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Nanook of the North
Robert J. Flaherty is the Shakespeare of the movie documentary, and Nanook of the North is his Prince of Denmark. It is a beautifully filmed, simply told account of a few days in the life of Nanook, an Eskimo living east of the Hudson Bay, and his family. Despite its technical limitations, including the obvious difficulty of filming under arctic winds, the film still holds its own today as a cinematic milestone of silent cinema. Flaherty certainly distinguishes himself as a gifted filmmaker, capable of capturing effective shots that are both action-packed and educational (how he managed to get a shot of those walruses before Nanook and the hunters crept up on them, I’ll never know). Flaherty initially went to Hudson Bay on an expedition and recorded footage of Eskimos and they hunted, traded, etc. He was so impressed by this jovial, secluded group that he hoped to edit the footage into a documentary. Unfortunately, it was all lost in a fire down in the lower forty-eight. Determined to expose the Eskimo people to Western culture, Flaherty then spent the next few years raising enough money to return to Hudson Bay with a professional film crew, and Nanook of the North was the result. History has revealed that most of the film is staged—even Nanook’s movie family is not his real-life spouse and children. It is therefore difficult to tell how much of this is faked and how much of it is real, but this question mark by no means hurts the film. Flaherty’s interest and appreciation for this culture remains, and even if Nanook and his “family” are acting out routines in their daily life for the camera, we can rest assured that they are accurate portrayals of the life of an Eskimo. In addition, some of the scenes certainly cannot be rigged: A fantastic fight to drag a harpooned walrus out of the water is exciting and realistic, and I’m sure that Flaherty didn’t bring a trained walrus along with him to act out the part. Nanook himself (whose name means “The Bear”) has a famous legend surrounding him—we learn in the opening narration that a few months after Flaherty shot this film, the poor Eskimo wandered off into the wilderness and starved to death. This fact casts a sad note over the film; Nanook certainly seems like a delightful fellow, smiling pleasantly as he demonstrates his daily activities. He remains seemingly delighted that he is getting a little exposure after living in a barren, icy land for so long that, though as large as Great Britain, is only inhabited by around three hundred people (at least at the time that the film was made). As we watch Nanook mingle with his peers and hunt/fish/gather, it is important to note that the rest of the world had little exposure to Eskimo life before Nanook was released in 1922. I can only speculate that it is this film that provided most of the stereotypes that we now have about these people, including the igloos, the parkas, ice fishing, and even “Eskimo kisses.” Such stereotypes can be forgiven when we understand that Flaherty’s intentions were only to celebrate Nanook’s culture. He says of the Eskimos, “[They are] the most cheerful people in the world. … Fearless, lovable, [and] happy-go-lucky,” and the entire film is devoted to proving this thesis. If racist stereotypes resulted from Nanook of the North, this was clearly not Flaherty’s intention. He loves and respects these people, and their willingness to go along to make this film reveals that the feeling was probably mutual. Most of the film consists of Nanook walking about the icy, windy Northern landscapes, which Flaherty captures as almost desert-like in nature. Snow billows like sand in a desert storm, and we get an excellent idea of the barren climate where Nanook makes him home. Nanook was appreciated by his tribe for his superior hunting skills, and this film makes it easy to believe. In some fine action-packed sequences, Flaherty captures Nanook jumping from ice-flow to ice-flow in an attempt to catch fish, fending off ravenous wolves with an ivory knife, and attempting to catch a seal that, despite being harpooned, refuses to surface from the black, icy water. Such moments are exciting and revealing. I also particularly like the long, in-depth sequence that chronicles the difficult process of making an igloo. I’ve always wondered how they did that, and now I know. We also get softer, gentler moments of Nanook with his family, as they sled down snowy hills, and take medicine for their upset stomachs, and laugh in amazement at the white man’s “canned voice” (a record player). All of this serves Flaherty’s purpose of presenting these people as an intelligent, distinguished culture that makes the best of their nomadic lifestyle. Their environment might be cold, but their hearts are as warm as ours, and this is exactly what Nanook of the North is about. Cast: A Pathé Exchange Inc. film. Written and directed by Robert J. Flaherty. No M.P.A.A. rating (fine for all ages). Running time: 77 minutes. Original United States theatrical release date: June 11, 1922. Silent, with English subtitles. Questions? Comments? E-mail me: danel_the_tinman@hotmail.com |
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