Film Analysis: Smoke Signals

Elaine takes a second to think and states, “We don’t drink no more, remember?” This part of the scene is pinpointing the issue that Indians are huge drinkers. This issue is also portrayed through another scene where in the past Victor’s parents were partying with many others in their lawn. There are key lines that imply that this happened frequently back then. The morning after the party Victors mother, Arlene, wakes up to her son chucking the bottles that were left from the party in frustration. She realizes that drinking and partying all the time is affecting Victor. She gets in a fight with Arnold because she wants no more drinking for Victor’s sake. Arnold ends up leaving the reservation, never to return again. This drinking issue may be another stereotype, but since Chris Eyre didn’t make a joke out of it like he did with the car. This is an issue that Eyre wanted to show the audience.

In his 1998 independent film, Smoke Signals, Native American director, Chris Eyre, tells the story of Thomas Builds-the-Fire and Victor Joseph, two Indians on the Coeur d'aLene Indian reservation in Idaho. Thomas and Victor have grown up together. The death of Thomas’ parents in a house fire on the 4th of July unites the two boys, even though they were infants, as Victor’s father, Arnold, saved Thomas from the fire. As time passes, Arnold becomes more and more distant and abusive, drowning his sorrows in alcohol. One day he leaves Victor and his mother and disappears for good. Victor never really knew why his father left him, but felt that it was his fault. He goes through his days feeling guilty and is constantly plagued by Thomas, who annoys

Specifically citing the story when Thomas had a dream that told him to go to the river and look for a sign. This easily displays the stereotypes of Native Americans, but it also shows the stereotype is not accurate, because he meets Victor’s dad there and they

Smoke Signals, written by Sherman Alexie, is a story that is based on his short story “This it was it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona”. (citation) It takes place on the Couer d’Alene Indian Reservation in Idaho (citation). The story focuses on two main characters, Victor and Thomas, and it is based on an event that took place way back in the day, a house fire. No one really knows anything about it, so some other events take place, which leads Victor and Thomas to finding out some details that will eventually unfold things from their past. While watching the movie Smoke Signals after reading the short story, I noticed that it allows us to have a better understanding of what the author is trying to portray about the characters’ pasts. Through the use of flashbacks and storytelling, we are able to unfold some of the mysteries that the short story may have confused us about and we can see some of the major differences that occurred throughout the movie and the short story.

Throughout “Smoke Signals”, one of the first genuine Indigenous films directed by Chris Eyre, the main character Victor Joseph undergoes various personal changes and growth in which he learns to accept the death of his dad, Arnold Joseph, and forgive him for his destructive behaviour. In the beginning, Victor is full of resentment and anger towards his father for abandoning him and his mother as a child. He carries a deep emotional burden due to his absence, making him skeptical and distrustful of others. He and his childhood companion Thomas Builds-the-fire embark on a journey to retrieve the ashes in Phoenix, Arizona. Their personalities tend to clash – Thomas looks at Arnold through rose-coloured glasses, despite his circumstances.

Bright orange light emits from a scolding fire. It tears through the house, making the dark July 4th night lighter. This same fire claimed the lives of Thomas’s parents and would have even claimed the life of Thomas, if Victor’s father had not been present. An intense scene like this can snatch a viewer’s attention with ease. The film, Smoke Signals, used this exact scene to great effect. The short story “This Is What It Means To Say Phoenix, Arizona” by Sherman Alexie tells a similar story with some major differences. Even though both the movie and book follow a similar plot, the movie is far superior due to the various additions and changes made by the film producers.

The sequel to the film "Smoke Signals" takes place ten years after the original. Victor now has a job on the reservation as the coach of the high school basketball team. However, Thomas traveled the world in search of a purpose in life, and his travels lead him to Phoenix, Arizona. Suzy stills lives in her trailer and the films start with Thomas driving down a road in Phoenix. While driving Thomas decides to visit Suzy. The two friends greet each other with open arms and after talking with each other, decide to travel in search of Victor.

This quote reveals the tensions inherent in cultural assimilation and the challenges of finding one's voice in a complex cultural landscape. Moreover, Victor's sarcastic remark, "I guess I'll have to teach you, then, innit?" Smoke Signals marks a turning point in his character arc, showcasing a shift towards empathy and understanding. This statement, although initially dismissive, hints at Victor's growing realization of the importance of cultural exchange and mutual learning, signaling his evolution from resistance to acceptance and reconciliation. “Then there's the whole father-son dynamic.

Another example of the ancient Native American spirit on the reservation was given early in the movie, just as Victor and Thomas are beginning their journey to Phoenix. We see the duo walking side by side down a dirt road, and soon a beat up "reservation car" pulls up beside them carrying two women. The reservation car is old and worn down, dust caking

Thomas Builds-the Fire values his Native American culture by being a spiritual person. He has prophetic vision and dreams of the future. Thomas Builds-the-Fire tells Victor stories about his father on the trip to Phoenix, Arizona. One of Thomas vision is he predict that Victor father’s going to leave before anyone knew what was going to happen. “Your father’s heart is weak. He is afraid of his own family. He is afraid of you. Late at night he sits in the dark. Watches the television until there’s nothing but that white noise. Sometimes he feels like he wants to buy a motorcycle and ride away. He wants to run and hide. He doesn’t want to be

This battle causes a defining moment in his connections making broken associations into mended ones. He wouldn't like to go on this adventure with Thomas Builds-The-Fire due to what others may think. Like the readers initial introduction of Builds-The-Fire, Victors sees him as clear and brimming with old stories. In spite of the fact that Victor did not remember it some time recently, Thomas Builds-The-Fire turns into a noteworthy part all through their voyage. Little be known not, choosing to acknowledge help from Thomas is going to assemble the lost association between he and his dad, as well as his lost association with Thomas Builds-The-Fire

The film, Smoke Signals was about an adolescent name Victor and his friend Thomas on a journey to see what happened to Victor’s father. Throughout the movie, Victor has trouble trying to forgive his father for leaving his mother and himself behind. The context behind the movie did a great job in illustrating the culture of Native Americans and threw in some of the common stereotypes that are associated with Native Americans. Some of the stereotypes about Native Americans were domestic violence, them being alcoholics and a scene where one of the female characters, Lucy, says we barter because we’re Indian. The depiction of poverty and struggle in the movie was not as concise because of the difference in living space between Victor’s family and Thomas’s. Victor and his mother live in a decent home. In contrast, Thomas and his grandmother live in a higher standard living space. No one in the film was really struggling to meet ends met like how it is in the real world. If the movie was not focused on Victor and Thomas journey, the story would have taken a different path.

Victor Joseph’s portrayal of the classic Native American man is exemplified by Alexie’s use of dialogue, costumes, and flashbacks. For example, when Victor sees Thomas smiling as they ride their way to Arizona he says, “Indians ain’t supposed to smile like that. Get stoic” (Smoke Signals). This example of dialogue reveals how Victor believes a Native American man should present himself traditionally, which strongly contrasts with Thomas’s demeanor and appearance. Victor continues on, saying, “Look at your hair, it’s all braided up and stuff. You gotta free it. An Indian man ain’t nothing without his hair.” (Smoke Signals). Hair design is used to symbolize Victor’s close ties with his ancestral past as a Native American. Additionally, Victor’s comment on hair foreshadows when Victor himself cuts his hair, symbolizing a moment in which Victor embraces his traumatic past by accepting who he is as a person. In a more literal sense, flashbacks are also used to symbolize the trauma that Victor experienced in his direct past - living with an alcoholic father, Arnold Joseph, who abandoned him. However, by the end of the movie, Victor embraces this past through the spreading of his father’s ashes.

The Movie Smoke Signals is a story about American Indians. The story is about two teen age boys. At first the Story take place in Coeur D'Alene Indian Reservation in Plummer, Idaho. One of the boys name is Tomas Builds-the-Fire, and the other boys name is Victor Joseph. They were both raised by Victor's father Arnold Joseph. Arnold rescued Thomas as an infant from a house fire that killed Thomas’s parents. Thomas and Victor was neighbors and acquaintances. When victor was at a young age his father left his family and leave the reservation. After few years Victor's mother Arlene hears an unsettling news that Arnold had passed away in Phoenix, Arizona. As result, Thomas and victor go on an adventure to retrieve his ashes. The rest of the story take place in the journey and in Phoenix. In this journey they learn about themselves and each other. Farther more, they learn who Arnold is and how they see him as. Thomas and Victor has different way of thinking and dealing with problems; however, their lives always intertwined by many factors and by Arnold Joseph.

Life on the reservation is similar to life in poor neighborhoods. There is a cycle of drinking alcohol and drug abuse on a daily basis. In these poor neighborhoods and on the reservation, children do not have good influences to look up to. There is violence, gangs, and drug abuse. A young girl in the movie was smoking a cigarette around adults. No one said anything; they allowed it to happen. A teenage boy in the movie, Kevin, reminds me of teenagers in my community. He stated that young lives are ruined because there is no good influence (The Seventh Fire). That is true because these boys look up to gangsters. Kevin looks up to a well-known gangster on the reservation, Rob. He sells drugs and participates in crimes to become the most powerful