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55 of 56 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Tale of the Six Nations and the American Revolution, January 20, 2003
This review is from: The Broken Chain [VHS] (VHS Tape)
"Broken Chain" is a decent made-for-cable movie essentially about the difficult decisions to be made by the Six Nations of the Iroqouis during the late 18th century as white settlers expanded into the New York frontier. It also shows the complex and fragile relationship that existed between the native tribes and their English allies as the American colonies rose up in rebellion against the crown. Symbolizing this relationship are two Mohawks, Thayendanega (Eric Schweig), the famous Iroqouis war chief known as Joseph Brandt who allied with the British during the Revolution and led a number of daring and bloody raids along the New York and Pennsylvania frontier, and his blood brother, Lohaheo, an intelligent and conflicted leader who tries in vain to keep his people neutral in the hope that it will preserve the Confederacy of the Six Nations and save the lives and land of his people in the face of total war. After fighting against the French during the Seven Years War under the guidance of Sir William Johnson (Pierce Brosnan), an Englishman who genuinely admires the Iroquois, but who is only too eager to manipulate them for the purposes of the Crown, the Mohawks soon find themselves caught in the middle of the American Revolution, with both sides hoping to lure the powerful Confederacy to their cause. While Lohaheo urges neutrality, Brant joins the Britsh and fights with great ferocity against the Americans at Oriskany and Wyomissing. The two must face an uncertain future for their people and struggle to save a way of life whose existence is threatened by the people with and against whom they fight. This is a good stab at a movie that brings this period of our history to life and tells a story that is too often ignored, not just the history of the Eastern Frontier, but the important role played by the Six Nations in the history of America.
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49 of 50 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A entertaining and educational film on the Iroquois people, November 22, 1999
This review is from: The Broken Chain [VHS] (VHS Tape)
This movie allows you into the lives and culture of these amazing people,mainly focusing on Joseph Brant following him from childhood to his days as a great war Chief fighting for the British in their war against the colonists. It shows historical events with uncanny accuracy from the battle of ticonderoga to the actual event that shatters the Iriquois nation. A excellent companion piece to watch with The Last of the Mohicans. Pierce Brosnan does a excellent job as Sir William Johnson as well.
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31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Grand Depiction of What Happens When You Are Helpful., October 24, 2003
This review is from: The Broken Chain [VHS] (VHS Tape)
This piece is long overdue. Every western, period piece of the "frontiers" depicts the Native Americans as a threat, and a menace. This piece dispells this myth. The Iroquois were people just trying to hang on to what they had. Between the French, British, and Colonists, they were stripped of land no one owned, pushed around by the people they helped, and forced into situations that they were not equippted to handle. The Mohawk, Onodaga, Onieda, Cayuga, Seneca, and eventually the Tuscarora all wanted what was best for everyone. But due to poor advice, mostly from the British, they lost everything, including a government that was started long before the whites, and quite a bit of which was used to form the Declaration of Independance. Indians did not start out as threats and menaces, this movie shows why they were perceived that way. They only wanted what they believed was theirs. Wouldn't you do the same thing?
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