Into the West - miniseries

Steven Spielberg produced this epic Western mini-series which is six two-hour films done by a separate director.  The episodes aired on TNT between 6/10/2005 and 7/22/2005.  The films cover the settling of the American west and the growth of the region from 1825 to 1890, through the lens of intertwined family stories. One is Lakota Sioux and another are white settlers, the Wheelers.  As the lifestyle and fate of the Sioux decline so do the fortunes and imprint of the white settlers on the region, and the scope of the mini-series is enough to cover the huge, demonstrable change on the land and region.

The events of the mini-series also track real history - for example, the final episode covers the death of Sitting Bull and the violence that accompanied the "Ghost Dance" revival on Sioux reservations that led to U.S. military action.

The cast featured many well-known stars, including Josh Brolin, Gary Busey, Sean Astin, Rachel Leigh Cook, Tonantzin Carmelo, Keri Russell, Tom Berenger, Judge Reinhold, and others.  16 Emmy nominations resulted in two awards, for sound mixing and original dramatic score.

I would recommend this highly to anyone who is a fan of Westerns and Western history; it's long, to be sure (twelve hours total) but entirely worth it and will spark your imagination as well as your philosophical side - you cannot help but think critically after watching this film about the fate of Native American tribes like the Lakota who were overcome by the spread of white civilization.