Black Cloud (2005)

DVD

Rick Schroder made his directorial debut with the uneven Black Cloud. It is the tale of a Navajo boxer caught between the past and the present. Will Black Cloud (Eddie Spears) follow his dream or will he stay among his people? I use the term uneven to describe this film because I found the subject matter to be a little too laced with White guilt. It seems like a film where Native American's don't like White People and White People don't like native American's and it just seemed to get it wrong. I am sure that there are clashes between reservation life and world around it, but I just feel that this movie missed an opportunity to adequately address that. On the boxing end, things are surprisingly strong. The matches look good, the fighters mindset is covered and I really have to give Schroder credit for getting that right. As a boxing fan I could nitpick about little things about the fights, but on the whole this movie really does that aspect of it proud. I also felt that they tapped into the struggle that Black Cloud feels in his own life. He loves a girl but she's from a different tribe, he doesn't trust the White Man who might be able to advance his boxing career... all of these are things he must overcome if Black Cloud is going to be a champion not only in the ring but in his own life. It's just that sometimes I found Black Cloud's journey to be a little long in the tooth.

Commentary with Rick Schroder, Tim McGraw and boxing coach Jimmy Gambina
I love that Tim McGraw begins the commentary by telling Rick Schroder that he's always been a fan of his work. I feel that Schroder is a bit too in charge here. I don't know if that is the right word, but he seems to have such a memory for everything that happened and the people doing the commentary with him don't seem to be as knowledgeable. Jimmy Gambina is someone Schroder met on the set of The Champ!! How cool is that Schroder gives him a job later when he has some clout. Overall, this is a solid commentary. Schroder shares what it took to not only get this film made but it get it distributed. I also never knew that he had such an affinity for the Native American people, and his love for their land and culture is really on display here.

I am huge fan of Rick Schroder. I think he is a child actor that has willed himself to the next level. I think he is going to hit with something again in the near future. I mean really hit. Whether this is as an actor, director, writer... I don't know. I say this because he still gets hired, still gets plum roles and isn't afraid to tackle many different roles. He is an actor and he has really gone a long way towards shedding the teen idol, "Silver Spoons? image.

Black Cloud is a solid if not spectacular boxing movie. The acting is good, the camera work is very good but it just seems to get mired a little too much in Black Cloud•s almost arcane views. I know that this is the story of the film but I just felt the pace could have been picked up a tad.