forever
Genre: Historical
Director: Scott Cooper
Writer: Dwight Gallo
Cast:
Adam Beach .... Joseph
Matthew Rhys .... General Oliver O. Howard
Julia Jones …. Springtime
Zahn McClarnon .... Looking Glass
Ben Schnetzer .... Captain David Perry
Lily Gladstone .... Oyema
Ray McKinnon .... General William T. Sherman
Damon Herriman .... Col. Nelson A. Miles
Josh Wiggins .... Milan Tripp
Michael Madsen .... Buffalo Bill
Plot:1877. Col. Nelson A. Miles (Damon Herriman) stares down at the Nez Perce camp, and then orders his men to fire the canons. All three canons fire at once. Joseph (Adam Beach) runs through the camp yelling for everyone to get down. A nightmare bombardment, killing men, women, and children with every single volley. The American soldiers watch the Nez Perce camp light up in the distance. They can hear the scream of dying women and children over the canon's roar. Miles suddenly orders his men to cease fire, his face betraying a hint of regret.
Joseph holds Springtime (Julia Jones) for dear life. As the smoke begins to clear, Joseph opens his eyes. Body parts lie all over the ground, the camp is in ruin. Joseph takes a deep breath, anticipating another volley of hellfire. But instead he hears the sound of galloping horse hooves. The Americans hear it to. Everyone stops and turns as the thundering horses come closer. The ground begins to shake. Nobody knows if the horses belong to Sitting Bull or General Howard. Nez Perce warriors in rifle pits steady themselves. Looking Glass (Zahn McClarnon) stands, trying to get a better view. Behind him there is a distant flash, followed by the crack of a rifle. A bullet then explodes into Looking Glass' head. Milan Tripp (Josh Wiggins) lowers his rifle a smoking rifle off in the distance.
Joseph kneels beside Looking Glass' corpse in shock and disbelief. He looks out towards the distant bluffs to see General Howard's cavalry charging around the bend. Six hundred riders surround the camp, joining Miles' army. Joseph watches stoically. He knows it's finally over.
General Oliver O. Howard (Matthew Rhys) dismounts his horse in the American camp. He stares at the distant Nez Perce camp, then he sees the smoking canons. His eyes narrow. In his tent, Miles pours himself a shot of whiskey. Howard sits down with a cup of coffee. Howard demands to know how long Miles has been pounding the Nez Perce camp with those canons. Miles says three days. Howard asks Miles if he knows that the camp is mostly women and children. Miles says they're at war. He says he doesn't enjoy it, but war is ugly and he's fighting to win. His men are freezing and Sitting Bull is reportedly in the area. Howard asks if that is a reason or an excuse. Miles tells Howard he's out of line. Howard throws a letter on the table and tells him it's a wire saying that Sitting Bull is in Canada and has no idea of what's happening here. Miles tells Howard that he wants his men in it until the end. Howard says that the Nez Perce can surrender to Miles' men, if that doesn't get Miles a general's star, nothing will. Miles nods, satisfied. Howard then tells Miles that he wants to talk to Chief Joseph, alone. The American Army is now more than a thousand soldiers strong. They all stare down at the Nez Perce camp, waiting. Howard makes his way toward the front lines.
Joseph holds Springtime (Julia Jones) close. She's mumbling, hallucinating. Distant shouts cause him to look up. General Howard is making his way through the battlefield alone, with his single arm raised. Joseph gets to his feet. He steps past the rifle pits and approaches Howard. The two men stare at each other for a long time. Snow falls down all around them in the open battlefield. The two men greet each other. Howard steps forward and observes the gray woolen shawl Joseph is wearing, with five bullet holes in the cloth. Howard comments that clearly Joseph has had some close calls, and asks Joseph if he realizes how close to Canada they are. Joseph manages a faint smile. Howard says Joseph wouldn't like Canada anyway. The winters are terrible. Howard asks Joseph if he realizes they're at the end of the line. Joseph mentions Sitting Bull, but Howard tells Joseph that Sitting Bull isn't coming. He's still in Canada. Joseph says nothing as Howard's words sink in. Howard asks how Joseph's family is doing. Joseph looks up tears in his eyes. Joseph says his daughter is out there somewhere and that his wife does not have long left. Howard steps closer to Joseph and asks him to listen. He knows Joseph must be thinking about a final stand. He is the Chief of the Nez Perce people and his responsibility is to those who are alive. Howard says that they can give Joseph's people food and medicine. They can even search for Joseph's daughter. But Joseph must surrender. Joseph asks if Howard can help them go home. Howard looks at Joseph, knowing that's a tall order, and says he will do what he can. Joseph stares at Howard through the falling snow, then turns around and heads back towards the Nez Perce camp.
Joseph comes back into the camp. The remaining Nez Perce surround him. Up ahead, Springtime lies still and peaceful. Joseph approaches and kneels beside her. Here eyes are open, but vacant. She's dead. Joseph stares at her body for an agonizing moment. He stands and turns to face the remnant of his people. He says he knows they all have thoughts of Sitting Bull, but he can only think of his daughter. He doesn't even know if she's alive, but he wants to find her. He is tired of fighting. Looking Glass is dead. Ollokot is dead. Joseph glances down at Springtime's body. It is cold and they have no blankets. The children are freezing to death. Joseph looks to the heavens and yells that he is tired and will fight no more forever. Everybody absorbs Joseph's speech. Nobody says a word.
Howard and Miles pace back and forth near the front lines when a soldier announced that Chief Joseph is approaching. Howard and Miles rush out to meet him. Joseph slowly rides up the hill and dismounts. With his head bowed, Joseph offers his rifle to Howard, who hesitates, then steps aside. Miles comes forward and accepts the rifle. Soldiers surround Joseph, guns raised, and take him away. Howard and Miles watch Joseph disappear over the hill. They turn back and freeze. The surviving Nez Perce are now approaching. Nearby soldiers watch, horrified. Women, children, elderly, wounded and dying. They are shocked that these are the people that evaded them so successfully.
The Nez Perce are given food and medicine. Soldiers watch the survivors with deep sympathy and sadness. Some soldiers even play with the Nez Perce children. Joseph sits all alone, watching. Howard quietly sits in his tent. Captain David Perry (Ben Schnetzer) enters. Howard tells him to take down a wire to send to General Sherman. He says the fugitive Nez Perce tribe has been apprehended. Chief Joseph surrendered. Norton Ranch murderers all dead. No need for further retribution. Perry nods, then leaves. Howard remains, deep in thought.
General William T. Sherman (Ray McKinnon) enters his office and receives a thunderous applause. Smiling ear to ear, he shakes hands and receives pats on the back as he makes his way through the celebration.
The Nez Perce are being escorted onto a waiting train. Nearby Howard and Miles supervise on horseback. Hundreds of spectators and reporters rush toward the tribe. The soldiers fight their way through the crowd, ushering the Indians onto the train. As Joseph is about to board, he glances back at Howard. The two men stare at each other for a moment, much like they did in the courtroom back in Wallowa. Joseph climbs on the train and disappears from Howard's view. Joseph finds an empty row and sits by himself. Oyema (Lily Gladstone) comes down the isle with her baby and sits nearby. Joseph turns and sees her. Joseph turns and stares out the window, first at the massive crowds, then north towards the distant mountains of Canada. The train suddenly lurches forward and picks up speed. The train glides down the endless track, carrying the Nez Perce away into the sunset.
1897. Twenty years have passed and the world has changed. Thousands of people pour into Madison Square Garden in New York City to watch Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Buffalo Bill (Michael Madsen) addresses the audience through a bull horn. He tells them it is his great pleasure to present a dramatization of one of the most exciting and thrilling chases in the history of the frontier, the historic flight of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce Indians. Howard sits in the audience. He's older and he has a thick grey beard and sad, sunken eyes. The crowd applauds as the show begins.
An actor playing Chief Joseph delivers the speech Joseph gave to his people before they surrendered. The audience applauds. Howard watches sadly as the actors all take a bow. Buffalo Bill then returns to the stage. He thanks the audience and says they have a special guest tonight, Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce. Howard's face drops as a spotlight finds Joseph in the audience. Old and sad, Joseph stands and reluctantly waves to the crowd. Howard gets up and leaves.
Joseph makes his way through the giant crowds leaving the stadium into the city. Howard comes outside and sees Joseph walking away. Howard calls out to him, but Joseph doesn't appear to hear him. Howard fights through the crowd to get closer. He calls out Joseph's name again, but still no response. Finally, Howard calls out Joseph's real name, Hinmuutu-Yalatlat. Joseph abruptly stops and turns around. Howard approaches. They greet each other and Joseph comments that Howard pronounced his name well. Howard asks Joseph if he ever found his daughter. Joseph looks at Howard for a long time, then slowly shakes his head. He says his family is all gone. Howard is speechless. The two old men stand on the busy city street. Their bodies are weary, their spirits broken. Joseph slowly turns and walks away.
- Of the 800 Nez Perce who began the flight towards Canada, less than 370 remained alive at the time of their surrender. They had traveled more than 1,300 miles and were less than 40 miles from the Canadian border. The Nez Perce had eluded the army for 113 days, an accomplishment still studied by generals at West Point today.
- The surviving Nez Perce spent the next eight years in captivity on reservations in Oklahoma and Kansas. More than 100 died from disease and starvation.
- In 1885, under intense pressure from the public, including written support from General Howard and Colonel Miles, the American government granted the remaining Nez Perce permission to settle in Washington.
- Joseph was never allowed to return home to the Wallowa Valley. He continued to lobby the government unsuccessfully for the rest of his life.cChief Joseph died in 1904. He was 64 years old. He was survived by no one. It is said that he died of a broken heart.
Genre: Historical
Director: Scott Cooper
Writer: Dwight Gallo
Cast:
Adam Beach .... Joseph
Matthew Rhys .... General Oliver O. Howard
Julia Jones …. Springtime
Zahn McClarnon .... Looking Glass
Ben Schnetzer .... Captain David Perry
Lily Gladstone .... Oyema
Ray McKinnon .... General William T. Sherman
Damon Herriman .... Col. Nelson A. Miles
Josh Wiggins .... Milan Tripp
Michael Madsen .... Buffalo Bill
Plot:1877. Col. Nelson A. Miles (Damon Herriman) stares down at the Nez Perce camp, and then orders his men to fire the canons. All three canons fire at once. Joseph (Adam Beach) runs through the camp yelling for everyone to get down. A nightmare bombardment, killing men, women, and children with every single volley. The American soldiers watch the Nez Perce camp light up in the distance. They can hear the scream of dying women and children over the canon's roar. Miles suddenly orders his men to cease fire, his face betraying a hint of regret.
Joseph holds Springtime (Julia Jones) for dear life. As the smoke begins to clear, Joseph opens his eyes. Body parts lie all over the ground, the camp is in ruin. Joseph takes a deep breath, anticipating another volley of hellfire. But instead he hears the sound of galloping horse hooves. The Americans hear it to. Everyone stops and turns as the thundering horses come closer. The ground begins to shake. Nobody knows if the horses belong to Sitting Bull or General Howard. Nez Perce warriors in rifle pits steady themselves. Looking Glass (Zahn McClarnon) stands, trying to get a better view. Behind him there is a distant flash, followed by the crack of a rifle. A bullet then explodes into Looking Glass' head. Milan Tripp (Josh Wiggins) lowers his rifle a smoking rifle off in the distance.
Joseph kneels beside Looking Glass' corpse in shock and disbelief. He looks out towards the distant bluffs to see General Howard's cavalry charging around the bend. Six hundred riders surround the camp, joining Miles' army. Joseph watches stoically. He knows it's finally over.
General Oliver O. Howard (Matthew Rhys) dismounts his horse in the American camp. He stares at the distant Nez Perce camp, then he sees the smoking canons. His eyes narrow. In his tent, Miles pours himself a shot of whiskey. Howard sits down with a cup of coffee. Howard demands to know how long Miles has been pounding the Nez Perce camp with those canons. Miles says three days. Howard asks Miles if he knows that the camp is mostly women and children. Miles says they're at war. He says he doesn't enjoy it, but war is ugly and he's fighting to win. His men are freezing and Sitting Bull is reportedly in the area. Howard asks if that is a reason or an excuse. Miles tells Howard he's out of line. Howard throws a letter on the table and tells him it's a wire saying that Sitting Bull is in Canada and has no idea of what's happening here. Miles tells Howard that he wants his men in it until the end. Howard says that the Nez Perce can surrender to Miles' men, if that doesn't get Miles a general's star, nothing will. Miles nods, satisfied. Howard then tells Miles that he wants to talk to Chief Joseph, alone. The American Army is now more than a thousand soldiers strong. They all stare down at the Nez Perce camp, waiting. Howard makes his way toward the front lines.
Joseph holds Springtime (Julia Jones) close. She's mumbling, hallucinating. Distant shouts cause him to look up. General Howard is making his way through the battlefield alone, with his single arm raised. Joseph gets to his feet. He steps past the rifle pits and approaches Howard. The two men stare at each other for a long time. Snow falls down all around them in the open battlefield. The two men greet each other. Howard steps forward and observes the gray woolen shawl Joseph is wearing, with five bullet holes in the cloth. Howard comments that clearly Joseph has had some close calls, and asks Joseph if he realizes how close to Canada they are. Joseph manages a faint smile. Howard says Joseph wouldn't like Canada anyway. The winters are terrible. Howard asks Joseph if he realizes they're at the end of the line. Joseph mentions Sitting Bull, but Howard tells Joseph that Sitting Bull isn't coming. He's still in Canada. Joseph says nothing as Howard's words sink in. Howard asks how Joseph's family is doing. Joseph looks up tears in his eyes. Joseph says his daughter is out there somewhere and that his wife does not have long left. Howard steps closer to Joseph and asks him to listen. He knows Joseph must be thinking about a final stand. He is the Chief of the Nez Perce people and his responsibility is to those who are alive. Howard says that they can give Joseph's people food and medicine. They can even search for Joseph's daughter. But Joseph must surrender. Joseph asks if Howard can help them go home. Howard looks at Joseph, knowing that's a tall order, and says he will do what he can. Joseph stares at Howard through the falling snow, then turns around and heads back towards the Nez Perce camp.
Joseph comes back into the camp. The remaining Nez Perce surround him. Up ahead, Springtime lies still and peaceful. Joseph approaches and kneels beside her. Here eyes are open, but vacant. She's dead. Joseph stares at her body for an agonizing moment. He stands and turns to face the remnant of his people. He says he knows they all have thoughts of Sitting Bull, but he can only think of his daughter. He doesn't even know if she's alive, but he wants to find her. He is tired of fighting. Looking Glass is dead. Ollokot is dead. Joseph glances down at Springtime's body. It is cold and they have no blankets. The children are freezing to death. Joseph looks to the heavens and yells that he is tired and will fight no more forever. Everybody absorbs Joseph's speech. Nobody says a word.
Howard and Miles pace back and forth near the front lines when a soldier announced that Chief Joseph is approaching. Howard and Miles rush out to meet him. Joseph slowly rides up the hill and dismounts. With his head bowed, Joseph offers his rifle to Howard, who hesitates, then steps aside. Miles comes forward and accepts the rifle. Soldiers surround Joseph, guns raised, and take him away. Howard and Miles watch Joseph disappear over the hill. They turn back and freeze. The surviving Nez Perce are now approaching. Nearby soldiers watch, horrified. Women, children, elderly, wounded and dying. They are shocked that these are the people that evaded them so successfully.
The Nez Perce are given food and medicine. Soldiers watch the survivors with deep sympathy and sadness. Some soldiers even play with the Nez Perce children. Joseph sits all alone, watching. Howard quietly sits in his tent. Captain David Perry (Ben Schnetzer) enters. Howard tells him to take down a wire to send to General Sherman. He says the fugitive Nez Perce tribe has been apprehended. Chief Joseph surrendered. Norton Ranch murderers all dead. No need for further retribution. Perry nods, then leaves. Howard remains, deep in thought.
General William T. Sherman (Ray McKinnon) enters his office and receives a thunderous applause. Smiling ear to ear, he shakes hands and receives pats on the back as he makes his way through the celebration.
The Nez Perce are being escorted onto a waiting train. Nearby Howard and Miles supervise on horseback. Hundreds of spectators and reporters rush toward the tribe. The soldiers fight their way through the crowd, ushering the Indians onto the train. As Joseph is about to board, he glances back at Howard. The two men stare at each other for a moment, much like they did in the courtroom back in Wallowa. Joseph climbs on the train and disappears from Howard's view. Joseph finds an empty row and sits by himself. Oyema (Lily Gladstone) comes down the isle with her baby and sits nearby. Joseph turns and sees her. Joseph turns and stares out the window, first at the massive crowds, then north towards the distant mountains of Canada. The train suddenly lurches forward and picks up speed. The train glides down the endless track, carrying the Nez Perce away into the sunset.
1897. Twenty years have passed and the world has changed. Thousands of people pour into Madison Square Garden in New York City to watch Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Buffalo Bill (Michael Madsen) addresses the audience through a bull horn. He tells them it is his great pleasure to present a dramatization of one of the most exciting and thrilling chases in the history of the frontier, the historic flight of Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce Indians. Howard sits in the audience. He's older and he has a thick grey beard and sad, sunken eyes. The crowd applauds as the show begins.
An actor playing Chief Joseph delivers the speech Joseph gave to his people before they surrendered. The audience applauds. Howard watches sadly as the actors all take a bow. Buffalo Bill then returns to the stage. He thanks the audience and says they have a special guest tonight, Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce. Howard's face drops as a spotlight finds Joseph in the audience. Old and sad, Joseph stands and reluctantly waves to the crowd. Howard gets up and leaves.
Joseph makes his way through the giant crowds leaving the stadium into the city. Howard comes outside and sees Joseph walking away. Howard calls out to him, but Joseph doesn't appear to hear him. Howard fights through the crowd to get closer. He calls out Joseph's name again, but still no response. Finally, Howard calls out Joseph's real name, Hinmuutu-Yalatlat. Joseph abruptly stops and turns around. Howard approaches. They greet each other and Joseph comments that Howard pronounced his name well. Howard asks Joseph if he ever found his daughter. Joseph looks at Howard for a long time, then slowly shakes his head. He says his family is all gone. Howard is speechless. The two old men stand on the busy city street. Their bodies are weary, their spirits broken. Joseph slowly turns and walks away.
- Of the 800 Nez Perce who began the flight towards Canada, less than 370 remained alive at the time of their surrender. They had traveled more than 1,300 miles and were less than 40 miles from the Canadian border. The Nez Perce had eluded the army for 113 days, an accomplishment still studied by generals at West Point today.
- The surviving Nez Perce spent the next eight years in captivity on reservations in Oklahoma and Kansas. More than 100 died from disease and starvation.
- In 1885, under intense pressure from the public, including written support from General Howard and Colonel Miles, the American government granted the remaining Nez Perce permission to settle in Washington.
- Joseph was never allowed to return home to the Wallowa Valley. He continued to lobby the government unsuccessfully for the rest of his life.cChief Joseph died in 1904. He was 64 years old. He was survived by no one. It is said that he died of a broken heart.