Atanarjuat
The Fast Runner
Programme Notes
This is a film on an epic scale. It is the first feature film to be made in
the Inuktitut language - the language of Canadian Eskimo. It tells the legend
of Atanarjuat and it may be helpful to know that Atanarjuat is the name of our
hero and his particular skill is that he can run fast.
Although the setting is over a thousand years ago, the film comes across more
as a record of a way of life that could still be lived today. The images of
igloos being built, hunts for food, the rituals and portrayal of an entire community
seem so contemporary. The actors look entirely natural in their clothes made
from animal skins. They eat fresh meat from the bone, and light their homes
by seal oil lamps. Teams of dogs pulling sleds provide transport and entertainment
is what they make for themselves inside their vast community igloo. It is only
when you see the out-takes at the end that you are made to realise just how
much things have changed and in reality no-one lives like this anymore.
The film is set in the commune of Igloolik near the Arctic Circle. A shaman
has cast an evil spell and this has caused deep divisions and resentment. Sauri
is the headman, with an ill-tempered son, Oki, and a promiscuous daughter, Puja.
His old adversary Tulimaq has two sons, Amaqjuaq and Atanarjuat, and they are
the best hunters in the village due to their combination of strength and speed.
The conflict is heightened when Atanarjuat wins the hand of the beautiful Atuat
- Atuat has been promised to Oki since childhood. Resentment boils over into
deceit and murder.
The storyline is typical in the way of most myths. There is the simple contrast
of good and evil, with Atanarjuat and his archrival Oki. There is the view of
the good woman who loves her man with Atuat and the woman who uses her sex to
get what she wants with Puja. There is the good man, Tulimaq, who doesn't deserve
his fate and the bad man, Sauri, who occupies a position he doesn't deserve.
But these characters do more than just act out the part tradition demands. The
women, for example, go beyond the simple picture of love versus manipulative
sex. Puja is an innocent, fun loving fool. Her ready smile is matched only by
her wonderful ability to wail, and both are used as to help further her scheming.
The character of Atuat also goes beyond the all-too-often sickly sweet vision
of virtue. She has courage, power and dignity. The other crucial element that
lifts Atanarjuat into the extraordinary is the landscape. It is stark, yet somehow
magical. It is clear, bright, clean. Everything is in sharp focus and there
is a vastness to the silence.
This film is worthy of your time and attention. It is fascinating film in its own right - and not just because of its curiosity value. It is a spectacular experience with excellent performances, made all the more extraordinary by the fact that most are amateurs, and a strong story - as you would expect from something handed down orally for generation upon generation upon generation.