# Smoke Signals (1998)

### reviewed by
Joe Barlow

                                   SMOKE SIGNALS
                            A movie review by Joe Barlow
                                 (c) Copyright 1998

    STARRING:   Adam Beach, Evan Adams, Irene Bedard, Gary Farmer
    DIRECTOR:   Chris Eyre
    WRITER:     Sherman Alexie  (based on his book, "The Lone Ranger
                            and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven")
    RATED/YEAR: PG-13/1998

                    RATING: **** 1/2 (out of a possible *****)

On the Coeur d'Alene indian reservation in Idaho, life floats by like a slow breeze. K-REZ, the low-watt radio station which serves the indian community, broadcasts the same basic traffic report every morning: "A big truck is passing by." A pause. "Now it's gone." Another pause. "Ain't no traffic, really." The meteorological report is just as laconic: "One of those clouds looks kinda like a horse." It's the sort of place where people still prefer to barter for their goods, and if you can't afford to have the "forward" gear of your car fixed, then hey, you simply drive around in reverse. But life here only looks slow and dreamy if you happen to live somewhere else. The residents of this community have their own fair share of joy, desire, catastrophe and discontent, all carefully buried behind the idyllic facade they put up for the benefit of the tourists.

It's a rare film indeed which is able to bring together sentimentality, wistfulness, and absolution in such a way that it feels fresh and new, rather than old and reheated. "Smoke Signals" is such a film. Not only does it allow us a peek into the highly personal lives of its characters, but it paints them with such a deft touch that we are completely drawn into their world, experiencing all the pain and triumph of these fascinating people. This is a film where, when the end credits begin to roll, you simply stay in your seat and think about what you've just seen while simultaneously wishing the experience wasn't over.

The story opens on July 4, 1976, the American bi-centennial. On the reservation, indians celebrate "the white man's day of freedom" by shooting off fireworks and drinking beer. The festivities are quickly disrupted, however, when a fire breaks out in a nearby house. The young couple inside finds themselves trapped in the burning building, and fling their newborn baby from a third-story window in a desperate attempt to save it from the inferno. A quick-thinking neighbor, Arnold Joseph (Gary Farmer), manages to catch the child, but all he and the other onlookers can do is watch and listen as the parents burn.

The infant that Arnold saves is Thomas Builds-the-Fire (Evan Adams). Raised by his grandmother after being saved from the flames, Thomas grows into an intelligent, amiable young man, full of stories and laughter. Sadly, Thomas is also a bit of a nerd, and is therefore shunned by the other indians. Cruelest of all is Arnold's son Victor (Adam Evans), who later accuses Thomas of having learned everything he knows about their heritage by watching "Dances with Wolves" over and over.

Victor has demons of his own, however. His father, despite the brief moment of heroism in which he saved Thomas, is an alcoholic who's just as likely to communicate with his fists as with words. In his young life, Victor has seen his mother physically abused by Arnold many times. Under the tutelage of his father, Victor is also taught to hate all white people. When Arnold storms out after a fight with his wife and moves to Arizona, never to return, Victor learns an important lesson: one must never love, for love leads to pain. The lesson is heeded, though Victor never forgives his father for deserting him.

Flash forward to present day, as word of Arnold's death filters back to the reservation. As his only son, Victor knows what he must do: travel to Arizona, pick up his father's ashes, and bring them back to the reservation as indian tradition demands. There's a problem, however: Victor has no money, no car, and precious little experience dealing with the great big world outside the reservation's boundaries. Thomas, hearing of Victor's plight, offers to buy Victor a bus ticket on one condition: he, Thomas, must be allowed to come along and pay his respects to the man who saved his life so long ago. Victor grudgingly agrees, and the two men head off on a journey which will change both of them forever.

The film borders on heavy at times, but the witty script from Sherman Alexie knows when to lighten the mood with humor. The interplay between Thomas and Victor, an indian "Odd Couple," is priceless. Thomas, who has even less experience being off the reservation than Victor, is constantly fascinated by the smallest details. "I went to Denny's once," he tells Victor wonderingly. "Even though it was after twelve, they still let me order the Grand Slam Breakfast!" In another scene, Victor tries to get Thomas to act more like an indian. "You smile too much. Indians don't smile, Thomas. Get stoic!" This is a wonderful moment, as is another in which Thomas and Victor sing a lengthy song about John Wayne's false teeth... to the great annoyance of the other passengers.

Along the way, we watch Victor come to terms with the death of his father, who he has always considered a loser and a deserter. Thomas, who knows Arnold only as the man who saved his life, disagrees with this assessment. As more of Arnold's personality is revealed to us via flashbacks, we learn that neither Victor or Thomas have the complete picture. Mercifully, the film does not try to make Arnold into a "good" man, only a real one. Victor will learn that his father was not quite the monster he'd always believed, just as Thomas will discover that no man, including the late Arnold Joseph, is a saint. It's a revelation that makes both men rethink their philosophies.

As one would expect of any mismatched pair, there is an incredible amount of friction between our two main characters. When the friendly Thomas befriends a white woman on the bus, Victor insults her and drives her away. Thomas's chatterbox dialogue grates on Victor's ears, and they have differing opinions on just about everything. But through it all, a special bond forms between them. Due to the skillful way in which the film depicts their growing fondness, we never doubt either man's sincerity.

By the end of the movie, Victor and Thomas have each inherited a smattering of the other's personality, and both are better people for it. Their final parting scene, in which Thomas receives a special gift from his new friend, is so unselfish and "real" that I was honestly touched by it. The fact that such a powerful response could be generated by such a short scene says a great deal about the skill of the actors, director, and screenwriter. These characters stay with us long after the film is over, as does the haunting climatic voice-over, solemnly delivered by Thomas.

"Smoke Signals" isn't perfect, but it comes awfully close. Only once does it stumble, and even this is not neccessarily a flaw, depending on your point-of-view:

I understand that the film is interested in conveying the Native American viewpoint. That's fine-- it does so extremely well, and it's a big part of the movie's charm. However, the film does seem to go out of its way to make a GREAT STATEMENT about racism, which quite honestly feels forced. Case in point: there are four white men with speaking parts in this movie, and ALL OF THEM are racist scumbags. Indeed, one scene with a redneck sheriff could be dispensed with altogether, since it seems to be included for no other reason than to introduce yet another white antagonist.

But this relatively minor criticism in no way detracts from the story's power. This is an incredible debut from first-time director Chris Eyre, full of warmth, humor, and most of all, life. Be sure to catch it. Without a doubt, it's one of the year's best.

Copyright (c)1998 by Joe Barlow. This review may not be reproduced without the written consent of the author.

E-Mail: jbarlow@earthling.net Joe Barlow on Film: http://www.ipass.net/~jbarlow/film.htm

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