Customer Reviews

Heart of Light

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Filmed in the Greenlander Inuit language, this 1998 film works on two levels - realism and myth.

Native Greenlanders who were colonized by Denmark in 1947. Now, fifty years later, their culture has been marginalized by alcoholism. Rasmuth is typical of his people. He drinks too much and embarrasses his family. And when he tries to go hunting, he doesn't even have the proper clothing. One of his teenage sons has drifted into the mainstream culture and despises him. The other son has a mental breakdown and goes on a murderous rampage before turning the gun on himself. Rasmuth is shamed beyond belief, and goes on a journey into the heart of the frozen world to redeem himself. Along the way he meets a hermit who helps him on his quest. This is where the film turns mythic.

Usually I don't like films that bend reality. But this film was different because it was told from inside the Inuit culture. The acting was of high quality. And the cinematography was excellent. I felt I was picked up and put down in a world I know little about. And when the film was over, I knew that my own life was enriched because of it. I didn't even mind the slightly uneven pacing. I therefore highly recommend this film for anyone who doesn't mind a bit of sadness and is willing to learn about a way of life outside our everyday world.

What a fascinating and unique film! I think this is the first film to be produced in Greenland, using Inuit actors, since Knud Rasmussen produced his silent classic "The Wedding of Paolo" back in the 1930's. I had heard that "Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner" was the first film to be produced in the Inuit language, but this film is primarily in Inuit too ( and some Danish). This is a film about the human side of a culture in transition- the Inuit people are proud, self sufficient and live in beautiful modern houses, but something is missing. What is missing is a piece of the soul, both the soul of the protagonist, Rasmus, and the soul of the whole culture. The Greenlanders quick advancement into the modern world, an issue that is dealt with in the film, leaves a fractured and incomplete culture struggling to adapt. The beautiful church were Services are held does not completely fill this gap, because some of it lies in the past and in the pre-Christian myths that are so important to a culture's identity. On one level the film is a brutally real look at the worst aspects of modern times, on the other it is a surreal journey into the mythic past and into a man's hidden Psyche that allows him to piece together what is missing to make him a whole person again, and also to help heal a community torn by a tragic murder and suicide. The scenery is beautiful, and as a sled dog enthusiast I enjoyed the scenes with the beautiful Huskies pulling the sled with tails happily waving- Rasmus cracks his little whip but does not beat his dogs like the villain in Atanarjuat. Rasmus is a kind man to other people and his dogs- he will not abandon his team to be rescued by helicopter when stranded, and when he runs out of food and bullets so he can not feed himself or his dogs, he decides in desperation to kill one of the dogs to feed the others ( animal lovers, this does not happen due to an intervention, in fact no animals are killed on camera). In a particularly touching scene, he slowly and gently leads the dog away from the rest, strokes it tenderly, and says "easy boy" before he is stopped by a strange hermit who helps him find food. The hermit is both a Human and kind of a magical being, as he takes Rasmus into the past and into his own memories, and shows him the inspiration to keep going. Rasmus' wife comes across as a very strong, wise and compassionate woman who deals with her husband's failures with humor and evening optimism, even after she loses one of her sons and is shunned by the community. And she is a bit psychic, which even sceptics like Peter Freuchen noticed was a real, effective, and accepted part of life among the Inuit, as was stepping easily back and forth between the "real" and mythic worlds to learn and heal and remain whole. The film's use of this concept makes it particularly Inuit in it's viewpoint, though it may seen odd to outsiders.
The film shows a particularly traumatic flashback associated with, of all things,the nursery rhyme "Itsy Bitsy Spider" - but you have to see the film to know what I am talking about. Cultural oppression takes some pretty bizarre forms sometimes!

Heart of Light is one of the best movies I have ever seen. It tells a story of a man finding his identity after huge changing of society. This combined with experiences in his childhood - experiences that he felt like a runaway from his roots - sends the man out on a quest. And what a quest! A beatiful, genuine and deep story - I cried every time I saw it. And I guess I will all the future times I will see this movie, again and again. Rasmus Lyberth, though not an actor, has the power of the Greenlandish people - power of nature, power of life. A masterpiece by Jacob Gronlykke. Congratulations!

The title, "Heart of Light" is what this film is all about. The deep darkness of a lost soul is cleansed by the shining purity of winter's light. This is a film about revisiting the past in order to overcome its demons. It is a film about recovering a lost time and a lost culture. It is a film in a language that you are unlikely to hear often, if ever again...the language of native Greenlanders. It is a film with images of a harsh but beautiful landscape. With its shining crystal ice images, it is indeed a gem of a film.

you forget that there are subtitles and it is very refreshing to watch a movie without a 'movie-star' and alot of production. It is not a 'Hollywood movie', filmed on a set made to look cold with a star wearing caribou skins acting like she is an 'Eskimo' with the trials & tribulations of that life.
This is not a movie for someone who needs a 'big name', and/or alot of car chases/explosions. I do not think this is a chick flick or date movie.
I do not usually do reviews but i had to weigh in on this one.
I really like it.

"We are not all lost. We've just lost our way a bit." I didnt get the message the first time I saw this stunning film. It was made in Greenland in the Inuit and Danish languages, with subtitles. Like Conrads "Heart of Darkness" it is about the impact of Western civilization on a primitive people. Like Conrad's novel it involves a journey--not into a dark continent, but out onto the blazing tundra. An Inuit man, corrupted by European influences, searches for his past and finds it with the help of a qivittog--a mythic trickster figure with special powers. A qivittog is usually feared and avoided. Let's see more of Rasmus Lyberth as an actor. This is a film to see again and again.

I might have picked out Heart of Light for the wrong reason. The first thing mentioned in every review for this movie is Greenland. I do not intend to offend with the following: I have to admit that the mere mention of Greenland seems enough to conjure up the image of the end of the world (physically so). I thought it nice to check out the land that I have very seldom heard about, let alone view.

I was not terribly dissapointed with this film but neither was I overly impressed. The cinematography is first-class, capturing the stark beauty of the barren ice land. The story is thematically deep and intense, about a father whose son murder a couple of people, including his brother's lover, and then kill himself after not being able to stand the ridicules unleashed on his anachronistic father. The father would take a journey to the deep terrain of Greenland in search for forgiveness and understanding of his life. During this journey, he would meet a hermit who shows him a glimpse of his own father's life and ultimately his peace of mind.

To cover such a deep territory of soul-searching in such short a time is not a task enviable. A lot of things have to be established for the audience to serve as an involved observer. There lies the biggest flaw of the movie, it fails to adequately present the ever important segments: the who's and why's. Even the motive for the murders is hardly convincing as it takes place early in the film; not enough information about the son and the relationship with his father is provided in the rest of the movie. Even the father cuts a shadowy figure in the entire movie, lost in the effort to tell a deeper and complicated story about a man in search of his soul.

This film is certainly ambitious and could have been an epic that carries a universal appeal. However, the first things are definitely not first in this movie. The rule is simple: to identify with someone, you would have to at least know someone. The director seems too busy planning to get to the home base that not all bases are covered. As a result, it remains as a movie that stares greatness in the eye but walks away empty-handed.

Note: Film presented in Danish and Greenlandic with English subtitles.

Introduction: The 1998 film `Heart of Light' is a tale too often told concerning the destructive effects that occur within an indigenous culture when their traditional way of life, beliefs and language are replaced by the inevitable onslaught of modernity. This time the people and location is the frozen north, more precisely amongst the Inuit people of Greenland.

With the arrival of the Danes in 1947 the old ways are quickly replaced by the more modern lifestyle of the Danish culture. The nomadic lifestyle on the frozen tundra is no more, the Inuit now reside in government subsidized communities, attend Christian churches and are educated in European style schools. Only the old people continue to cling to the native tongue and sing the songs of Greenland when gathered together. As in all cases of assimilation and absorption into another way of life it is the young who are the easiest to win over, they embrace the Danish language and contemporary music further distancing themselves from their elders. Even the joy of hunting, what was once the essential ingredient to their way of life has now been usurped by community bingo.

Time and again history has taught us that there are harsh ramifications to dissolving the basics of one culture and replacing it with another. The ensuing loss of identity, purpose and self worth that follow such actions are devastating. The void created must be filled by something else and rampant alcoholism is generally the remedy of choice, a solution which always leads to even further alienation and disintegration within the community.

Synopsis: In `Heart of Light' we are introduced to Rasmus, a middle aged married Inuit with two twenty something sons. Though good natured and likeable, he is also the town drunk who seems to embarrass his family at every turn. When he isn't drinking his mind is on hunting, the last vestige of the old ways by which he believes he may be able to find redemption in the eyes of family, community and most importantly with himself. Unfortunately every time he travels out into the icy tundra for one reason or another he always returns empty handed.

As Rasmus descends deeper and deeper into his alcoholic depression problems in the family escalate until tragic consequences finally force him to realize he must change or lose himself and family forever. Does the answer he seeks lie out there somewhere in the ice and snow? Will one more hunting trip lead to enlightenment, redemption and restoration? For better or worse a journey into the heart of Greenland awaits.

Critique: `Heart of Light' is as the title states a story filled with heart. Its message is simply told and emotional delivered while successfully avoiding the trap of coming across as contrived and preachy. The soundtrack is captivating as is the beautiful visuals of the harsh, expansive landscape of Greenland.

There is a not so subtle shift from mundane realism to tribal mysticism that takes place during Rasmus solitary journey. It is a change of perspective that the viewer may not have expected. It occurs when our intrepid traveler encounters an eccentric hermit who attempts to offer lessons in life in exchange for food. While the mystical insights gained by Rasmus serve to fill in some of the missing pieces of the storyline and provide depth to his character I'm not sure the majority of the audience would appreciate their addition. They did however work for me.

What really sets this film apart for me is the magnificent performance by Rasmus Lyberth in the lead role. His ability to convey such emotional angst in his countenance is nothing short of amazing. Anger, frustration, drunkenness and loss are truly become visceral experiences to the viewer. However his talent to convey the human emotions is not limited to one side of the spectrum. Feelings of love, joy and understanding come across the screen just as powerful, just as real to such a degree that the audience can only wonder if we are watching a performance or a real life lived out before us? Amazing!

It was a interesting look at the pressures on Greenland Inuit culture, the tension between tradition and the influence of the Danish culture, and alcohol use in the culture. It had a strong sense of place. I would recommend it. I could be a useful centerpiece to discussions of cultural identity and colonization.

But what do you expect? It is from Iceland. I feel it is eye opening and tells a side of the story that needs to be told. I could do without the nudity though. If I could erase that part...