The Broken Chain

This is a tragedy but a very important one, showing a chapter of American history that almost no one knows anything about. In the French-British war about America most Indians sided with the French, with one important exception: the six nations of the Iroquois society, that were bound together in peace by an ancient pledge, and not even the great Pontiac alliance could drag them into war. The film concentrates on the story of two Iroquois, Joseph Brandt who gets an English education and becomes a British officer in the independence war, and Lohaheo, who tries to stay neutral and maintain peace at any cost and ultimately gets killed for it. Joseph Brandt (Eric Schweig) finally saved himself and the remnants of his tribe by moving to Canada, founding Ontario, and lived to be almost 65. Buffy St. Marie plays an important part as one of the leading Indian ladies. Pierce Brosnan makes a great performance as Sir William Johnson, who desperately tries to keep both the Indians at peace and the British at bay, he married an Indian and had half Indian children, but ultimately he could not fight the inevitable tragedy. The music is also excellent. It is only a television film, but it will always remain vitally important.