Historical Truth Is the Goal in the Life of ‘Crazy Horse’

“Crazy Horse” is the latest entry in TNT’s continuing series of Native American dramas. As with such earlier stories in the collection as “Geronimo,” “Lakota Woman” and “Tecumseh,” every effort has been made to stick close to the facts.

Historical veracity obviously is a desirable goal, especially given the unreliable manner in which Native Americans have been depicted in hundreds, perhaps thousands, of films. But historical veracity in the telling of Native American stories also means that the dramatic climaxes are not exactly upbeat.

The Crazy Horse saga is no exception. When the legendary Oglala Sioux warrior reached the end of his long and colorful trail in Nebraska in 1877, his fate differed only in magnitude from that experienced by thousands of other Native Americans. But Crazy Horse did not go quietly. A year earlier, when gold miners, protected by American troops, moved into territory reserved by treaty, he and Sitting Bull combined their Cheyenne and Sioux forces to destroy Gen. George Custer and 225 soldiers of the Seventh Cavalry in the Little Bighorn Valley.

Robert Schenkkan’s script tells the story from Crazy Horse’s point of view, using sudden shifts of time and place to simulate the visions that guided and directed his life. Appropriately, since Crazy Horse was considered a warrior with the impervious qualities of an Achilles, the two-hour drama is dominated by sometimes violent action sequences.

But the script humanizes Crazy Horse by revealing the intriguing details of his coming of age and the impact that his ultimately tragic domestic life had upon the creation of his legend.

Remarkably, all 28 principal Native American roles in “Crazy Horse” were cast with Native Americans. Michael Greyeyes (a Cree) brings a richly layered sensitivity to his performance as Crazy Horse. Wes Studi (a Cherokee) transforms Red Cloud into a powerful presence, and Irene Bedard (an Inupiat/Cree) is both tender and strong as Black Buffalo Woman. Peter Horton, best known for his role as Gary Shephard in “thirtysomething,” has the right touch of blond boldness needed for Custer, and Ned Beatty is characteristically dependable as Dr. McGillicuddy.

TNT’s determined attempt to move the production into the Native American orbit also reached beyond the principal casting. Every rider in the warrior group came from the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, and the behind-the-scenes technical staff included 114 Native Americans, with more than 150 featured extra roles portrayed by members of the Lakota community.

* “Crazy Horse” airs on TNT Sunday at 5, 7 and 10 p.m., with repeat showings July 10, 13, 14, 19 and 20.