The story takes place in the Wind River Valley, an Indian reservation in the western U.S. state of Wyoming. Huaizhou is vast and sparsely populated, and its folk customs are sturdy, also known as Cowboy State. A local Indian girl died tragically, and the white hunter Corey helped the FBI policewoman Jane to arrest the murderer, and finally brought the murderer to justice.
How to treat and manage indigenous Indians has always been a headache for the US federal government. From the initial killings, evictions, and later establishment of reservations through partial forced relocation, perhaps the worst is long over, but the good governance expected by the federal government and the Indians is far from being achieved. In the film, as the case progresses, the psychological estrangement and interest competition between whites and Indians, the rigid division of the federal government and the jurisdiction of the reservations, and the difficult living conditions of the Indians are presented one by one. The cowboy story is very meaningful.
What is rare is that this deep meaning did not detract from the viewing experience. The rhythm of the film is full of changes, and several gun battles were filmed violently, which not only emphasized the local crisis, but also made the plot ups and downs. The narrative is clear and smooth, and although it doesn't use topsy-turvy dazzling skills, it's not conventional. The editing is neat and tidy, in which the scene from Jane knocking on the door in front of the mobile room flashes back directly to the scene of the crime, which is pleasing to the eye and impressive.
The soundtrack is low-key and restrained, and I don't know when it sounds, and I hear it is already in the play. There are several other places where Corey recites in a low voice, the composition of his dead daughter, the content is almost indecipherable, but the taciturn father can feel the anger. The actors' performances are all good, especially the heroine Olsen's interpretation of the rookie policewoman, even reminiscent of Jodie Foster in "The Addicted Lambs".
There are always shortcomings in the US and China. The lines of several important literary dramas are not very good. One is that Corey told Jane about the lost daughter's past, which was not enough and a little long, which was inconsistent with Corey's usual way of speaking. The second is at the end of the film, when Corey visits the injured Jane, there is a dialogue about the city and the countryside, luck and life and death, which is somewhat protracted and logically not smooth. Two conversations between Corey and the father of the deceased have similar problems. In general, the dialogues that advance the plot are good, but the ones that reveal the theme are not quite as good. Perhaps the director wanted to express too much, and it was difficult to choose, which led to the mud and sand.
But anyway, as director Sheridan's debut, "Hunting the Wind River Valley" is amazing enough! This guide can be expected.
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