Colonialism sits like a rot upon the shoulders of those afflicted by it. Through no fault of their own, it festers, moulds, changes. The shape of things shifts irrevocably under the shadow of it. The family unit is no exception to this. The way colonialism dramatically affects generational relationships is well known and well documented, and both the films that this essay addresses show this scar upon family clearly. Frybread Face and Me and The Time That Remains are both films with distinctive cinematographic styles, and each film uses their unique visual fingerprint to talk about the effects of colonialism on family in distinctive ways.
Frybread Face and Me, directed by Billy Luther, is semi-autobiographical, much like The Time That Remains is. The film makes a mark as a…show more content… These shots carry a level of nostalgia, but they also evoke a disconnect. The world of the reservation seems unreal- and to Benny, as disconnected from his heritage as he is- it sort of is. He expressed a level of disbelief at many of the goings-on in his grandmother’s household. The colour graded shots show warmth and affection, but Benny is still distinctly separate from much of this warmth. Much of the first portion of the film emphasises this separation through carefully composed character interactions. Benny’s time spent with his uncle Marvin emphasises Benny’s distaste for the reservation as much as it showcases Marvin’s distaste for Benny’s ‘softness’. Scenes like the barrel bull riding and the tense argumentative dinner display a rift between the family members. Marvin doesn’t consider Benny anything more than a “God damn city Indian.” (Frybread Face and Me 15:41) For most of the film, a machismo incredibly reflective of American cowboy culture permeates much of Marvin’s regard for Benny. Marvin is almost as disconnected from his family as Benny is.
