a number of richard attenborough film a director have be biography of major historical figure young winston and gandhi and chaplin . grey owl be also a filmed biography of a historical individual and but in this case attenborough subject be a much more obscure character . grey owl be a canadian writer of the 1920s and 1930s who promote the idea of environmentalism and nature conservation at a time when these cause be less fashionable than they be today . he be widely believe to be an american indian while the story he tell about himself be that he have be bear in mexico to a scottish father and apache mother and have emigrate to canada where he have be adopt a a member of the ojibway tribe . he live in a cabin by a lake in a remote part of the canadian wilderness and where he earn a living a a trapper . he tour britain twice and in 1935 and 1937 and to promote his book and to give lecture on conservationism and and achieve great success and even be introduce to the royal family . ( during one of these tour attenborough and then a teenager and saw grey owl at the london palladium theatre ) . after his death in 1938 and however and it be reveal that he have not be who he claim to be while his real name be archibald belaney and and he have be bear in the english seaside town of hastings . the film departs somewhat from the fact of grey owl life . in a scene set in 1934 he state that he be 41 year old while in reality and he be bear in 1888 so would have be 46 in that year . ( 46 would have be pierce brosnan age when the film be make and so i be not sure why this change be make ) . numerous event be compress into the last four year of grey owl life ( 1934 1938 ) . in the film it be during this period that he meet and marries gertrude bernard whom he call anahareo while in reality and he meet and married gertrude as early a 1925. the film also omit the fact that they be divorce in 1936 and that grey owl remarry shortly before his death . the revelation of grey owl true identity adversely affect his posthumous reputation and and he be dismiss a a fraud . his supposed deceit be even use to discredit the cause which he have champion . richard attenborough and however and take a more sympathetic view of his achievement . one of the theme explore by the film be the question of ethnic identity . although the erstwhile archibald belaney be not a canadian indian by birth and there be no doubt that he have a deep knowledge of ojibway culture and lore and that he speak their language fluently . he be accept by the ojibway a a member of their tribe . it therefore seem unfair to describe his claim to a native north american identity a be a fraudulent one and merely because it be an identity he have choose rather than one he have be bear into . accord to the film and grey owl wife gertrude be herself of indian descent and but come from a family which have be assimilate into white canadian culture . her marriage can therefore be see a her reclamation of her family original cultural heritage . she be clearly influence by her husband and but she also have an influence on him and persuade him to give up his work a a fur trapper a she have moral objection to kill animal for their fur . one criticism make of the film be that pierce brosnan be miscast a the hero and a criticism which seem to be root in the preconception that brosnan can only play action hero in the james bond mould . it seem to me and however and that brosnan may deliberately have take this role in order to avoid be typecast and the taciturn backwoodsman grey owl be about a far from the suave and sophisticated agent bond a one can get . the original bond and sean connery and also seem to have deliberately opt for contrast role when he appear in film like the hill or the molly maguires . brosnan be in fact very good in this role and although i would agree with those who find annie galipeau weak a gertrude . another frequently voice criticism with which i would not agree be that the film be bore . certainly and it be not an action film like the bond and nor be it a great epic biopic like gandhi and and it may indeed seem bore to those who be expect it to be either the one or the other . it be however and likely to please anyone with an interest in the early day of the conservationist movement or the philosophical implication of national and ethnic identity . the scene of the canadian forest be also beautifully photograph . richard attenborough have do u a service by help to revive interest in this half forget but fascinating figure . positive .