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19 comments in total

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18 out of 18 people found the following comment useful :-
As realistic as can be, 10 June 2003

Author: E.C. Montana (epevae) from Berlin, Germany

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.

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13 out of 14 people found the following comment useful :-
It's Time for America to Own Up to Its' History, 2 February 2002

Author: cetanduta from Lakota Makoce, South Dakota

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!

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8 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Humanizes a Stereotype..., 17 January 2002

Author: kberg from St. Paul, Minnesota

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!

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8 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
Thought-provoking, meaningful and sad commentary of reservation life, 16 December 2002

Author: KLee317 from Westbrook, CT

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.

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8 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
Making a noise in this world, 30 November 2003

Author: sol1218 from brooklyn NY

******SPOILERS****** When he was ten years old Rudy Yellow Lodge, Eric Schweig, was stung by a deadly Trickster Spider that would have killed him if it wasn't for his older brother Mogie, Graham Greene. Who carried him to the hospital where the quick attention of the hospital staff saved Rudy's life. From then on young Rudy looked up to his brother Mogie and also felt that he owed him something to repay him for what he did. But as both brothers grew up Mogie, after coming back from the army in the Vietnam War, became a helpless alcoholic with nothing to look forward to but a government check to buy beer and wine. While Rudy became a policeman on the police department of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation where both Rudy and Mogie lived.

The Pine Ridge Reservation is a depressing place,in the Black hills on the South Dakota Nebraska border With unemployment among the American Indians there at a whopping 75% with alcoholism nine times higher and life expectancy some 15 years lower then anywhere else in America. This is where the story about the two brothers, Rudy and Mogie, takes place.

Rudy trying to do what is beyond his authority as a lawman gives him takes the law into his own hands when a friend of his son, Cokie Red Tail, is murdered. Tracking down Cokie's killers one night, while they were drunk, Rudy breaks their kneecaps with a baseball bat as well as later puts them behind bars.

One evening watching TV Rudy sees a news story about a liquor warehouse across the South Dakota border in Nebraska where the Indians of the Pine Ridge Reservation go to buy their booze which is illegal at the reservation. What makes Rudy burn up is when he sees on the TV a reporter interviewing his brother Mogie, who looked very drunk, who was telling him about how he goes there to stock up on his beer. That it was it for Rudy and it was then and there that he made up him mind to torch the place.

Disguising himself Rudy goes down to the warehouse and sets it on fire but later as a policeman when he comes over to make out a report and investigate the arson he finds out that his brother Mogie was sleeping upstairs and was badly burned in the fire that he set. At the hospital Mogie was found out that besides being severely burned he was suffering from a severe liver disease due to the years of heavy drinking and didn't have very long to live.

Rudy it tears secretly tells his brother that he was the one who set the fire that almost killed him. But Mogie, to Rudy's great relief, took it quite mildly telling Rudy if he wanted to do something to show his outrage at what was happening to his people, the American Indians, why not stick something up George Washington nose on Mount Rushmore.All his sounded pretty stupid to Rudy even though what he did as a vigilante was a lot worse.

Later with Mogie looking a lot better Rudy went down to the local hardware store and bought his brother a T-shirt with famous American Indians instead of famous American Presidents on Mount Rushmore knowing that Mogie would get a kick out of it. But when Rudy came back to the hospital room where Mogie was staying he saw his Aunt Helen, Lois Red Elk, and Mogie's son Herbie, Noah Watts, in tears and sadly Rudy knew what happened.

Rudy was depressed not only by Mogie's death and by the guilt that he felt by what he did to Mogie by setting the warehouse on fire where Mogie was sleeping in. But by not repaying is big brother for saving his life when they were little boys.

Rudy saw that there was only one thing that he could do to square things with his brother and that was what Mogie suggested to him just before he died. So one cold and early morning Rudy with a one gallon can of bright red paint drove down to Mount Rushmore and paid Uncle George a visit.

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5 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Excellent, thought provoking, depiction of Reservation life., 3 October 2002
Author: mgressma from New Jersey

"Skins" is much better than I thought it would be. I was expecting a stereo-typical rendition of life on an Indian Reservation, but instead was treated to an all-American story about a family with problems. It is a very well written story that really moves along. Going in, I thought it would be torture to sit through, but, it was over before I knew it, and was a delight all the way. As a result of seeing "Skins" I see Mt. Rushmore as the period at the end of a long and bloody sentence in the history of man in North America.

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6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Life and death on the rez, 12 May 2003

Author: George Parker from Orange County, CA USA

"Skins" is an unabashed low budget indie which tells a meager story about life on South Dakota's impoverished Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. The film centers on an Indian cop/vigilante (Schweig) and his alcoholic Vietnam vet brother (Greene) and manages good character development, a semblance of story, humor, drama, and an obvious proactive Native American agenda. This austere production will be an average watch for most filmgoers while those with specific interest in Native American issues will find depth, substance, and resonance. (C+)

Note - Those interested in "Skins" might want to give "Thunderheart 1992" (also with Graham Greene) a look.

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6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
You have to see this Movie!, 26 September 2002

Author: ThePhotoMuse from Denver, CO

I am a huge fan of director Chris Eyre and I loved "Smoke Signals" and I think that "Skins" is even better. It resonates with truth and kindness and forgiveness and unconditional love. The subject matter is at times hard to take, but it is sound in it's reality. Everybody simply has to see this movie! What are you waiting for go!!!

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4 out of 4 people found the following comment useful :-
A good interpretation of the trials of the modern Aboriginal Person, a well thought out film., 24 January 2006

Author: whiteowl_3 from Canada

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.

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Good, 19 March 2005

Author: huh from montana

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...

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