Black Robe

The film that I watched was the Black Robe. This movie was about a Jesuit priest who goes on a mission to convert the Algonquin and Huron Indians to Christianity. On his journey, his faith is tested from many troublesome events. The Algonquin Indians do not respect his religion. Because the priest prays and baptizes people, they also call him a demon throughout the entire movie. While on their tough journey, the Algonquin Indians decide to leave Laforgue behind. While hiding, the Iroquois Indians, a tribe that wants to solve all problems with violence, raided his possessions. The Algonquin tribe came back and got into a bloody fight leaving them with only 5 members left. The Iroquois take them back to their village and torture them severally, leaving Laforgue with only 4 fingers on his right hand. Annuka, the only Algonquin girl remaining, seduces the Iroquois guard and escapes herself and her friends. At this moment, there are only 4 remaining members on the mission, Laforgue, Annuka, Chomina, and Daniel. Soon after their escape, Chomina dies from an arrowhead being logged in his back from the Iroquois attack. Annuka, Daniel, and Laforgue journeyed on. When arriving at the Huron village, Annuka and Daniel left Laforgue to go on to safety. The Huron people asked Laforgue to baptize and convert them to Christianity. Fifteen years after their baptizing, they were murdered by the Iroquois tribe.

Black Robe expresses many elements of World History. One of those elements is the harshness and impact weather came be on travelers. It affected the Algonquin immensely because of the severity of the bitter coldness. Another element is the conflict between the French and Indian people. The Indian people did not accept the Frenchmen or their culture because they believed the French were inferior to them. The clash among Indian tribes was a huge element of World History that was depicted in this film. The Huron and Algonquin people were seen as mediocre to the Iroquois people. Lastly, the spread of Christianity was an important element in this movie. Laforgue’s struggle to keep his faith and to introduce it to new people was a very hard task to achieve. But through this fight, the priest accomplished what he came to accomplish.

This film reinforced my understanding of embracing your faith. It shows that with strong will and courage you can conquer your goals to help others in need, as Laforgue did. It also reinforced my knowledge of the cruelty that the Indians used in dealing with their enemies. An example of this from the movie is when meeting the Iroquois leader, one must go through a tunnel of Iroquois members armed with clubs to beat them. Later, the leader cut off Laforgue’s finger. Also, they slit the young child’s throat without having any remorse. The Iroquois leader expressed many horrible statics they were going to use to kill the 4 remaining travelers including burning them alive on a stake and to peel every single piece of skin off their bodies but to be sure they were alive to feel every moment of it.

In my opinion, I thought the film was very graphic but real. It was full of violence and inappropriate behavior that I was not expecting but, I do understand that that is what those people went through back in the harsh times of 1634. I was not imagining that much brutality and gruesomeness to be in the film. I thought the parts were played particularly well. With the suspense and connection I developed to the characters, the film kept me attentive and interested. All in all, I liked this film.