Native American Indian heritage and western-hero road poems in Bruce Baillie’s films

What is it about?

In this paper I discuss the ways in which Bruce Baillie’s Mass for the Dakota Sioux (1964) and Quixote (1965) evoke Native American Indian heritage and western-hero road poems by challenging the concept of the American landscape and incorporating conventions traditionally associated with cinéma pur, cinéma vérité and the city symphony. Such multifaceted inspirations do not only diversify Mass’ and Quixote’s non-narrative aesthetics, but also help document an intriguing psychogeography of the 1960s American landscapes and consequently critique the U.S. westward expansion and manifest destiny. Moreover, albeit differing in a specific use of imagery and editing, the films rely on dense, collage-like and often superimposed images to emphasize the striking conceptual contrast between white American and Indian culture.

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Why is it important?

The publication makes a valuable contribution to the history of experimental filmmaking dealing with Native American Indian heritage.