Smoke Signals

This past week my SLCC class watched the movie, Smoke Signals (1998) directed by Chris Eyre. The screenplay was written by Sherman Alexie and was based off his novel The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. Smoke Signals is the first movie to be created and acted by an all native cast and is additionally one of the first movies to accurately portray natives. The movie takes place in Pummer, Idaho on the Coeur d'Alene Indian Reservation following the lives of two young native boys, Victor Joseph and Thomas Builds-the-Fire. When the two was just babies, Victor's father, Arnold Joseph mistakenly burned down Thomas's house killing both of his parents on the fourth of July in 1976. Shortly after the incident, Arnold cut his hair as a sign of grief and became a drunk drinking all the time especially on the fourth of July. Eventually he leaves his family and heads to Phoenix Arizona where he dies. At the age of 22, Thomas and Victor embark on a mission to retrieve Arnold's ashes and, on the way, meet a young lady named Susie Song who helps Victor find closure.

This movie is very symbolic as it illustrates the way natives view America and how they are viewed through the eyes of white people. Natives deal with their grief by cutting their very sacred hair which holds all of their life memories. This act is demonstrated by Arnold after the fire and by Victor after he receives Arnold's ashes. Throughout the movie the American Flag is seen as well as the colors of red, white, and blue. At first the flag was usually seen upside down because natives were angry at the way they were being discriminated against by white people. Around twenty years later in the 90's the flag was seen upright and this goes to show how much America has changed and how the discrimination towards natives has lessened. The colors red, white, and blue are seen a lot because it reminds the viewer of the horrific fourth of July fire that haunts the lives of all characters. The elements fire and water are very key in symbolism as well as they represent destruction and the ending. The fire at the beginning was the end of Thomas's parents live and it destroyed the life of Arnold. Susie Song also burns down Arnold's trailer after he dies as a symbol of the end but also the rebirth of a chapter in her life. At the very end of the move Victor pours Arnold's ashes in to a roaring river and this symbolizes rebirth for Arnold and Victor's life and it finally provides closure for Victor to move on in his life and finally be happy.