Smoke Signals is a movie about Indians made by Native Americans. It is based on Sherman Alexie's short story collection called The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, more precisely on the short story This Is What It Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona, and directed by Chris Eyre – both American Indians. The tells the sad story of a teenager Victor Joseph, who was left by his father, and now, after his death, together with his neighbor Thomas Builds-the-Fire, is hitting the road to grab his remains. An unprepared and inattentive viewer will not notice the general aim of the movie – to depict the life of American Indians, there traditions, customs, beliefs and lifestyles.
Frankly speaking, it was difficult for me to percept and find a reasonable explanation to a humor in the story. I could not get the idea of it, as it looks more like mocking of Indian people, their looks and way of life. Especially in the scene where Thomas says to Victor that he heard about his father’s death “from the wind, from the birds, from the sunshine” and then ads that she just saw her sitting and crying. (Smoke Signals) The Thomas’s words sound for me nothing but like a mocking of Indian closeness to the nature. Also they make fun of themselves saying: “What will you trade for that [a ride in a car]? We are Indians, do you remember? We have barter.” (Smoke Signals) Moreover, they laugh at oral tradition of Indians, after Thomas recites a story.
After watching the film to the very end, I realized the function of humor. In my opinion, the producers of the film laughed not at Indians but at the ways other people tend to portray Native Americans. They intended to break the stereotypical image of Indians that was created by mass media and society. It is understandable after Victor cuts his hair in the trailer (full of maps and images of Indians) and Thomas returns to his initial look (braids and the suit). It also explains the mixture of genres of the film – drama and comedy.
The thing that was new for me is that Indians value their hair so much. Victor, as well as his father Arnold, cut their hair and never grow it again, in order to show their grief and guilt over the things they did. It is a beautiful metaphor that helps to show an Indian man as a man, who is strong-willed, devoted to his traditions and ready to admit their guilt.
Work Cited
Smoke Signals. Dir. Chris Eyre. Perf. Adam Beach, Evan Adams, Irene Bedard, Gary Farmer, and Tantoo Cardinal. Miramax Films, 1998. Film.
