Both documentaries were selected by C&I readers as among the best of 2024 in voting for the C&I Movie & TV Awards.
The adventures of a fabled Wild West lawman and the lives of contemporary Native American cowboys are examined in the two documentaries selected by C&I readers as among the best of 2024. Both films — Wyatt Earp and the Cowboy War and White Buffalo: Visions of the West — recently were voted winners of C&I Movie & TV Awards, and currently are available for streaming.
C&I reader favorite Ed Harris serves as narrator for Wyatt Earp and the Cowboy War, a Netflix docuseries that focuses on the legendary feud between the iconic lawman and Ike Clanton, leader of the outlaw band known as the Cowboys. The docuseries features vivid re-enactments of historical events showcasing Tim Fellingham (Final Destination 5) as Wyatt Earp, Edward Franklin (Vikings: Valhala) as his chum Doc Holliday, and Peter O’Meara (Peacemakers, Band of Brothers) as Ike Clanton., along with commentary by such notable authors and historians as Douglas Brinkley, David Eisenbach, John Boessenecker and Casey Tefertiller.
At the very start of the trailer for Wyatt Earp and the Cowboy War, we’re told: “Forget everything you know about Wild West history. The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral? It wasn’t the end of the story. It was just the beginning.”
And if this sounds a bit like familiar territory already covered in Westerns ranging from Hour of the Gun (1967) to Doc (1971) to Tombstone (1993), keep in mind: The Netflix production is a six-episode docuseries, with plenty of time to tell all kinds of stories behind the story.
But don’t expect some sort of dry and academic revisionist history lesson here. To again quote Anderson, the inclusion of “slo-mo shootouts provides a dose of Sam Peckinpah to the more violent proceedings; and the performances aspire to a far higher level than the standard historical fare.”
Dougie Hall, Pro Buckin’ Horse producer and entrepreneur from the Blackfoot Tribe; Stephen Yellowtail, rancher, horse trainer and actor from the Crow Tribe; Truman “Mouse” Hall, who was given the Blackfeet name “Many Horses” at an early age, and became one of first members of the Indian Rodeo Cowboy Association; and Sammy Jo Bird, a renowned Blackfoot artist whose work has been heavily influenced by her love of the rodeo world, are among the people interviewed in the documentary.
These and other interviewees enhance the film’s examination of the lives of contemporary Native Americans as they tend to their land and livestock, compete in regional rodeo events, and discuss the rich history of the “Indian Cowboy.”
Wyoming-born country music artist Ian Munsick
Set against the majestic landscapes of Wyoming and Montana, White Buffalo: Visions of the West also features music and commentary by Munsick himself.
“Some of the best kept secrets are out there, thriving, where the prairie meets the mountains,” Munsick said in a statement. “I was lucky enough to be born and raised in the heart of cowboy country, mostly untouched by the outside world. It’s a culture where Cowboys and Native Americans are one and the same.
“I’ve always wanted to use my platform to help shed light on what’s been hidden for decades, and Voices of the West was a great way to convey an important message, while artistically collaborating with a people who rarely get the opportunity to have their voices heard.”
