Smoke Signals Analysis

Smoke Signals Analysis
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.
In the scene where Victor and Thomas were on the bus, Victor stated there's three things that are needed to be a true Indian. The first thing being is that
you have to be stoic, if not White people will walk all over you. The second thing is that an Indian is nothing without his hair. Lastly, to be Indian you
have to dress like an Indian, in essence culturally or like a warrior. The culture of Native Americans
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Stereotypes In Smoke Signals
Smoke Signals is one of the most touching films of the 1990's, based on Sherman Alexie's short story, This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona.
Although it is not a standard Western film, but one can learn much about American Indians' life as it is a film created and acted by them. The
indigenous characters of the film are not represented as the typical Western film's American Indians, but the story represents indigenous life in a natural
way, and gives a contemporary image to the viewer of them as the new generation American Indians, who grew up in Native American boarding
schools, speak the English language well, and white people started to convert them into the Christian religion. The well–known stereotypes about their
roots and lifestyle appear in a hidden, humorous way with the help of symbols that usually refers to their past; and do not appear in an easy, clear way,
as it is hard to understand without any background information about Native Americans. In this paper, I...show more content...
Smoke Signals cannot refer to anything else, but the American Indians. While reading it, the often depicted picture comes alive about a stereotyped
indigenous person as sending smoke signals to another person; but then, while watching the film, it turns out that this stereotypical image of them are
far from it. In this case, smoke signals refer to the fact, that the film is about American Indian characters, but the viewer should decode what the signal
means for them, as it hides different meanings for everybody. This is what makes the story more exciting, the journey helps us find ourselves with the
help of Victor, who wants to separate from everything that connects him to his roots at the beginning of the story partly due to his relationship with his
father that was not the expected good father– son relationship with good

Summary: Smoke Signals
To conclude, the setting between Smoke Signals and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part–Time Indian have comparisons and differences. Both Smoke
Signals and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part–Time Indian have many similarities and differences within their characters, plot, and setting. In Smoke
Signals and The Absolutely True Diary of a Part–Time Indian, the characters come upon many problems that are strongly affected the characters. Even
though it may be tough, they learn from their problem and they always find a good outcome. Although the problem may look as if it is a way for
them to stop they find a way to make it better.

Smoke Signals Film Analysis
This review will discuss the film Smoke Signals directed by Chris Eyre, screenplay by Sherman Alexie. The film is good because it is a movie that
grabs the viewer's attention with the adventure it portrays in the film and the impact that it leaves at the end of the film. In this review, I will talk about
the details of the film as a whole to show what made it interesting. Also, this paper will talk about other movies to compare and contrast against
Smoke Signals. And finally, this paper will discuss what makes a good movie in film standards.
The film Smoke Signals is a good movie that many people should take time to look at it. The film follows the story of Victor, who has father issues
as a young boy and as a young man. In the film, they focus on two characters: Victor and Thomas. Victor is a tough guy but he has dad issues. The
other character is Thomas, who is slow to understand the situation but means well when he tells his story. In the beginning of the film, Thomas'
house is on fire, and Victor's dad saves him from the fire but his parents do not make it out. As the years pass, Victor is growing up with his father
while Thomas is living with his grandmother. Victor's dad is never the same after the fire; he acts different by being more drunk or just not being a
good father. Then one day, Victor's mom and dad have an argument with each other and Victor's dad picks up his stuff, takes their truck and drives
away. The film transitions to a period that is years later.

Smoke Signals Essay
The movie Smoke Signals is based on the series of short stories written by Sherman Alexie. Just like any movie, there is a meaning to it. Before this
movie, when I thought of the phrase "Native American" I thought of things like feathers and societies that were impeccable. But after watching the
movie, Smoke Signals, it portrays what being a Native American really means. It is not all fun and games. The protagonist, Victor Joseph, has many
hard aspects of his life, but throughout it all he grows mentally. His personality in the beginning of the movie is mean and despicable, he is filled with
wrath, but as the movie goes on his personality grows gradually. By the ending of the movie, he was a nicer and kinder. When the movie begins,...show
more content...
Victor has to go to Phoenix to get Arnolds ashes. Thomas offers money to help him get there, but there is one catch, Thomas has to go with him.
Victor automatically says no, but after a little while he accepts the offer, having a little change of heart. From here on, Victor's personality changes
slowly but surely. As they are on their way to get his father's ashes, two 'cowboys' sit in their seats, but they won't let them have their seats back,
because the boys are Native Americans. This only makes Victor mad, and Thomas confused. When they get to Phoenix, they meet Suzy Song, who is
the woman who lived next to Arnold. She tells Victor about how much Arnold talked about him, and how much he wished he could see him. She also
told him about how the fire on July 4th was accidently caused by Arnold, because he was drinking. All these years Victor thought his father didn't want
him anymore, but he just didn't want to hurt his son anymore. After the boys got the ashes, and anything else that Victor wanted from his father's
trailer, they left without telling Suzy goodbye. Victor was still in denial about his father passing away, and everything that Suzy had told him. He
yelled at Thomas telling him he didn't care about him or anything basically. Victor was driving and almost ran into a car parked on the side of the
road, and went off the road. When they got out of the truck, it was a car accident caused by a drunk driver.

Essay on Smoke signals
The movie Smoke Signal is a story that portrays what a Native American really means. It is a movie based on story written by Sherman Alexie.
Thomas is the narrator of the story. It's just not a simple movie but it has meaning to it, which is the best thing about the movie. It shows the life of
Indians and how their life was and what they had to deal with. The movie has two main characters name Victor and Thomas. The movie starts with a
house that goes on fire and the man (Arnold Joseph) Victor's father saves Thomas and Victor from the fire Victor the main character plays the role of a
typical Indian who has hatred towards his father for leaving him and his mother when he was little. He doesn't seem to like his father as he always
...show more content...
On their way back, they get into an accident and there was a lady who needed help in the accident. Victor remembers what Suzy said him about his
dad that in the fire that took place when he was a baby, his dad always wanted to help him and he did went back to save his life. This hits on his mind
and he decides to get help for the lady. His thoughts about his dad changes. At the end of the movie Victor disperses the remains of his father in the
river and forgives him for what he did before.
I really like the movie and the story was very different than any other movies. Sherman's way of writing the stories seems very unique and could not tell
what would happen next in the movie. When Victor knew about his father's death I was thinking he would not go to Phoenix to get his remains since
he had hatred towards him but he decides to go which was surprising. It was always funny how Thomas kept telling stories about different stuffs to
Victor even though he knew Victor don't like to hear them. The author has tried to show the culture of Indians, the thoughts of people, how they dealt
their life through his stories which I really found interesting and something different to learn. The author has showed how life was back then and I
liked the fact he tried to show what impact it can have to a child's mind if he sees his father drinking alcohol and tormenting his mother

The Smoke Signals Forgiveness Essay
The Smoke Signals Forgiveness
Smoke Signals, written by Sherman Alexie and directed by Chris Eyre, begins on July 4, 1976 on the Coeur d' Alene Reservation. Arnold Joseph
(Gary Farmer), drunk while celebrating the "independence", lit off a firework and set the Builds–the–Fire residence on fire, killing the parents of
Thomas Builds–the Fire. Many people were already asleep in the house when the fire started, so no one saw Arnold's mistake, which he kept a secret
from the whole reservation. Both Thomas Builds–the–Fire (Evan Adams) and Victor Joseph (Adam Beach), Arnold's son, were saved from the burning
house. Arnold ran to catch Thomas in his arms after Thomas was thrown from a window.
Victor and Thomas grew up together. After the
...show more content...
One day, Arlene received a call from Arnold's neighbor in Phoenix, Suzy Song (Irene Bedard), saying that Arnold had died and that someone should
probably come down to Phoenix to take care of the death. This meant that Victor had to take a bus to Phoenix to get Arnold's possessions and drive
his truck back to the reservation. There was just one problem, Victor didn't have the money for a bus pass, but Thomas did. The catch was, if Thomas
gave Victor some money to go to Phoenix, Thomas got to come along too. Victor had no other choice but to accept the offer. And the journey begins.
Victor and Thomas had never been off the reservation before. They experienced what it's really like to be a Native American in the real world. On
the bus ride there, two white men took their seats and made rude comments about them being Native Americans. They received a lot of stares and
uncomfortable looks from people as well. The bus ride to Phoenix was hard for Victor because he had to deal with Thomas talking the whole time.
Victor especially didn't like it when Thomas brought up his father in conversation.
In Phoenix, Thomas and Victor walked many miles through the desert to get to Arnold's old trailer. Suzy Song lived in a trailer there as well. They
met Suzy right away, and she was very helpful. She and Thomas told stories to each

Movie Smoke Signals Essay
Movie Smoke Signals
For most of my life, the word "Native American" had immediately made me think of feathers, powwows, and a society uncorrupted by civilization.
However, in watching the movie Smoke Signals, a movie that depicts the modern Native American culture, I learned many other things. For one, I
learned that many of the customs that modern Native Americans have are very similar to my own. I also saw that the family life of the Native
Americans in the film had many of the same problems that my family had undergone in the past years. This film was unlike any that I have ever seen;
therefore, it reached me on a very personal level.
The movie Smoke Signals was set in 1998, with reoccurring flashbacks to the 1980's on the...show more content...
Luckily, Thomas and Victor were okay; however, Arnold's problem with alcohol does not stop with this horrible mistake. For years he continued
to drink and abuse his wife and son, Victor. When Arnold's wife could not take it anymore, Arnold left the family and moved far away, missing
most of his son's life. My family has also had this problem. I have never been a victim of child abuse, but my father's abuse of alcohol has
impacted me in many ways. When I was about seven, I was told that my dad was leaving because of his alcoholism. I did not understand at the
time the significance of my parents getting a divorce, but having lived ten years without my father, I feel I can relate to Victor in many ways. My
dad has missed so many important events in my life, such as making the cheerleading squad, my first prom, and even the day I got my license. After
seeing this movie I realized that even if my dad could recover from alcoholism, it could never make up for all the years we lost together. Lives are
ruined by this terrible addiction everyday; not only the alcoholic's life, but also the lives of those who love them.
I thought this film was very unique because it shows the true Native American perspective of everyday life, not the usual phony stereotype of Indians
such as teepees and bow and arrows. It also showed how much Native Americans are not much different thanother cultures. Instead of singling other
cultures out or judging people that are different from

Forgiveness In Smoke Signals
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...show more content...
The theme of forgiveness in the film is the forgiveness of others, but it is also personal forgiveness of yourself. This is shown through Victor and
Arnold's complicated and rough relationship. It also shows how alike they are. Their relationship has layers, on the top you look at it and think that
they have nothing in common and are a father and son destined to be set against each other, but, as you go deeper, you see what set them against each
other is what links them, what make them similar. The reflections of their interactions with others, their ways of dealing with grief, and their inability
to forgive themselves are a mirror image. At the end of the film, Victor is able to ultimately forgive his father because he fully understands what he
went through, and can relate to it too. He can see it in himself and realizes how alike they are. Victor and Arnold were emotionally separated and their
relationship was strained and complicated because they hurt others, including themselves and each other. They put their blinders up to understanding
each other and forgiving. They went against each other, instead of coming together in their similarities, and in this, proved even more how similar they
are. As the traditional saying goes, "like father, like

Smoke Signals Analysis

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Smoke Signals Analysis