Smoke Signals is a film directed by Chris Eyre, released in 1998 and the story is set in an Indian reservation in Idaho. The protagonists are Thomas and Victor who are completely different. Victor loves to play basketball and has much energy and rage within himself, while Thomas is a person who likes to invent stories.
The person who connects these two young men is Arnold, the father of Victor who rescues Thomas whose parents get killed in a fire in their home. Thomas looks up to Arnold and thinks of him as a heroic person. Arnold is a violent person and has many vices, such as alcohol, and Victor is disappointed by him although he loves his father at the same time. The two young men form a great friendship because of growing up in the same community very close to each other. Eventually Arnold leaves his family and goes to Phoenix where he dies. This is when Thomas and Victor decide to go and get Arnold’s ashes. This trip leaves trace on the personalities of Thomas and Victor and although both of them value the fact that they are Indians, they change as persons. Thomas is more sentimental and emotional than Victor which leads to disagreement between the two of them, although Thomas admires Victor. When they get to Phoenix they find out much about their own identities. Victor still both loves and hates his father and he finds out the truth about the way Thomas’s parents died. Suzy Song reveals that Arnold was responsible for the fire because he was drunk and negligent. Victor begins to understand his father’s behavior and it all makes sense which brings him to peace. Finally, Thomas and Victor start to understand each other in a better way.
Works Cited
Eyre, Chris, dir. Smoke Signals. Miramax Films, 1998. Film.
