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Review
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Produced by Canada's first Inuit film company, Atanarjuat
(which means 'fast runner') is about a small nomadic Inuit
community in Canada's far north, a thousand years ago. The
small band of families subsists on hunting seal and walrus
in a very unhospitable land. The film concerns two
brothers, Atanarjuat, the fast runner, and Amaqjuaq, the
strong one. The two are the best hunters in the community,
provoking the jealosy of Oki, son of Sauri, the leader.
When Atanarjuat wins Atuat away from her husband to be, Oki,
discord and violence break out and Atanarjuat is forced to
flee for his life, in an unforgettable sequence, naked
across the frozen ice.
This film lingers on it's moments-- a hunter returning with
his dogs, settling them down, the families eating meat
around a fire, or maintaining seal-oil lamps. Utterly
un-hollywood, in it's patient exploration of the community's
attitudes and customs, and how the conflict between
Antanarjuat and Oki plays out. No glamour here-- looks like
some of the actors could use some serious dental work-- just
the roughhewn beauty of the rugged north, and the eloquent
faces of the native actors. A long movie, but well worth
it.
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