What is the movie Smoke Signals about?
Arnold (Gary Farmer) rescued Thomas (Evan Adams) from a fire when he was a child. Thomas thinks of Arnold as a hero, while Arnold’s son Victor (Adam Beach) resents his father’s alcoholism, violence and abandonment of his family. Uneasy rivals and friends, Thomas and Victor spend their days killing time on a Coeur d’Alene reservation in Idaho and arguing about their cultural identities. When Arnold dies, the duo set out on a cross-country journey to Phoenix to retrieve Arnold’s ashes.
Smoke Signals/Film synopsis
What was the conflict in Smoke Signals?
As it is obvious both from the film and from the short story, conflicts between generations emerge due to lack of insight into the true motifs that cause parents’ actions. The way Victor sees his father is quite limited: in his son’s perception Arnold is represented as a violent man mistreating his wife and son.
Who is the protagonist in Smoke Signals?
The parents of Thomas, the narrator, are killed in a fire on the Bicentennial 4th of July. Thomas, a baby, is rescued by Arnold, the alcoholic father of the protagonist, Victor.
Who are the main characters in Smoke Signals?
Smoke Signals illustrates contemporary Native American culture. The movie is gives insight into the characters struggles to preserve oral tradition, and making peace with personal histories. The main characters, Thomas and Victor, deal with discrimination, life on a reservation, preservation of their culture, and economic problems.
What is smoke signals about?
The smoke signal is one of the oldest forms of long-distance communication. It is a form of visual communication used over long distance. In general smoke signals are used to transmit news, signal danger, or gather people to a common area.
Did Indians use smoke signals?
Description and Definition of Smoke Signals: Smoke Signals were used by many cultures including the Native American Indians as a means to quickly communicate visual messages over long distances . The simple messages sent via these signals were conveyed by means of columns or intermittent puffs or clouds of smoke.
