Book and Movie Review

It is a rare occasion when a film can inspire the viewer into wanting to read the book the movie was adapted from. However, such a thing happened to me when I watched Chris Eyre's Skins. Skins was adapted from Adrian Louis' book by the same name. I found myself so intrigued with the characters that I wanted to know more about them. I also wanted to see if the movie differed from the book.

The book, since I read it after I watched the movie, was for me like a sequel to the movie. The book is brilliantly written with excellent character development, Indian humor, and compassion. There is so much in the book that I found myself wondering how Chris Eyre was able to successfully pick and choose from the book to develop his movie. Perhaps Eyre's genius is in what he left out from the book rather than what he chose to include. However, I shall leave that conclusion up to those who view the film and read the book to decide for themselves. Both versions of Skins, the movie and the book, are excellent and worth one's time to watch and read.

In the film version of Skins, Chris Eyre paints with images and sounds; what, Adrian Louis paints with words in the book version. In some ways, it is easier to watch the film first because the characters have faces, a history, and a place in one's mind. In a book, the author has to spend time developing these images for the reader, which takes time and precision.

In the film version, Eric Schweig and Graham Greene play the main characters. Eyre's choice of actors was excellent. Schweig, plays Rudy Yellow Lodge a tribal police officer on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. Rudy's older brother Mogie, played by Graham Greene, is an alcoholic. Rudy is frustrated by the oppression, desperation, alcoholism, poverty, and spousal abuse he has to contend with on a daily basis. Some days he finds himself further tested when he has to arrest his own brother, Mogie, for being drunk and disorderly.

One day Rudy is called to the scene of a murder. He is the first to arrive and sees one of the suspects escaping through an open window. Rudy pursues the suspect. As he runs in the pitch dark, he trips and falls knocking himself out on a rock.

The rock does something more to him then to just give him a headache. Contact with the rock appears to have allowed Iktomi, a Lakota trickster spider, to "posses" him. Ruby is a changed man. In Rudy's own words, after he commits an act of revenge, he says, "I am a vigilante for our people." Rudy begins to take the law into his own hands. Those committing crimes, in many different forms, are punished for the harm they have done and continue to do against the Lakota people. In the end, there is redemption and a promise kept. The movie makes you laugh and cry, and it will surprise you because it somehow causes you to think.

The book version of Skins was written in 1995, by Adrian Louis, a Lovelock Paiute. Louis is, perhaps, better known for his poetry. He has won numerous awards for his poetry. Skins, is Louis' first novel. The book version allows the reader to understand some of the scenes that are quickly shown in the film version without further development.

For example, in the film, Rudy comes across what one understands as an incident of spousal abuse. Then, there are flashes of pictures and an infant and it goes back in time and then back again to the present. The viewer is left to imagine what is occurring. In the book version, the incident is more than spousal abuse. The drinking couple has murdered their infant and is too drunk to realize the horrific act they have done. One understands how Rudy's job is taking a toll on him mentally and how terrible it is for him to have to see his people at their worst.

Also, in the book the reader is introduced to Rudy's wife who is missing from the film. Rudy's wife leaves him for many reasons; but, a major contributing factor of her unhappiness is his impotence. However, when Rudy hits his head on the rock, it brings more to life than his revenge. Throughout the book Rudy's libido runs rampant. His lust eventually leads to a surprising; and, for him, a regretful incident. These are just some of the things that differ from the film and that made the book so interesting and hard for me to put down.

The film was shown at the Sundance Film Festival. In 2002, Chris Eyre did a "Rolling Rez Tour" that gave free showings to select "reservations" throughout the United States. Special features of the DVD version of the film released in 2003 shows the tour along with comments from the director, Chris Eyre. The DVD and VHS versions can be purchased for about 22.99 (DVD). This price was just recently reduced. A few months ago, on Amazon.com, Skins, in VHS, cost $89.99. With the price being more affordable now maybe more people will have the opportunity to view the film. Adrian Louis' 1995 version of the book is long out of print; however, a paperback version was republished in 2002, by Ellis Press.

I enjoyed both versions of Skins. Looking back I am glad to have watched the film first and read the book second because I might have been disappointed if I had read the book first. Note too, that if I had read the book first, I would never have named my new puppy, Mogie. However, after reading the book, I changed my puppy's name - I had to. If you want to know why - you are just going to have to watch the film and read the book.

The Book Skins, by Adrian Louis can be purchased at the following link SKINS BOOK

Click picture to go home

For previous page

Questions or Comments?

Contact the Webmaster & Designer: Kanatiiosh

Created March 2004