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78 of 81 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Epic Inuit story is a cinematographic work of art, July 21, 2002
Filmed in Northern Canada in the Inuit language, this film is based on a myth that has been passed down through the generations. This isn't a documentary, it is an epic story, and all of the actors are Inuit. The cinematography is magnificent, and brings the frozen North to life as never before seen on the screen. Using an almost entirely Inuit cast and crew, with financial assistance provided by the National Film Board of Canada, it won the Camera d-Or for best feature at last year's Cannes International film Festival. It's a cinematographic work of art and an impressive film. At almost three hours long, the story takes its time to unfold. The beginning is confusing, especially for an audience with no background in the Intuit culture. It takes a while to distinguish the differences between the characters and it's hard to follow the myth of the two baby brothers, whose father was not a good hunter and was therefore ridiculed in the community. Time passes though and the two boys grow up to be strong and able men. There is murder, jealousy and revenge, with a signature scene of the central character, Atanarjuat, running for his life naked though the ice and snow. All the actors are excellent and their performances display physiological complexity. I could relate to the story despite the different cultural trappings. As the film takes place in an indeterminate past time, way before Europeans ever set foot on this land, every single tool and detail of Intuit life seems absolutely genuine. We see them building their igloos and living in them, eating raw meat, scraping animal skins, and all the other domestic chores, which provide a setting for a story. There's also humor as they make jokes and sing bawdy songs. Some of the rituals were memorable, such as when two men fight over a girl, the fight takes the shape of each one taking turns punching each other in the head. It is an anthropology lesson as well as an intriguing story and a true learning experience for me. I had to absorb it myself though as no one was holding my hand and explaining things to me, which is both the strength and the weakness of the film. I was plunged right into it, without a background to sustain me, and I had to give up on understanding every single detail and just relax and let the story happen. I loved every moment of the film - the characters, the story, and, especially the place. But I was still confused when it was over. The story seemed to be grounded in reality and yet there was talk of spirits. Some of the characters were introduced and not developed and there were places in the story where there seemed to be holes. It made me want to see it again and hope to get it right the second time. In the closing credits, there were some great shots of the cast and crew during the filming. We saw the sled mounted cameras and the way the scenes were filmed and were again introduced to each of the Intuit actors, this time clad in leather jackets and sunglasses. It made me think that there will certainly be some very special features on a future DVD, one that I might like to own. I definitely recommend this film which I saw it in a modern theater with the latest in surround sound and large screen. It's an immersion in a culture that has always fascinated me and I yearn to know more. Just be prepared for something different. Be prepared to be confused. And, mostly, be prepared to love it.
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30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The new oral tradition, June 23, 2002
I once heard Sherman Alexie, the brilliant Coeur d'Alene author and film maker, in a conversation at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco call film the "new oral tradition." Few people sit in story circles now, but television and film are accessible to most people. Film is an excellent format to tell the old stories to the new generation. Atanarjuat, an old Igloolik legend is beautifully filmed and soulfully acted. I was completely caught up in the story and the wonder of the arctic environment . The film is visually stunning and deserving of the awards bestowed upon it. The legend of Atanarjuat, an Inuit man known as "the fast runner," is one in which the moral truths are as valuable today as they were to the early Inuit. Greed, mendacity, cruelty, disrespect for cultural and spiritual taboos, and abuse of power all cause a peaceful group of early inhabitants to suffer needlessly until circumstances finally force the balance to swing back into harmony. People who find the courage to say "enough is enough" and stand by that decision are able to bring their community into balance. They accomplish this with forgiveness but stern consequences for the guilty. I work in a gallery devoted to the art of the Canadian and Alaskan Inuit. The art allows seasoned elders and young people to earn a living and to express their memories and stories of their rich history and spiritual tradition in modern sculpture, carving, masks, prints, and textiles. I was delighted and grateful to see this film produced and acted by Inuit people. Some of the actors have never worked from a script before, but they are engaging and believable in their roles. Film is another medium for creative people to keep their stories and traditions alive. The cinematography has been lauded and deservedly so. The beauty of the arctic birds and creatures and the snow and ice are integral to the appreciation of the human story. Every frame matters. Kudos to the art department. The sets and costumes and props are all exactly right. The soundtrack is an additional delight..
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15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful and Unprecedented., February 3, 2005
I saw this movie last night and made it all the way to bedtime without words. After having a chance to sleep on it, it is now starting to sink in how truly amazing this movie is. You will be first blown away by the fact that this movie even exists. It is truly unprecedented in every sense of the word. I don't remember seeing anything like it. the only movie remotely close is "Nanook of the North", which is a huge stretch. Unlike "Nanook", this movie is shot from the Inuit perspective, by the Inuit themselves (90% of the participants in this production were full-blooded Inuit. This is a first), and the characters are not looked upon as anthropological specimens. They are real people living in a fragile existence, where any wrong move could mean sure death.
The actors are astonishing, and it must have been so terribly cold up there. You know this must have been a huge labor of love for the production team. (According to the end credits, two crewmen died making this movie) The scenery is astonishing. It is a beautiful story based on an Inuit legend that exists on many different levels and subplots, etc. All told on the frozen tundra without ANY indication given about the timeframe, or even the century, in which it was set.
I am just astonished at the painstaking attention to historical detail. I have read many books on Inuit culture, and most everything I have read was visualized in this movie, the social structure, the power of the patriarch, the constant looming of starvation, the role of the hunter/husband, the insubordination of women (pre-arranged marriages), the obsession with taboo and curses, the fine art of building igloos and staying warm in -60 temps, and yet, through all the hardships, there was so much happiness. They even showed how the dogs were handled and treated, even down to the way the Inuit would slicken their sledge rails by spitting small amounts of water on them until a layer of slick frozen ice formed, which makes the sledges slide easier over the pack ice.
One aspect I noticed was how the movie was TOTALLY devoid of the influence of the white man. Their knives were made from caribou horns; they had no metal tools or metal cookware, which indicates that the movie was purposely based on a time before the Inuit's first contact with the white man.
It has a slow start, it's only fault. You will be a bit confused at first, trying to understand the characters and what exactly is happening, but then it starts to really suck you in, you begin to love the protagonists, who are physically beautiful people, and then you will grow to hate the antagonists, who are mean and undesirable. Afterwards, you will realize again that almost all of these people, cast and crew, were full-blooded Inuit. You will then want to immediately see it again and demand a documentary on the making of this film. You will want to know who these people are, what they do in their normal lives, because most of these actors are making their big screen debut. The end of the movie gives you a quick behind-the-scenes peek, but it serves as only a small appetizer to a bigger feast. Most importantly, your respect for their pride and perseverance of their culture will increase ten-fold. This movie is worth owning and watching repeatedly and recommending it to a good friend or two. I don't know the people who made this film, but I am proud of them for pulling this off, and doing it so astonishingly well. There is nothing else like it.
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