Skins

I feel this movie was a good depiction of life in a poor small town (having lived in several myself.) I enjoyed that it treated Indians like regular folks just trying to find their place in the world. I am irritated by the person whining about Spike Lee and stereotypes. While Spike has contributed a body of work that provokes, he is not every black man.

According to his IMDb bio, Chris Eyre is Cheyenne and Arapaho. Those two tribes banded together with the Sioux to fight Custer at the Battle of the Little Big Horn or Custer's Last Stand. The reason for the movie's joke about the Crow is because they had been scouts FOR Custer.

The point of that history lesson is that Indians are no more homogenized than white folks. To imply that one person can speak for an entire race is just plain asinine.

In addition, there is a little bit of truth within every stereotype. Although alcoholism is not unique to Indians, Native Americans, natives, indigenous, aboriginals, etc... (or what ever the correct 'PC' term is this week) and I like how this movie dealt with it. I also especially enjoyed the cowboy boots with the football uniform...

The movie "Skins", directed by Chris Eyre, (FirstLook Pictures) 84 min. produced by Jon Kilik and starring Eric Schwieg and Graham Greene is a milestone and an accomplishment in films by Natives about Natives.

It is somewhat reminiscent of what "Once Were Warriors" meant to the Maori People of New Zealand. Pulling no punches, "Skins" uncovers the stark reality of the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) of Pine Ridge reservation and their daily plight to survive in "Third World" conditions.

Eric Schwieg gives a command performance as

Rudy Yellow Lodge, a BIA cop with an older brother, Mogie, (played by Graham Greene)who is a Viet Nam vet and a chronic alcoholic. The film also brings to light the important issue of how white border towns (in this case White Clay, Nebraska) prey upon reservations and profit from Native Peoples miseries by selling alcohol. Graham Greene gives a five-star performance and humanizes a character most people would write off as simply a drunk, while also bringing to light the fact that there are many Native Veterans of Viet Nam War in this country, a fact most Americans probably don't consider. The film reflects the reality of violence and despair on the reservation, yet keeps you laughing with wit & humor interwoven throughout a well written script. (When you are Indian, sometimes things get so bad that a good joke is the only thing that you have left.)

While Rudy struggles with his job as a cop, a girlfriend who's still married, an alcoholic brother and his own spiritualty, he still has time to be a father figure to his brother Mogie's son, Herbie. Although the stress of his job leads him into being a vigilante when the murder of a young boy goes unsolved and ignored by the FBI, Rudy reaches inside himself and finds a balance through prayer, ceremonies & family. Without revealing too much about the film, I must comment that this is the first film ever to show a Lakota wake as it really is.(I know, because I have been to many of them) The film is in many aspects as close to real as a film could get about the situation on Pine Ridge reservation. Eyre recieved a standing ovation at the premiere at Eccles Theatre in Park City at the Sundance Film Festival. (Which incidentally was attended by Mr. Robert Redford, himself, who seemed to thoroughly enjoy the film!) Congrats to Chris Eyre, the entire cast & crew!

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 story reflects reservation life as it is: sometimes laughter is the only means of survival the people have. It depicts the conditions as they are, not only on the Pine Ridge reservation but on most of them. Graham Greene has given an excellent performance as did Eric Schweig. The special sense of humor, often only understood by the Natives, does not take away any of the gravity of the plot.

Chris Eyre has once again managed to produce an excellent combination of the spiritual and the down-to-earth life in SKINS, and he has grown to become a synonym for true Native American films.

SKINS is both entertaining and causing the viewer, though mainly those familiar with reservation life, to think about the situation which has been persisting ever since Columbus.

SKINS has revived memories of my own stays at South Dakota reservations. The world needs more films like this one so that people will come to understand that the Natives of this land are not living in teepees anymore nor do they wear bunkskin and feathers all day long.

SKINS gives a critical and true reflection of life on a reservation in the twenty-first century.

Caught the premiere of "Skins" at the Sundance Film Festival on Monday, Jan. 14, 2002. This is an excellent film and a fine sophomore effort from director Chris Eyre. Graham Greene gives a multi-layered performance as the tragic Mokie... a drunken Indian humanized maybe on film for the first time. Eyre said afterwards that every drunk is someone's uncle, someone's father, someone's brother. He isn't into victimology but puts the issues out there for all of us to own... and be responsible for. The other lead actor is Eric Schweig, who gives a brilliant performance as Mokie's younger brother, a rez cop who turns vigilante. There were one or two performers who were a little wooden (no pun intended). At one point the pipe carrier climbs on his soapbox and he sounds amateurish and rehearsed. But overall, the performances are solid. Also... its important to note that this is a film with Indians in most, if not all, of the major creative positions and it stands tall on its own merits. Many laughs and a few tears. Genuinely moving film. Highly recommended. Washtay do! Pidamayah, Chris!