Based on a true story, this film is a documentary fiction. A Blackfoot Indian who has fought in France in the Second World War and had had an accident there that let him comatose for a couple of days experiences great behavior disorder when back I n the USA. He is treated in Topeka, Kansas, as a veteran and they come to the conclusion that there is nothing physiologically wrong with him and at the same time the diagnosis that comes next, that of schizophrenia, does not accommodate all the symptoms. The boss of this military hospital knows a French anthropologist, trained as a psychoanalyst, in New York and he invites him for a couple of consultations with the patient. From a couple it will lead to a few dozens if not more, one a day for a rather long period.

At the time psychoanalysis could only look for personal disorders at the sexual level having to do with parents, infancy, childhood, and then women (for men). The case concentrates on women and the patient finds some relief in that approach. This is very interesting how the anthropologist who is a specialist of come North American Indians, the Mojave actually, uses his knowledge of Indian culture and one language to build some trust between him and the Indian and on the basis of that trust he is able to penetrate the private life and mind of the Indian. But he does not really use the understanding of Indian culture to see what is shown in the film but not exploited at all, the fact that the Indians are systematically negated in their culture by all kinds of institutions. We can see in the film the fact that this military hospital for veterans does not have one Indian nurse or doctor able to understand the alienation of Indians in white society. Then you have the daughter of the Indian who is in the hands of catholic nuns for her education. Then you could speak of the way these Indians dress in the most white American way possible, with ties, shirts, suits, and the girls the very same way with scarves, dresses, etc. Hair cuts are standard north American.

At the same time this Indian cannot get money at the post office or the bank without a good Caucasian (not North American since the French doctor is able to do it) signing for him. A white nurse tells the Indian a tall tale one day in another hospital where he is supposed to go through special tests, and she cannot in any way ignore that what she is telling him is B.S. And even the French doctor who was called in because he was an anthropologist who had spent two years with the Mojave Indians, at the end, asserts that he did not help the Indian because he was an Indian but because he was suffering. In other words he negates his own expertise. And that is justified in his mind because he did think his expertise was not with Indian culture (that was only a means to build trust) but psychoanalysis. He even, early in the film, creates some blurred situation when he advocates the typically French godless secular philosophy to an Indian who declares himself a Catholic though he knows about old Indian religions that he has "rejected" under the influence of course, but not of alcohol this time. It is also called duress.

The problem we are dealing with here is Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome of American Indians who have been vastly exterminated, then locked up in reservations under rules that forced them to drop their cultures, their dances and their languages, to get educated and integrated in the American society, language, culture and all. What is the intention of Arnaud Desplechin? To remain as close as possible to the way the case was treated at the time? Maybe but naïve since the audience cannot sort out the real stake here. Yet it is surprising he does not use what has become standard today over the last ten years. It is called the decolonization of the mind. He only shows how the Indian mind is colonized and never questions his psychoanalytical approach that makes the syndrome the result of personal sexual problems.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU

I've always enjoyed and believed Benicio Del Toro in the roles he plays. Here, he plays a very careful, methodical Native American, Jimmy Picard,who has clearly been affected by his military service. When the "regular" doctors don't know what to make of him, he is examined by a Mojave Indian Georges Devereux (Mathieu Amalric),who may or may not be who he claims to be. They spend a lot of time showing and examining dreams. This makes sense, since dreams play such a large part of both the Native American and the psychology culture. At 117 minutes, it IS pretty long. But it's certainly entertaining; a mix of Native American culture and the psychology. You can make what you want out of the dreams, but each one is its own little story. Directed by Frenchman Arnaud Desplechin. This is currently showing on netflix. I'd like to see some of his other projects.

It's 1948. Jimmy Picard (Benicio Del Toro) is a Blackfoot from Browning, Montana. He has debilitating symptoms after suffering head trauma during the War in France. The government doctors can't find any explanation other than possible psychological problems. They call in French anthropologist George Devereux (Mathieu Amalric) to examine for any cultural problems in the Indian. They extend Devereux's stay as he starts to make inroads. Devereux is joined by his married mistress Madeleine (Gina McKee).

Del Toro delivers a good performance although he does mumble sometimes. It doesn't help that Devereux has a noticeable French accent. The best parts of the movie are the flashbacks. Jimmy's life before is a series of interesting vignettes. His present day is a lot less interesting. It would have been more compelling drama if he is faking. I don't care about Devereux's private life or his character. I also don't find Jimmy's treatment that dramatic. I would like better a movie derived from his flashbacks.