Touches You

Sorry, this movie sucks

How sad is this?

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

Seeing stars Graham Greene and Eric Schweig in other, more mainstream films, and, latterly, Schweig excelling in the adorable and brave modern fairy tale that is "Big Eden", combined with an interest in the great hidden shame that is reservation life in North America, to make me get hold of "Skins" on DVD. The story: Rudy Yellow Lodge is a reservation cop who turns vigilante in disgust at the abuses he sees around him. Meanwhile his Viet vet brother is drinking himself into an early grave, and the white town on the border of the reservation gets rich selling him and his friends alcohol. The story is not always skilfully told, but it is punctured by moving and well-done moments. But when a film and its makers take big risks, and overcome huge obstacles to make something with social and historical significance, you make certain allowances. One of the signs of a successful minority culture thriving within a dominant society, is when its cultural life 'owns' and masters all art forms. A cinema in its infancy doesn't progress by everyone sitting around thinking what kind of films they'd make if someone would only let them – rather, it progresses because someone like Chris Eyre stands up and tries, and even if he doesn't completely succeed, has helped really start something. It's pretty amazing that "Skins" got made at all. Many of the people whose lives it spotlights got to see the film only because of director Chris Eyre's "Rolling Rez" tour, where the film was shown on reservations and in selected cities in an adapted truck. This should tell you starkly enough why it's necessary for films like this, flawed as they are, to be made, and seen.And yes, it's very flawed indeed. It's so easy to sit in my armchair thousands of miles from the stark brutalities of rez life, and point, remote control in my hand, to the inconsistencies, plot holes, the slightly stiff and unconvincing acting in the minor roles (though I'd point out that they wouldn't seem half so stiff if the script had been sharper). These things do diminish the film as a whole, and I kept thinking, if only they'd had some Hollywood money here – some script editing there – but that's the whole problem. Even if the script had made it to the desk of Hollywood's Junior Vice-President Butcher of Scripts, by the time it emerged, the largely native cast would have been condensed to a single, wryly funny sidekick whilst the hero, a white guy from the local town, takes on the infamous beer sellers single-handedly, with an upbeat message at the end. So ultimately the sheer existence of a Native cinema by, and for, Native Americans (I think I prefer the thinking behind Russell Means' more controversial "American Indians"), and using Native source material, is more important than its weaknesses.Leads Greene and Schweig do an excellent job as the brothers in difficult circumstances, and the final scenes are powerful and emotional, and do justice to all involved. Greene's portrayal of what could have been a vastly unsympathetic character marks him out as a very talented, nuanced actor. It's extremely hard to bring pathos to an extended portrayal of an alcoholic. But the last word goes to Eric Schweig: during an interview once he was asked a question along the lines of, how would he address the stereotyping and misrepresentation of Native Americans in films? He laughs and says simply "make our own!"

I enjoyed this film a lot. So many times are Aboriginal People shown in the Romantic Period (i.e. prairie bareback horse riding, warriors, etc) It may not be Chris' finest edit, but a well thought out film. The actors did their jobs and the film was made on the Pine Ridge Reserve. It shows both ends of the spectrum when it comes to First Natiosn people. Those effected negatively by the modern world, and those who've overcome it's tragedies.Chris Eyre is great at getting at the truth, many people find some of the content offensive, because it touches home. People have said "this happened to my family," and this is because it has. This is real life.

The atmosphere of the film depicts bleakness and lost of hope for the future for the "red skins". The movie Thunderheart gave the same focus on the decimation of the culture. Only, alcohol is the symbolic destroyer of the family of the people and their disconnection with one another. Our heros in this film manage to keep the family together in spite of the obstacles of alcohol and violence. I highly recommend this film if you are truly interested in the current state of affairs of our indigenous brothers.

Chris Eyre is a genius. To be able to capture such poignant details of reservation life and convey it successfully to an audience is a work of art. His commitment to a quality product continues, as evidenced by his earlier movie SMOKE SIGNALS (1998).Highly recommended. Solicit your local theaters to run this movie, as dissemination appears very limited. It will be well-worth your effort.