Sherman Alexie's Film vs. Fiction: 2009

Book Thomas vs. Film Thomas

In the film there is a point where Sonya Song (Arnold Joseph's ex-girlfriend) asks Thomas if he wants lies or if he wants the truth. Thomas responds by saying "I want both." This is evidence of Thomas as a trickster character. I would argue that in this scene truth is being treated much the same way that time is treated by American Indians. Both truth and time seem to be liquid and non-linear. There is a blurring of the line between truth and lies. In these ways Thomas represents traditional Indian values. In the book Thomas also seems to have little concern about whether his stories are truth or myth. In "The Trial of Thomas Builds-The-Fire" Thomas claims to have been a horse at one point. Clearly this is impossible, but in Alexie's world of magic realism Thomas' testimony seems legitimate.
In the film Alexie chose to linger at Arnold Joseph's trailer. In the book Victor and Thomas quickly leave the trailer. During this extended time at the trailer we, as viewers, learn many things about the relationship between Victor and his father. We learn that nearly every story told by Thomas is not true. We learn that it was Arnold who accidentally started the fire that killed Thomas' parents. We also learn that Victor's mother did not feed one hundred Indians with fifty pieces of frybread by ripping each piece in half. Furthermore, we learn that Arnold himself was a story teller, and that he lied to Sonya about a basketball game against two Jesuit priests. Arnold claimed that Victor hit the winning shot, when in reality Victor missed the shot and lost the game. This relaxed position on truth seems to be a theme in both the movie and the text.

In the film, when Victor and Thomas are heading back to the reservation in Arnold's truck there is a heated exchange. Thomas shows a level of aggression that we do not get from the text or in any other point in the movie. He yells at Victor, telling him that he doesn't know who he is, and accuses him of making his mother cry. Overall in the book the relationship between Thomas and Victor is more cordial. Victor is at times, curious to hear Thomas' stories. In the book Thomas is more passive and his stories create a more lasting effect on the reader. Perhaps the medium of film necessitates a more abrasive relationship between Victor and Thomas. Given only two hours, Alexie must have assumed that in order for the dynamic between these two characters to make a point, the dialog had to be more confrontational.
There is a funny moment towards the end of the film when the nurse praises Victor and Thomas for their bravery. Victor ran twenty miles to the nearest town to call for help after they witness a drunk driving accident. The nurse says that the two are like the lone ranger and Tonto. Thomas corrects the nurse by saying, "No, we're more like Tonto and Tonto."
I would argue that Alexie is attempting to show how American Indians do not always stick together. In the book when Thomas is looking for a sign at the falls he sees nothing, but Arnold takes him to Denny's for breakfast. Thomas concludes that "Your dad was my vision. Take care of eachother is what my dreams were saying. Take care of eachother." Throughout the film Victor wants nothing to do with Thomas. You might even argue that Victor is simply using Thomas for his money. They argue and fight throughout the film. In the text we see that Alexie/Victor understand that Indians often fight eachother; "Forget about cowboys versus Indians business. The most intense competition on any reservation is Indians versus Indians."

In the book, when Victor and Thomas return to the reservation, there is a somewhat awkward moment where they both can't quite find the words to sum up their journey. But Victor promises that he will earnestly listen to one of Thomas' stories sometime. In the film the understanding between Thomas and Victor is much more tangible and meaningful. Victor takes the initiative and pours half of his fathers ashes into Thomas' coin jar, effectively thanking Thomas for his support and wisdom.

The final scene of this movie is all about forgiveness. Victor finally pours his fathers ashes into the river. During this moment of release we hear the words of Thomas, and his message of forgiveness. At the end of the movie, more so than in the book, we feel a sense of redemption and forgiveness towards Victor's father. And through this forgiveness of his father Victor comes to terms with his own identity, thanks to Thomas' storytelling.

Works Cited

Alexie, Sherman. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven. New York, NY: Grove Press, 2005. Print

Duchin, Courtnay and Sabella, Jill. Alexie, Sherman. Smoke Signals: A Screenplay by Sherman Alexie. New York, New York: Hyperion. 1998.

Smoke Signals and The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven

Hailed as the first film ever written, produced, directed, and cast entirely by Native Americans, Smoke Signals is critically acclaimed as the most realistic portrayal of contemporary Indian life since the genre's inception. Based on Sherman Alexie's collection of short stories titled, The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, Smoke Signals follows the journey of Victor Joseph and Thomas Builds-the Fire as the journey from their home on the Coeur d'Alenene reservation in Idaho to Victor's adoptive father's trailer in Phoenix, Arizona. A "journey story" at its heart, the film follows the boys as they move away from the reservation into the United States, facing discrimination and stereotypes head on.

For critics, the film's worth lies in its ability to carefully navigate stereotypes propagated by white Americans, and tactfully engage the audience in a deconstruction of the cliches popularized by earlier Native American cinema. Roger Ebert celebrates the Smoke Signals as the first film about Native Americans to show the culture in a way that mirrors reality without overwhelming the audience with sociological critiques. In his review of the film Ebert states, "Most films about Native Americans have had points to make and scores to settle, like all those earnest 1950s white films about blacks. Blaxploitation broke the ice and liberated unrehearsed black voices, and now here are two young Indians who speak freshly, humorously and for themselves."

While Smoke Signals is largely based on Alexie's The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, the film's setting and major plot points differ from the stories. The plot closely follows the story This is What it Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona, in the sense that the driving plot device, the journey from the reservation to Victor's father's trailer, remains the same. However, aspects of many other stories from Alexie's collection supplement the plot of the film.
The story from the scene shown below (title Barter) is taken almost verbatim from Alexie's story Because My Father Always Said He Was The Only Indian Who Saw Jimi Hendrix Play 'The Star Spangled Banner' At Woodstock. In the film, the story is shown as a humorous example of how the characters channel their frustrations with white oppresion into stories that mirror the "oral tradition" as well as poke fun at both white and Indian cultures.

The idea of humor as the driving mechanism to initiate social awareness is prevalent in both works. While Alexie has stated that he did not have much of a cultural critique in mind when writting The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, he agrees that his humor allows the audience to empathize with the characters, thereby aknowledging the cultural differences, yet not obligating the audience into activism. The film parallels these themes with its use of sarcastic humor based on the characters' negative interactions with mainstream American culture. For critics and audiences alike, Smoke Signals effectiveness is directly a product of its cultural realism and awareness of societal differences without the expectation of change.

Character Analysis: Thomas Builds-the-Fire

Believe it or not Thomas has his own MYSPACE page.

The actor who plays Thomas in the film is Evan Adams. He is now a medical doctor helping indigenous tribes in Brittish Columbia. Here is an interview with Dr. Adams (aka Thomas)

In the film, Thomas is portrayed as a nerdy, eccentric, smiling young man. In the text, he seems to be more somber and stoic. There is an interesting scene in the film where Victor implores Thomas to “get stoic.” In this scene Victor is for good or ill perpetuating an American Indian stereotype. We get these stereotypes from a variety of sources, the television show “The Lone Ranger” is one. In this show Tonto is a generic representation of the Indian warrior stereotype. It is this image that Victor is trying to invoke when he tells Thomas to undo his braids and “lose the suit.” In his article “Smoke or Signals? American Popular Culture and the Challenge to Hegemonic Images of American Indians in Native American Film” John Mihelich argues that the film Smoke Signals attempts to humanize the American Indian by “developing a complex human portrayal of contemporary Indians.” Thomas is a complex character, he embodies a blend of traditional American Indian traits and contemporary American ones. This is evident when he unties his braids and puts on the “Frybread Power” T-shirt.

This shirt itself represents the nature of the contemporary American Indian as being a hybrid of old and new. The shirt also seems to be a playful statement about the difficulty associated with this hybrid identity. In both the text and the film Thomas serves as a kind of spiritual guide for Victor. His storytelling frustrates Victor more in the movie than in the

text, but in both cases Thomas’ stories help Victor come to terms with his identity. In the story “The Trial of Thomas Builds-The-Fire” Thomas is described as being a threat to the BIA and white culture in general. He is described as having “A storytelling fetish accompanied by an extreme need to tell the truth. Dangerous.” We do not get this same sense of Thomas being a direct threat to the hegemony in the film. However, in the film Thomas does indirectly undermine the hegemonic images of American Indians.

Which Sends the Better Message?

After reading Alexie's composition of short stories and watching the movie that is based off of them, it is easy to see from a critical standpoint the differences between the two and what kind of ideas they are giving to the readers/viewer. The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven shows a realistic and almost disturbing view of life on the reservation centered around the problems many people face and alcoholism. Smoke Signals on the other hand shows a journey between two different young men who develop a comradship and the healing Victor must accomplish to forgive his father.

Something that is is seen throughout the film are flashbacks of some of the character's lives. By using this technique, we get a very vivid idea of how certain events in their lives have affected them in the present. One example being when Victor remembered a party his parents had when he was a child that eventually led to his father leaving their family and his mother to quit drinking. In the fiction, the short stories are a gradual view of what is happening in all the character's lives.

Humor is also something that is used greatly in the novel by Alexie. The characters use it as a means of connecting with people that have nothing in common with. It serves as a way of comfort and as accepting whatever fate has handed to them. In the film, there is humor, but it is not really used in the same way as the book. While reading The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, the tone or mood through most of it more dark and almost bitter as some times. In Smoke Signals, you can feel that there is more optimism and good humor present.

In an article written by Gordon E. Slethaug titled "Hurricanes and Fires: Chaotics in Sherman Alexie's Smoke Signals and The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven, he discusses some interesting differences between the film and fiction. He argues that Alexie is almost too critical of Native Americans in this book and he mainly beleives that the message the author is trying to send is that no matter what has happened to them, Native Americans always survive on their own and will continue to do so. Slethaug also says that in the book the chaos is centered around Victor's life, and in the movie it is around Thomas's life. We also get a very different view of specific characters which will also be discussed in this blog.

Relating: Victor and Joseph

In both The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and Smoke Signals, the relationship between Victor and Arnold Joseph is, at best volatile. However, the same relationship is portrayed differently in each work as a result of the unique portrayal of characters within each work. Victor in the novel is far more passive, too confused and taken back by all the ugliness that surrounds him on the reservation to be the expressively bitter and angry character he is in the film. His father, Arnold, in either work is not an effective father to his son. In the movie though, he is a clear antagonist to Victor whereas in the book, he is simply an illusionist, an apparition that you see one second, then you don't....gone faster than you can say 'poof, poof, poof!'

Gary Farmer, who plays Arnold Joseph, has actually taken steps to speak out against the alcoholism so frequent on reservations, appearing in a Public Service announcement against Indians driving drunk.

Adam Beach, who plays Victor Joseph, humbly admits that were he to have stayed on the reservation, rather than pursuing acting, he too would be caught up in the atmosphere of drugs and alcohol that so consumed his character's life.

Arnold
In the book, Arnold is commonly drunk or passed out (p90). He is barely conscious of his son, so, he can't muster the strength, even the coordination, to physically abuse his son or wife. However, we can find traces of genuine concern for his family-- weeping at Christmas when he can't give them gifts (p4) and after crashing his motorcycle, advising Victor, "Stick with four wheels" (p33). Arnold is not an immediately harmful father in the text, he's more inadequate. Throughout the novel, he frequently disappears until one day, he vanishes forever.

In the film, Arnold is again commonly drunk. Sadly though, he is all too conscious and takes out remorse for past transgressions on his son. We never learn in the novel how Arnold truly felt about his son but, in the movie, we are provided some insight by a story from Suzy Song.

Victor and the Jesuit's

Victor

In the collection, Victor is relatively quiet in response to his father's rejection. Perhaps because it had been so much less of an explosive process. We see much more of the adult Victor in Alexie's anthology-- the man who becomes a drunkard himself, who isn't able to form any lasting romantic relationships. Clearly, Victor carries the baggage of his father's disappearance in the fiction, he just doesn't check it on to others. I think it is interesting to note that in the book, Victor wants to go to his father's home to retrieve any pictures or mementos from his father that he might find but, in the film, he expects nothing, desires nothing.

In the film though, the aggressive example of his father, leads to an angry and embittered adulthood. Even as a child in the movie, Victor is more of a tough guy than he is in the book, he throws beer bottles at his dad's truck. In many scenes, he takes it all out on Thomas who seems to know Arnold better than Victor himself through his prophetic gift. Even an innocent passengers on the bus ride to Arizona aren't spared Victor's lashing out in fury. His compulsion is to be the antithesis of his father, a "good indian", even going so far as to buy into the stereotypes..."wear your hair down" and "get stoic." Ironically enough though, as Victor tries to be a good Indian, his anger continues to alienate him from his community which is the very opposite of what most Native Americans try to do-- hence, the 'Lone Ranger' not the Lone Tonto. However, unlike in the text, Victor's journey to Phoenix does begin to provide healing. Suzy Song and Thomas Builds-The-Fire are key to his growth in the film, helping to show him the need to forgive his father, and find an identity separate from his abandonment.

John Wayne's Teeth? WTF?

"John Wayne's Teeth" Alexie mocks the "greatest" cowboy of all-time. According to Jim Charles' essay "Contemporary American Indian Life in 'The Owl's Song' and 'Smoke Signals" "John Wayne's Teeth" is a humorous "49" song, this style of song comes from the Kiowa Indians but has spread throughout American Indian culture. The 49 refers to 1849, a time which is thought of nostalgically as the "good old days." These songs are traditionally sung at social Pow-Wow dances. Daniel Gelo's article "Powwow Patter: Indian Emcee Discourse on Power and Identity" provides further historical information about the "49" song's origins. At the 1911 Caddo County Fair there was a side-show titled "Girls of 49" this song was a tribute to the gold rush of 1849 (the origin of the San Francisco 49'ers). The Kiowa Indians were not allowed to attended these "49" side-shows, so they started their own "49's" Rather than focusing on the gold rush, these songs covered a wide range of topics from war journeys to non-sensical humorous powwow songs.