Smoke Signals Movie

912 Words4 Pages
Money: it is the means of life, it is what makes this world go round, it is what we, people, strive to have an abundance of. Well, not all people. In the movie Smoke Signals, written by Sherman Alexie and directed by Chris Eyre, there are many portrayals of how money or things of monetary value are less important than sentimental value or experiences. It shows the large difference in the Native American culture and U.S. mainstream. Does money really buy happiness or do mainstream Americans see money in the wrong light? That was something that stood out in this movie. The characters in the movie weren’t wealthy, nor did they have extravagant homes; instead they were from trailers and backwards only running cars but seemed as happy or content as those with money, maybe even more. There are three instances in the movie showed the difference in how Native and non-Native…show more content…
After their long journey to and from Phoenix, Victor says to Thomas that he appreciated everything that Thomas did for him, “the money,” and Thomas continued to reply “it’s nothing, really nothing; who needs money on the rez anyways?” Victor takes Thomas’s Mason jar, where he used to store his money, and poured some of his father’s ashes as a “repayment” for the trip and the experience. This scene was most definitely the most moving. In my eyes it was even more meaningful that Victor put it in the Mason jar. It showed the value of something special and real other than just the money that was given to him to take this trip. Victor knew that without Thomas, he wouldn’t have had the journey he should and did have, and for that ,he was grateful. It takes a lot to give your father’s ashes to someone outside of your family, and it showed an eternal gratitude to Thomas for a journey that helped Victor understand more about his past and be happy about his
Open Document