Wild Indian

As the rustling leaves of 1988's Wisconsin woods gave way to the whispers of Makwa Gi-Zheg's troubled heart, a sense of foreboding settled over the young Ojibwe boy. Beset by the cruel whims of his abusive father and the taunts of schoolyard bullies, Makwa found solace in the company of his only friend, Teddo. The tender shoots of Makwa's burgeoning crush on a girl were cruelly snipped by James, whose very presence seemed to draw her attention away from the lonely boy. Meanwhile, at the local parish, a priest's sermon warned of the dangers of an unwilling spirit and the consequences that would spread like a plague.

In this crucible of pain and isolation, Makwa's father became the focal point of his anguish. The kitchen knife poised precariously above his sleeping father's head seemed to embody the boy's deepest desires for revenge. A chance encounter with James in the woods proved the catalyst for a fateful decision, as Makwa's rifle found its mark. The spent shell casing, now a tangible reminder of the boy's capacity for violence, would soon be joined by another, equally disturbing, secret: his father's hand, bitten and bleeding.

Years passed, and Makwa transformed into Michael Peterson, a successful businessman in California, with an infant son and a white wife, Greta. The braided ponytail that had once been a symbol of his Ojibwe heritage now served as a carefully crafted "brand" for the man he had become. However, beneath this façade lay a cauldron of emotions, simmering just below the surface. A night out at a club would prove the catalyst for Michael's darker impulses, as he paid to choke a stripper, his Hail Marys a hollow attempt to quiet the turmoil within.

As Teddo emerged from his latest prison term, a decade-long sentence for drug dealing, he found solace in the familiarity of his sister Cammy's home. The young boy, Daniel, became an unexpected source of comfort, and Teddo's bond with him proved a beacon of hope in the face of his own troubled past. Yet, as he navigated the complexities of reentry into civilian life, Teddo was forced to confront the harsh reality that Makwa had long since vanished, abandoning his family and community without so much as a whispered goodbye. The weight of this betrayal would eventually drive Teddo to seek out James' mother, Lisa, with a heavy heart, ready to impart the devastating truth about her son's untimely demise.

As Teddo appears outside Makwa's apartment, hastily ushering him inside to avoid prying eyes, the tension is palpable. Teddo, his hand hovering over the trigger of his pistol, seems poised for a reckoning. Makwa, anticipating a desperate attempt at negotiation, offers Teddo a trifecta of tantalizing options: cash, a vehicle, or employment. But instead, Teddo's confession spurs him into action, and with swift deliberation, Makwa dispatches the traitor.

With his attorney reassuring him that self-defense is the only logical explanation for the shooting, Makwa is left to grapple with the aftermath. However, the Wisconsin investigator's inquiry regarding a 35-year-old missing persons case is a different matter altogether. The discovery of remains and Teddo's confession to Lisa have implicated Makwa, casting a dark shadow over his life.

As the plot thickens, Makwa visits the hospitalized Lisa, bearing flowers as a symbol of his innocence. He paints Teddo as a mentally unstable, drunken criminal, imploring Lisa to trust him. Though she initially seems receptive, her gaze betrays a glimmer of doubt, hinting at a deeper connection with Teddo's confession.

The prosecutor's perfunctory questioning only serves to further entrench Makwa's resolve, as he maintains his innocence and deflects the inquiry with nonchalant indifference. The film cuts to California, where Makwa receives his long-awaited promotion but chooses not to celebrate, instead opting for a somber reflection on his uncertain future.

The scene shifts back to Wisconsin, where Greta is presented with Makwa's bullet wound, serving as a tangible reminder of the turmoil brewing beneath the surface. As he gazes out at the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean, the weight of his secrets and lies threatens to consume him.

In a jarring juxtaposition, the film cuts back in time to a Native American man, ravaged by smallpox, lying beside his lifeless wife, serving as a poignant reminder of the historical trauma that has shaped Makwa's existence. As he collapses onto the beach, the lines between past and present begin to blur, leaving the audience wondering what lies ahead for this troubled individual.