Introduction Smoke signals is a film based on a book by Sherman Alex with a story of two people on an eventful journey. The film is set in Arizona and symbolizes the pain associated with parent-children relations. The movie derives its background from the stories from Alex Sherman’s book about the two boys struggling with their respective pasts. The story also represents the relationship between two people with different personalities and orientations. An indigenous film It is an indigenous film in the sense that it portrays the life experiences of Native Americans. The story depicts the indecencies of the past by showing scenes from a Native American background. The movie begins with a scene of a burning house in a native Indian setting. The story of two native Indians struggling with their past and its corresponding set of emotions is categorical. The film is a perfect representation of Native American stereotypes. These have been demonstrated through the setting of the film as well as the conversations between two major characters. The nature of Arnold’s father, an abusive and alcoholic is a demonstration of the Native American’s way of life. (Alexie, 1998) Social and economic issues The movie symbolizes the events that take place in the lives of people. It also covers the socio-economic factors of life through the circumstances of two major characters which is insufficient. Socially the concept of the family unit is brought out. The status of the family as a basic social unit and its profound impact on an individual’s life is well documented. The two major characters in the film all trace their pain and agony to their dysfunctional families. The film portrays a family’s failure to properly nurture a child into a responsible adult. However, the film trivializes the extent to which alcoholism and abuse pose to society. Economically the film doesn’t provide much insight into the economic activities of the characters. Apart from Suzy Song, no other character’s occupation is exposed. The movie, therefore, is a failed attempt to present society as it is. Voyage of discovery The movie has been termed as a voyage of discovery in regard to its content and setting. The entire episode is a journey in two different ways: First the two major characters are on an emotional or spiritual journey to come to terms with their past. Actually the whole film depicts them to be on a long spiritual epic to find meaning in life. Secondly after the death of Arnold, both Victor and Thomas embark on a journey to retrieve Arnold ashes and his belongings. They also embark on an epic of finding the truth about victor’s father. Therefore the film is nothing but a journey both physical and spiritual. (Frazier, 1989) Use of humor The film has many episodes where the use of Indian humor is intensified. The humor is intentionally used to depict the Indian culture as well as the ignorance that accompany it. For instance the humor about an automobile that only moves in reverse represents the use of unprepared automobiles due to the cost of repair. The instance about fry bread signifies typical Indian foods. Humor is therefore used to portray the Indian culture. However the film has successfully u