Smoke Singnals "Arnolds Magic"

Smoke Singnals "Arnolds Magic"

Arnolds Magic

“Smoke Signals”, is a movie written by Sherman Alexei and directed by Chris Eyre. The film deals with many social issues in modern Native American cultures. c>2 The story began at the Coeur d’Alene Reservation in Idaho, in which the character’s struggle to preserve oral tradition, and making peace with personal histories. It gives insight to the issues that modern Native American society’s deal with. Some insights include the duty to teach, and the duty to preserve their native culture, current economic problems, and life on the reservation. /
In the first scene, Arnold Joseph staggers around intoxicated with a roman candle. He accidently catches the house on fire, killing the family inside. He throughout the movie there is reference to Arnold being a magician. One may ask, “What magic, could an alcoholic that killed a family possibly have? He was a magician, but It wasn’t in the way he could make a coin vanish, or even himself. After causing the fire that engulfed the bodies, and home of Mr. and Mrs. Buildsafire, he ran back to the house, and saved his own son from the fire. Standing outside, while the building was engulfed, Thomas is thrown through the window, Arnold leaps into the air rescuing him. Arnold’s true magic his love for everyone around him. It is that love that drove all of his actions in his life, even though his actions Appear to have made him seam self-centered. Arnold continued to drink, trying to deal with the pain of his memories of the horrible tragedy he caused. Often alcohol becomes a way to temporarily make us forget everything, giving way to a destructive route to an artificial peace, as long as He could stay drunk. Arnold loved his son, as any father would, despite his need to run from his demons within. He dreamed of having the ability, or magic to make everything vanish; including himself.
On the anniversary of the fire he picks up Victor from the store and he is drunk. As he is driving home he tells his son,...

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