Film Analysis: This May Be The Last Time

This May Be the Last Time, directed by Sterlin Harjo, highlights native american music and cultural involvement during the search for Pete Harjo, the director’s grandfather. Through the power of music, the film weaves together a story of hope while simultaneously leaving the audience with a strong picture of the community of Native American culture. The film focuses on the interactions of several town members with the Native Americans in the Seminole and Muskogee communities. Over time, the community’s stories have been woven into beautiful songs that embody the oral history of the inhabitants’ cultural ancestors. The film follows the disappearance of Pete Harjo around the Mississippi River after his vehicle crashed on a nearby road. Though much of the circumstances of his accident remain shrouded in mystery, Pete’s death has been immortalized in the songs of the surrounding community. With his grandfather in mind, Harjo sets out on a journey to better understand the songs that exemplify the small community and the nature of their inception. …show more content…
These songs are songs of faith that have been passed down for generations, originating in Scottish hymn lining and African American music. Even though the songs are shared in a different language, the roots of faith and hope in the face of turmoil is evident. Strong feelings of emotion and love are embedded in each song. As community members pass away, their voices continue to live on in the voices of their descendants. Sterlin Harjo effectively captures a community coming together in a time of despair to comfort one another. The community has encountered many hardships over the years, but the continued learning of the songs has created a community stronger than any hardship. Life and death can be challenging to understand, but Harjo shows us that when words seem to fail, music