'War Pony' Builds A Compelling Story Through Brutal Realism And Naturalistic Performances
War Pony feels more like a documentary than a film. With life-like interactions, the characters’ dialogue is as awkward and authentic as a real conversation. The settings feel lived in, and the stories of the characters are almost brutally realistic. Even so, the film finds ways to elevate itself above reality, engaging with compelling themes and engaging ideas. The end result makes the film feel paradoxically both grounded and elevated, creating an unforgettable viewing experience.
War Pony follows the separate lives of Bill and Matho, who live on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Living in poverty, Bill and Matho must find creative ways to survive. Bill finds a job with a local rancher while Matho attempts to sell drugs. As both characters’ situations become more complicated, they must make difficult decisions that alter the course of their lives. By the film’s end, both characters have undergone the transition into manhood, learning the cruel conditions of the world they live in.
The lives of Bill (Jojo Bapteise Whiting) and Matho (LaDainian Crazy Thunder) collide only twice throughout the film, but their stories certainly mirror each other thematically. In their second meeting, Matho attempts to steal food from Bill. Out of sympathy, Bill offers Matho a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. After Matho rejects Bill’s offer for coffee, Bill utters: “You’ll like it when you grow up.” Indeed, growing up is the central theme that ties these two characters together. Sharing very little screetime, their bond is more thematic than physical, but when they finally collide, there is a sense of respect between them. Although their experiences differ, their stories both involve the trials of the transition into adulthood.
By adopting two separate storylines, the film builds a complex tapestry of what it means to grow up. Matho is forced to grow up far too soon, losing his father and having to fend for himself at a very young age. Bill, on the other hand, seems to have yet to grow up, neglecting his two children and leaving them with their mothers. Their journeys take them through often brutal realizations of what it means to grow up as they deal with the challenges of the world that they live in.
The acting is incredibly naturalistic, with performances that feel more fitting to a documentary than a narrative film. This gives the film a nearly deceptive sense of realism; these characters feel like people you could meet on the street. Yet, this realism does not inhibit the story from exploring the film’s themes and ideas. A few moments of transcendence–mainly through nature–give the film a sense of dramatic urgency that feels missing from films that employ similar forms of realism. The two main characters often share moments of reflection with nature, often through either buffalos or spiders. These moments give the film a sense of weight and tie these characters with their Native American identity, which has always had close relations with nature. Religious practices also appear within the film, adding to the characters' greater sense of purpose. As much as the characters are individuals, they are also archetypes in a far greater story of exploitation in America.
A core reason this film works as well as it does is nearly entirely due to its two leads. Their performances are incredibly captivating, finding ways to display authenticity and deeper emotions simultaneously. Their struggles feel genuine because the characters themselves feel real. Their performances give the characters a sense of edge while still evoking sympathy, which can be a difficult task to pull off.
The way the film displays crime is fascinating. The film goes out of its way to sympathize with its main characters, even as the crimes they commit grow in scale throughout the film. Crime and exploitation are closely interlinked within the film, with crimes being committed as a reaction to the exploitation done to these characters. Poverty has put these characters in a dire position, requiring some bending of the rules to survive. Sadly, these situations mirror reality and represent truths often seen in our world.
Towards the end of the film, both characters commit crimes that will likely lead them to greater consequences, but the film ends before they have a chance to occur. This choice leaves the film feeling almost triumphant—Bill gets revenge on his former employers, and Matho finds a secure place to live. However, it’s difficult to see how these endings will last; it feels inevitable that their crimes will be discovered. But, as an audience member, you can only hope that they don’t. This choice might be frustrating for some, but the decision to avoid a definitive ending makes the story feel far more authentic, as real stories rarely have a clean finish.
War Pony delivers a compelling story of two young men attempting to find their way in the world. With subtle performances and authentic storytelling, the film almost feels real in a way that serves the core messaging of the film. A deft handling of the film’s themes elevates it beyond just a simple story, giving the film a dramatic punch toward its end. Even as the characters’ endings remain ambiguous, the film’s story still feels alive as it represents so many real lives worldwide.
