I didn’t even know this movie existed prior to the project, but I’m always happy to watch a horse film, especially one in a historical setting. For this project, I’m focusing on the story itself, including dialogue, character development, any subplots,how a story presents itself, the speed at which it moves, if it slows down unnecessarily, etc.
Update: In February 2022, I started a video version of the DFP on Tiktok. You can find the video below. Thoughts expressed in the video may be different than what are expressed in the blog post, due to the time difference in posting.
A Brief Summary
When young Indian brave, White Bull, first sees a wild stallion, he knows he wants to make the horse his own. Over time, he captures and tames the horse, naming him Tonka Wakan (The Great One). After returning to his people, White Bull’s cruel older cousin, Yellow Bull, uses his rank to take Tonka for himself. White Bull fears how far his cousin will go and sets Tonka free. Tonka and White Bull are reunited when White Bull discovers he’s been purchased by Captain Myles Keogh, a member of General Custer’s army, shortly before the Battle of Little Big Horn begins. Includes stolen horses, a fort, and a retirement party.
What works
- There was the natural flow to the movie that I loved. It was definitely not a film to be rushed. A little slow (or a lot) at the beginning for my taste, but then it didn’t try to overcompensate for that later on. Thank goodness, because while the story did pick up a bit, I never felt forced into understanding what was going on (which is a major plus for me).
- The ending was not what I expected. I had a fair idea of who would survive the final battle (I was partially right) but it was what came after the final battle that I didn’t expect and loved. I absolutely felt ALL THE FEELS during those final scenes.
- Unlike during Light in the Forest, I was cheering on with Yellow Bull’s ending. Okay, maybe not cheering, but I was satisfied, so satisfied with how his story arc ended. Justice prevailed (in a morbid fashion).
- There were some character parallels surrounding Tonka that I really liked. On the Native America side, there was White Bull and Yellow Bull. On the American side, there was Capt. Keogh and General Custer. While Custer isn’t as bad as Yellow Bull, his portrayal in this story matched closest to that of Yellow Bull. Having these similar personalities in both groups really made for some good interactions and I thought it made the story more interesting.
- Also, I didn’t realize until partway through the 2nd viewing that General Custer was General Custer which of course meant that the final battle was Custer’s Last Stand. I acknowledge that I clearly didn’t pay as much attention during the first viewing as I should have.
- White Bull’s friend reminded me a lot of Johnny/True Son’s cousin in Light in the Forest. A bit overeager for me, but he was a pretty solid supporting character. He gave White Bull the chance for some relaxed human interactions, not tense like with Yellow Bull or hesitant like with Keogh (when they first meet).
- Keogh and his right hand, Lieutenant Noland, were my favorite characters in this movie. Hands down, my favorites. Keogh was surprisingly funny (see honorary mention) and Noland saved the day in the end, though he had already proved himself a solid, stand-up guy throughout.
What may or may not work
- Even though White Bull is the main human character, I wasn’t really feeling anything towards him. He’s reckless and “untried” as he is described early on, but while there is some character growth, I never felt that I had a solid reason to support his success. Maybe I tried for Tonka’s sake, but for most of the film, he was mediocre.
- The opening/ending credits song was meh. It was better-ish than the ending song of Light in the Forest but worse than the Old Yeller song (which really wasn’t much better). The music itself was fine, but the lyrics were awful.
Honorable Mentions
- White Bull – “You’d like to kill me, wouldn’t you?” Tonka snorts, nodding his head in reply.
- “According to our manual, Lieutenant, surprise is a necessary element of every attack. Only they forgot to say who gets surprised. Us or the enemy.” – Captain Keogh (my type of humor)
Side Questions
- What is Yellow Bull’s deal? Other than being a cruel person, what is up with his attitude towards White Bull? It seems to go beyond just bullying a younger relative, but I never caught a solid reason during my viewings.
- Does his mother know what became of White Bull after the final battle?
- What was Yellow Bull’s reaction after White Bull set Tonka free?
- Is he really fully forgiven after his return to his tribe? Yes, he had tamed Tonka and returned his cousin’s prized rope, but was that enough to resolve the issues from before he had been left behind?
- And for that matter, what was the tribe’s reactions when they had to leave and White Bull wasn’t there?
What I learned from watching this film
- Early on in the film, practically the first thing that happens is that White Bull “borrows” his cousin’s prized rope, trying to capture Tonka and losing both in the process. Now, it wasn’t that hard to see that outcome coming because it was just too early in the film for anything positive. Timing is such a critical thing for stories and that was evidenced here. It was too early for White Bull to have serious interactions with Tonka, but an initial meeting, a failed capture worked perfectly. It set up human conflict (with Yellow Bull), gave additional motivation to White Bull’s character and made the eventual taming of Tonka that much more worth it. All of that would have been lost if Tonka had been so easily captured at the beginning. While this project doesn’t allow me to stop watching a movie, I would have strongly considered it if Tonka’s early capture had actually occurred.
If you’ve seen Tonka, what are some of your thoughts? Share in the comments below!
Rewind to the beginning of the Disney Film Project
Skip back to the previous film with White Wilderness
Fast Forward to the next film with Sleeping Beauty
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