Why the film is worth your time
Made by Indians about Indians (we can say “Indians” rather than “Native Americans” because they themselves say it that way in the film), Smoke Signals is actually about us all. It creatively mixes humor — about Indians, about reservations, about how others see Indians, about the history of USA-Native American relations — with serious explorations of relationships and family that ring true beyond the reservation. Questions of fathers and sons, who’s to blame, and who did what to whom; a context thick with profound and lingering political, geographical, cultural, and economic implications; and an abundance of nuanced, reflexive humor explore a rich territory of life and love in spite of a painful past.
Introduction to the film
Life is different on the Coeur d’Alene Indian reservation — and a fair bit funny. Sometimes, things might seem to run backwards, but then maybe it’s not very different after all. There are fathers and sons and mothers and cousins — like all of us, trying to make sense of mixed up family relations and crazy family histories. As the smell of frybread fills the screen, Victor Joseph and Thomas Builds-the-Fire go on an odyssey into the foreign lands outside the reservation, finding more family history than they had set out for.
- Released: 1998
- Running time: 89 min.
Reflections before you see the film
Native American history is an important backdrop and context for the film, yet the film is universal in its exploration of life. Still, there are important ways that experiencing the film should tune the hearts of us all more to the Native American milieu. The film doesn’t make this an issue or point — in fact, it quite graciously sets the issue aside in favor of universal themes, letting humor carry the weight. Presented in a matter-of-fact, tongue-in-cheek way, the humor lends the film a genuine quality. The relationships are real, even when the characters are quirky, and the humor doesn’t feel like staged gags, even when it is.The relationships are real, even when the characters are quirky, and the humor doesn’t feel like staged gags, even when it is. More importantly, the humor strikes me as a humble appeal to invite a whole people into our lives in a substantively new way — in addition to all the of the superb character work of the film and its outstanding filmcraft.
Content awareness
Light profanity. One of the main characters becomes an alcoholic and physically abusive (intense, but not graphic and short in duration).
The credits
- Director: Chris Eyre
- Screenplay: Sherman Alexie
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- Leads: Adam Beach, Evan Adams, Irene Bedard, Gary Farmer, Tantoo Cardinal
- Cinematography: Brian Capener
- Music: BC Smith
Where to find the film
NOTE: Reviews and content on other sites may have spoilers — without warning you.
- Watch Smoke Signals on: FandangoNow || Amazon Prime
- Buy Smoke Signals DVD at: Alibris.com || Amazon.com
- Info on IMDb
- Reviews on Rottentomatoes (82%)
- Reviews on Metacritic (76 of 100)
