Woman Walks Ahead | Susanna White | Tribeca 2018
Directed by Susanna White and written by Steven Knight, Woman Walks Head tells the true story of New York portrait painter Catherine Weldon (Jessica Chastain) who travels to South Dakota in 1889 to paint a portrait of Sitting Bull (Michael Greyeyes).
Although she’s told by nearly everyone, including Indian Service agent James McLaughlin (Ciarán Hinds) and Silas Groves (Sam Rockwell) that this isn’t a good idea, as it’s timed right when they are trying to manage a treaty with Sitting Bull and his tribute in order to strip the Indians further of their land.
Weldon originally comes just with the pure intention of capturing Sitting Bull on her canvas but as she spends more time with the leader and his people and forms a close personal relationship, she slowly becomes more informed about what is really happening with this peace treaty and soon becomes more inclined to use her time there for good and became a part of history, not just try and capture it.
While many may have the sort of views that would consider this yet another “white savior” film, Knight’s script portrays Weldon as a truly sympathetic figure who wants to help out because it’s the right thing to do and in her voice is one that was desperately needed to back up the indigenous people. Her relationship with Sitting Bull grows gradually over time and feels authentic, thankfully never crossing the line into romantic territory, though it does certainly toy with the notion.
The story has a familiar feel to it but is elevated by the always fantastic performance of the ever-reliable Chastain, not to mention the more understated but still great performance from Michael Greyeyes. While Sam Rockwell isn’t doing much new here that we didn’t just see from him in his Oscar-winning performance in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, the character has enough of a complex relationship between both parties that he is perfectly up to the task for.
What Woman Walks Ahead lacks in originality or a fresh-faced look at a period-piece western drama, it succeeds in a sympathetic and genuine sense of storytelling that works thanks to the passionate actors who bring their A-game.
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