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The Taking
Directed by
Alexandre O. Philippe
NR
2021
76m
Documentary
6.7
93%
Add to Watchlist
A radical examination of Monument Valley's representation in cinema and advertising, THE TAKING scrutinizes how a site located on sovereign Navajo land came to embody the fantasy of the "Old West."
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Where to Watch The Taking
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Rent $3.99
Buy $9.99
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Rent $2.99
Buy $1.99
Cast of The Taking
John K. Bucher Jr.
Self
Michele Salimbeni
Self
Alexandre O. Philippe
Director / Writer
Kerry Deignan Roy
Producer
The Taking Ratings & Reviews
The Take-Up
Andrew Wyatt
An eye-opening if occasionally frustrating documentary essay that reveals the geographic and ideological flimflam that's been in front of our noses all along.
The Film Experience
Glenn Dunks
...the temptation is to simply ogle and marvel at some of nature's finest creations captured by the best of Hollywood.
Arts Fuse
Gerald Peary
Most of this documentary is so beautiful the temptation is to switch off the preachy, didactic soundtrack and just watch and watch...
New York Times
Concepción de León
"The Taking" is successful in demonstrating the way in which Monument Valley has become a canvas onto which the public can superimpose their own ideas and myths.
FilmWeek (LAist)
Peter Rainer
It's an interesting thesis and the clips are illustrative.
Creators Syndicate
Kurt Loder
In John Ford's movies, Monument Valley (or a couple square miles of it, adorned with the requisite sandstone pillars and towering buttes) became the embodiment of the American West in the national imagination.
Sunshine State Cineplex
Alan French
Documentarian Alexandre O. Philippe examines the relationship between Hollywood and Monument Valley. Utilizing his signature style, Philippe reckons with the legacy of film on indigenous land and cultivating the myths of manifest destiny.
One Guy's Opinion
Frank Swietek
Its dissection of John Ford's role in the transformation of Monument Valley into an enduring symbol of America's mythic self-understanding-a kind of cinematic expression of the notion of Manifest Destiny-is a significant contribution.
Eye for Film
Jennie Kermode
Philippe's incisive, forthright approach leaves no room for apologism.
Hammer to Nail
Christopher Llewellyn Reed
What emerges by the end is a fascinating, robust account of a natural wonder and its function as more than just a movie backdrop
Michael J. Cinema
Michael J. Casey
An impressive cinematic study of Monument Valley that keeps circling a point it can't quite find.
Film Inquiry
Faisal Al-Jadir
Even with a lack of indigenous voices in the proceedings, the film succeeds in its examination of art's effect on reality and the selective memory that accompanies the images we see.
The Hollywood Reporter
John DeFore
Any viewer who has never reflected on the weirdness of tourism, the rephotographing of famous places, or context-blind selfies will walk away with much to think about.
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