This movie tackles many issues that are not only common but prevalent on reservations. Alcohol and drug abuse, high suicide rates, homophobia, and trying to find any way to escape the place that is holding you back. The characters are well thought out, and stay very true to what Native people are like. There is not a lot of emotion shown in tribal settings. This movie shows what it is like to be a two spirit person since colonization, onece respected leaders in tribes, the white settlers first tried to erase this by forcing Christianity down native peoples throats. If you have never live on a reservation this movie is a bit hard to follow. I suggest doing some research on the conditions on reservations.

A coming of age story set in a First Nations community that features the weariness and dissatisfaction of life on a reserve. The story centers on Shane, a "good" boy who is academically superior to his peers. He wants to get out and move to Toronto to attend university, but he faces several challenges: his girlfriend, his boyfriend, his mother, the memories of his sister, lack of money. Shane's girlfriend, Tara, is needy and alcoholic. His boyfriend, David, is a proud Native, who wants to stay to effect positive changes in the community. His mother is catatonic following the suicide of her daughter, Shane's sister. David's grandmother, with whom he lives, does not believe that the Creator intended for men to be with men.Tara happens upon Shane and David kissing one night. She confronts them then runs away. As she is walking, she meets Kyle, who is the boyfriend of her best friend. They drink and end up in an empty building and Kyle rapes Tara. She hangs herself and Kyle returns to his aunt's house and his girlfriend. Kyle's aunt is the community's drug dealer. Desperate to make money, Shane agrees to sell for her, but nobody will buy from him. He and David return the unsold drugs and attempt to rob her, but she fires a gun and the police arrive to arrest her and Kyle.David's grandmother visits Shane's mom, they discuss the situation with Shane and David, who are asleep in the next room, and decide to help Shane get to Toronto.It is a fairly predictable arc and ending, but 8/10 for portraying the gut-wrenching desperation of what life must be like in a depressed community with no jobs and no hope for betterment.

Before watching, I was a little surprised by the avg 4.9 rating here and the fact that Netflix predicted I'd love it. Normally, if a film has fewer than 6 stars, it's a real dud. Not this one.This film has a number of weaknesses (scenes that don't quite fit or seem a little forced) and strengths (editing, filming, acting are all very good). It's a coming-of-age story that, for me, didn't come off very well (the main storyline needed a bit more substance) but still held my interest. I liked a number of the characters and felt I was getting to see a bit of what may be going on a few hundred miles north of me--at least to a degree. In the end, the picture was satisfying enough where I was glad I saw it.If the low rating is still there, yet you're reading the reviews to see if you want to invest a little time, give it a try. It certainly isn't for everyone. I doubt I'll ever own the DVD. But if you're interested, it is well-done enough that it may speak to you or be good entertainment.

I am high on independent films. I think there are so many hidden gems that usually get overlooked. "Fire Song" is not one of them, however. It tries to tell a tale of a Native American who is gay and desperately trying to leave his reservation. When the movie opens, his sister has just committed suicide for reasons never revealed. His mother has gone off the deep end and stays in a stupor through most of the movie. He wants to go to college, but seems the funds are not readily available. He tries to find odd jobs to make money, but seems he cannot get out of his own way long enough to achieve anything. Shane (the main character) is supposed to be gay, but from the get- go we see him with his girlfriend, Tara, always just hanging out and kickin' it. It seems that if anyone looks at him cross-eyed, he has to have a big hissy fit and then go stomping off somewhere. Geez. Is he gay? Is he bisexual? Make a decision for heaven's sake. This movie did not succeed on any level mainly because the majority of characters I felt nothing for. I am still scratching my head as to whether or not there actually was any feeling between the two main characters. Most of the time all the viewer sees is them constantly fighting over nothing. And the ending was, well, just not believable.The movie is unrated for language, rape, and brief nudity. Not recommended.