The Native American Experience: Short Essay Prompt #3 – Comparative Film Studies

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The Native American Experience: Comparative Film Studies
Introduction
Powwow Highway (1989) is a movie directed by Jonathan Wacks and populated with a cast comprising of Cheyenne Indians. Being a road trip movie, the lead characters travel while experiencing different emotions and feelings along the way. On the other hand, Smoke Signals (1998) is directed by Chris Eyre and was famous for its use of Native Americans in the writing, production and directing. The film also involves a journey of the main characters as they deal with life issues as Victor travels to collect the remains of his father. Thus, the two movies form a critical approach to analyzing the lives of Native Americans through the use of literary elements. Consequently, the two films show several similarities in both their plot and thematic areas.
Plot Summary
In Powwow Highway (1989), the protagonist, Buddy Red Bow, gets news of his sister's arrest for possession of illegal drugs while on the highway. The charges seem like a setup based on Buddy’s activism related to Indian activities at the conservation. As a result, Buddy requires to bail his sister out of jail and take her back to Montana. With limited resources, he enlists the assistance of his friend Philbert for the journey. The differences between these two characters become evident throughout the journey, with Buddy being more modern while Philbert took a more conservative approach (Wacks). Ultimately, the movie's climax reaches when the two friends rescue Buddy's sister and her children and begin the journey back home.
The plot of Smoke Signals (1998) involves Victor as the main character who was abandoned by his alcoholic father, Arnold. The news of Arnold’s death in Phoenix forces Victor to travel to pick up the ashes. The lack of funds for the journey forces him to enlist Thomas, who offers to buy the tickets for the trip. Victor's relationship with his father was troubled; hence this trip provided the opportunity for him to reflect on it and come to peace with his past actions (Eyre). The journey further presents an opportunity for the two to interact and learn more about themselves. Consequently, the story shows Victor's need for reconciliation by accepting his father with his flaws while Thomas reconciles with his past and traditions.
Thematic review
In Powwow Highway, Philbert reiterates the importance of their heritage since he mentions their Cheyenne background a number of times along their journey. For instance, he mentions ‘we are Cheyenne’ when asked by Buddy whether he will escort him to rescue his sister. Furthermore, he also mentions this phrase when reassuring the children about their mother's safety and rescue from jail (Schweninger, Keep Your Pony Out of My Garden). Therefore, the attention to Philbert's quest along the journey to reconnect with his heritage and ancestors shows the essential role the beliefs play in guiding them. In comparison, ...