When I watched the scene in "Smoke Signals" by Chris Eyre and Sherman Alexie where there seems to be an apex of emotions and thought while the poem "How Do We Forgive Our Fathers" is narrated, I felt chills on my arms. I looked up the transcript of the poem and found that the author was Dick Lourie, here it is.
How do we forgive our Fathers?
Maybe in a dream
Do we forgive our Fathers for leaving us too often or forever
when we were little?
Maybe for scaring us with unexpected rage
or making us nervous
because there never seemed to be any rage there at all.
Do we forgive our Fathers for marrying or not marrying our Mothers?
For Divorcing or not divorcing our Mothers?
And shall we forgive them for their excesses of warmth or coldness?
Shall we forgive them for pushing or leaning
for shutting doors
for speaking through walls
or never speaking
or never being silent?
Do we forgive our Fathers in our age or in theirs
or their deaths
saying it to them or not saying it?
If we forgive our Fathers what is left?
The movie at that point, showing Victor on the bridge yelling out was really intense to put it mildly. We can't know all the harbored pain and resentment that Victor had. It was really interesting how Victor and Thomas were able to stay together so long when they seemed so opposite. It was the tragedy and perhaps the hope that kept them together. This poem speaks volumes for both of them. The line that asks "Do we forgive our Fathers in our age or in theirs or their deaths saying it to them or not saying it? If we forgive our Fathers what is left?"
What is left? Its us. The focus can now be shifted away from that which haunts, or hurts our souls. There are so many people out there who are "Fatherless" either never knowing them or not wanting to know them. This movie would be great for those folks, in my opinion.
On another level, I was thinking that "Our Fathers" could mean our forefathers, our ancestors. What kind of world have they left us? What kind of "Fathers" will we be? and if we are not able to leave this planet in a kind state, will we be forgiven?
Hi Eric,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your insightful post!
I love the question, "If we forgive our Fathers what is left?"
That's exactly the question Victor must contend with. His entire life, up until the scene on the bridge, is full of hate and resentment for his father, for his alcoholism, abusing his mother and Victor, and abandoning them. This is the life Victor has know. He doesn't know a time where he didn't hold unforgiveness.
I'm hopeful for Victor...
Lauren
Hi Eric,
ReplyDeleteI like your post a lot. The level of possible interpretations for this film is so wide, every time I read a different post I find something new to consider about the movie. It’s bad enough to know your father or mother abandoned you regardless of the reason, but holding on to that grudge can only make the pain worse, yet forgiveness never comes easy. I’m watching the movie again and I feel like the ending would have a new meaning this time.
Estela
Hi Eric,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post. I didn't pay much attention to that poem at the time but reading it gave me a new perspective. That last scene definitely was very intense and brought a lot of meaning to the movie. Forgiveness is an important part of life and sometimes we realize it too late.
Deborah
I felt that in the end in the movie, though his memories were painful, he finally knew that he needed to forgive and he did. He said along these lines, "I know Thomas, he didn't mean to." That is what need to be done. To forgive, not forget but to forgive for your own peace of mind.
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