Woman Walks Ahead

              The fact based story of Caroline Weldon, a portrait painter, who in 1890 traveled from New York to The Dakotas to paint a portrait of Chief Sitting Bull as well as become an advocate for Native American rights. While a small Indie film, in limited release, the cast is first rate. Ms. Weldon is played by Jessica Chastain and Sitting Bull is played by Michael Greyeyes. Other key co-stars include Sam Rockwell, Ciaran Hinds, and Bill Camp.

             Ms. Chastain, playing a naive Eastern woman of some wealth, still brings a fierceness to her role as she grows to know Sitting Bull and the true plight of the Lakota Indians. Mr. Greyeyes brings a realism and humanity to his portrayal of a still proud Chief who knows resistance to the White man's government has become futile.

              It is a timely subject as it deals with the period in our history when Native Americans were broken down and forced to relocate to smaller tribal lands. While they were allowed to vote on the ratification of the treaties, and even though they voted against it, the U.S. government enforced it anyway.

              The focus of the film is the relationship between Ms. Weldon and Sitting Bull and there is great chemistry between Ms. Chastain and Mr. Greyeyes. While a western, it is foremost a human drama that serves to remind us of an ugly period in our history that remains today in many parts of the world.