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Movie Analysis: Smoke Signals

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Reflection Paper on Smoke Signals (directed by Chris Eyre) Smoke Signals is a movie about a young man names Victor and his friend Thomas who travel to Phoenix, Arizona to escape the reservation they live on. Smoke Signals shows an explicit representation of Freud’s Functionalist Reductionism of Religion as Victors faith and religion is being tested by his emotional turmoil experienced through his life. Smoke Signals also shows a relation to Freud’s concept that religion arises from emotions and conflicts of childhood as well as the need for a fatherly figure in one’s life (both in the celestial and real worlds). This essay will firstly discuss the situations which support the ideas of Freud’s Functionalist Reductionism Theory. Secondly, symbols …show more content…

Fire is one of the symbols that is shown in the very first scene of the movie. The large flames of the house fire that erupted when those on the reservation decided to celebrate 4th of July are shown and throughout the movie multiple representations of fire are used. In the first, and biggest fire or the movie, Thomas’ parents perish in the fire and a younger Thomas is saved by Arnold. However, Arnold says that he didn’t meant to save him. From then on throughout the movie, fire has been used in situations were liberation is occurring in so way or shape. Fire is also related to the phoenix, a mythical bird which bursts into flames and rises from its own ashes newly born. It is no mistake that the city which Thomas and Victor are travelling to is a city whose name is a symbol for rebirth, as they too are also searching for a form of rebirth unconsciously. This journey is motivated by the emotional distress which both men experienced, and as they travel to Phoenix, they are in search of meaning, of a religion. Fire and the phoenix both also involve the color red, which is the color that Victor wears most on his clothes. Red is the color of anger and rage, and this correlates with the subconscious emotions that Victor feels towards his father. Victor always wearing red helps the viewer to subconsciously remember the emotions that Victor feels. All three of these symbols help to aid

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