#2 Running Brave Post-Movie Reflection

If you happen to overcome an external and internal journey in order to accomplish something you had proposed to yourself you may be called Billy Mills. If you look at it this way it may seem as if his journeys were somewhat easy, but in fact it was the complete opposite. In his internal journeys throughout the movie he had to fight alongside his external journeys in terms of class and racial differences. Both these issues are mainly related to the fact that he is native of an Indian reservation. This is portrayed in the scene in which he is treated as a criminal/animal by the security guard of the university. The guard is completely against the fact that Mills is a student enrolled at the university since he is seen peeking at nighttime in front of the girls’ dorm. The guard calls him depictive names that incite a hint of racism since he calls Mills, “chief”, something that is offensive due to the fact that in the Indian Reservation Mills was born there's actually a Chief whom Mills is very fond of. Mills is seen outside the dorm after he catches a glance of the girl that has been so nice to him and who also contributes to both his internal and external journey. She contributes to his internal journey since she showed him that there is nothing wrong with some of the people that surround him outside the reservation, a place he’s spent most if not all of his life at. She also contributes in making Mills go back to town and keep improving for the race she knows he can win. As we talk about the external journey Mills experienced about going back home and the reaction of the people that cared about him, another group of people that influenced him in going back were the fans and followers Mills had whom he never knew existed. The most significant person portrayed in the movie is the kid that takes out a newspaper article all wrinkled from his pocket and shows Mills that the article is about him and how proud he is to meet the guy in the article. This event probably made Mills realize that there are lots of people that are expecting more from him, we can say they may have influenced in his external journey of satisfying everyone’s expectations. It is seen throughout the movie that Mills is not only influenced by the people that surround him but also by his own mind, his internal journey. For example, many people tell him that he can do more for himself if he goes back to town, contributing to his external journey, but it is not until he sees with his own eyes how Frank ends up after having the same opportunity as he did that Mills decides to return and compete for his gold medal.