Watch The Exiles

The Exiles is a remarkable piece of cinema that offers a deeply immersive and empathetic insight into the lives of a group of Native American youths living in Los Angeles in the late 1950s. Part documentary, part fiction, the film is a stunning work of art that is both visually exquisite and emotionally profound. Directed by Kent Mackenzie, The Exiles portrays the experiences of a group of young Indigenous people who have left their reservations in the Southwest to seek new opportunities and freedoms in the big city. Over the course of a single evening and night, we follow the lives of several main characters, including Yvonne, a pregnant mother; her husband Homer, a young man struggling to find his place in the world; and Tommy and Ben, two friends who wander the streets and bars of LA, experiencing a mixture of joy, frustration, and disillusionment.

The film is shot in stunning black and white, with an attention to detail and sense of place that is truly remarkable. Mackenzie worked closely with his cast of non-professional actors, many of whom were based loosely on real people he had met during his research. The result is a film that presents a vivid and authentic portrait of life on the margins of society at a time of great upheaval and change.

The Exiles is a richly textured and multi-layered work that operates on many different levels. As a historical document, it offers a glimpse into a world that is often overlooked or forgotten in the grand narrative of American history. As a work of art, it is a striking and powerful exploration of the human condition, full of moments of beauty and tragedy, hope and despair.

One of the most impressive aspects of the film is its use of sound. Mackenzie draws heavily on the sounds of the city, from the roar of traffic to the clink of glasses in bars. The film is also punctuated by a haunting and evocative score that adds to the sense of atmosphere and mood. The combination of sound and image creates a hypnotic and immersive experience that draws the viewer into the lives of the characters and the world they inhabit.

The Exiles is a film that defies easy categorization. It is both a work of social realism and a poetic meditation on the human soul. It is a film that challenges our assumptions and preconceptions about the world around us, and invites us to engage with the complexities and contradictions of the human experience. It is a film that deserves to be seen and remembered, not just as a document of a particular moment in American history, but as a work of art that speaks to the universal struggles and triumphs of the human spirit.

The Exiles is a 2023 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 36 minutes.