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Atanarjuat: (The Fast Runner)
By Jake Bauman
People watch films for different reasons. Based on my own observations,
the average film goer seeks entertainment and escapism. Then there
are those who have a little more appreciation for film as an art form,
these being the people who have certain expectations and know how to
articulate what they like and why they like it. I recently found
myself considering where exactly I stood within this specific spectrum;
this was the result of seeing the Inuit epic Atanarjuat (translation:
The Fast Runner) at the downtown Fall Creek Cinema.
Upon informing a close friend that I planned on seeing this film, I
was warned that doing so would be the biggest mistake of my life.
Two days later I went to the theater alone (I have some friends, but
they all expressed little to no interest in accompanying me to “the
Eskimo movie”) and eagerly waited for the lights to dim.
I wasn’t sure what to expect. There has been much praise
for Atanarjuat by critics worldwide. It won the Camera D’or
award, for best directorial debut, at Cannes in 2001. And most
importantly, it is one of the few films in history to address the Inuit
culture. Yet unlike Robert Flaherty’s ethnographic documentary,
Nanook of the North, Atanarjuat is a fictional account produced by the
Inuit people themselves.
The story is based on an ancestral Inuit folktale that takes place long
before the colonization of North America. No, unfortunately
Kevin Costner isn’t there to befriend the natives and learn the
mysteries of their culture. This film is about the lives and culture
of ancient Eskimos, plain and simple. Specifically, it’s
about the Dorset tribe, who lived on an island near the Melville Peninsula
in the East Arctic, in the area now known as Igloolik.
Atanarjuat is essentially about a group of hunter/gatherers who live
in the snowy regions. So how does it play? I would guess
that it isn’t too different from the actual experience of living
in such a toughculture: incredibly slow and tiring. The film lasts
for around three hours. During this time, the viewer is exposed
to beautiful landscapes and the everyday life of the clanspeople as
they hunt, cohabitate, and simply exist. The recreation is quite
impressive and authentic; in one worthwhile sequence they actually
build an igloo.
The story, meanwhile, takes a backseat to the type of cultural revelations
described above. It is quite simple and not necessary to mention.
In other words, Atanarjuat isn’t a film that seeks to offer entertainment
through narrative. Instead, it is concerned with a more sociological
purpose, even if it is a fictional piece.
If it is possible to be bored and intrigued at the same time, I would
describe my experience in the movie theater as such. I can’t
say that I think much of this film as a narrative piece, but as a living
artifact of culture, both past and present, Atanarjuat is invaluable.
Jake Bauman is a senior film major. Email him at jbauman1@ithaca.edu.
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