'The West' Still Exists Today

Despite the lessons that history has taught us over the last several centuries, we still live in a world of prejudice, stereotypes and racism. Humanity's inability to tolerate other cultures and societies has resulted in wars since the birth of mankind.

The early 1800s brought discrimination against the Native Americans in the United States followed by the selling of Africans. If those two weren't enough to teach us a lesson, the after-effects of 9/11 and discrimination against Muslims by the US government is a fresh example. That is not to say that what happened that day was right, either. This is not a political statement but a fact that we face today.   Steven Spielberg's Into the West couldn't have come at a better time. If his War of the Worlds ' deals with post-9/11 and the war on terror, Into the West does the same but focuses on the haunted past instead of the unsettling present.

The pilot episode entitled "Wheel to the Stars" introduces us to two different yet similar worlds--the world of white men and of Native Americans.

Growling Bear (Gordon Tootoosis) tells of a vision to Loved by the Buffalo (Simon Baker), which shows many hardships for Native Americans in the coming years. Loved by the Buffalo goes to Growling Bear to learn more about the vision, who then teaches him about the Lakota medicine wheel This is the sacred wheel which shows where each person is born within the grand scheme of the world.

Jacob Wheeler (Matthew Settle), the son of a wheelright, dreams of a life beyond his family business. Unlike his brothers, he wants to head out to the west and discover the true meaning of his life. His dreams get a kickstart when James Fletcher (Will Patton) comes to the shop to get his rifle fixed. James encourages Jacob's love for the West and tells him how he is on his way to meet Jedediah Smith (Josh Brolin). This is where our story begins.

The hour and a half pilot episode doesn't only have the ingredients of a great mini-series--it also features the production values of a feature film. Filmed in theatrical wide screen in Alberta, Canada and New Mexico, Into the West is filled with beautiful scenery and cinematography by Alan Caso (Six Feet Under). From the opening shot to the end credits, the dark yet beautiful tone brings you closer to the characters.

Unlike other productions where the camera pans over a certain object or group of people in a helicopter shot, the award-winning cinematographer stays away from the conventional style. He blends the characters with the gorgeous backgrounds to show off his beautiful and unique work.

Geoff Zanelli, part of Media Ventures (which is headed by Hans Zimmer), brings a riveting and soul stirring musical score to the mini series. The combination of Media Venture style music with Native Indian vocals will play with your emotions. I certainly hope to see the score come to life on CD, which will probably happen later this year along with the DVD release (if that happens).

William Mastrosimone, the writer, spent weeks researching details of Native Americans, culture and history. And let me tell you that he did a terrific job in carrying out the task. I am no historian but his research is clearly depicted in this pilot episode. The details of both cultures and both histories and their contrast to each other is very well done. There is always one thing missing in a story like this and that would be a one-sidedness. So far, Into the West doesn't have that problem and I doubt it will.

The direction and the resulting performances are incredible. Within 5 minutes, I was pulled into a believable world of 1800 filled with characters that I could relate to and feel strongly about. Robert Dornhelm (Anne Frank , Spartacus , Rudy: The Rudy Giuliani Story ) brings true life out of the leading performers. However, although each and everyone of them stood out, I personally admired the performances by Matthew Settle (Jacob Wheeler), Simon Baker (Young Loved By The Buffalo) Josh Brolin (Jedediah Smith) and Thunder Heart (Tonantzin Carmelo). They all played their characters with true honesty, which is shown in through their performances.

Overall, TNT has a mini-series that will take hold of its already raving buzz once it premieres this Friday. It is a lesson that our world is in need of again--the lesson of tolerance, understanding and respect of other cultures and societies. Executive produced by Steven Spielberg, who took us behind enemy lines in HBO's mini-series Band of Brothers and into the mother ship on Sci-Fi Channel's Taken, now takes us into the realms of the once forgotten west that exists today in a new form.

Into the West premieres on TNT Friday, June 10th at 8 p.m. Eastern.