MONTREAL -- There is something appropriate about the opening film of a Canadian film festival being a chilling experience, and the French-Canadian co-production ''Kabloonak, '' which opened the 18th Montreal World Film Festival, quickly had the audience shivering.
Set in the Canadian Arctic, the movie deals with the experience of director Robert Flaherty (Charles Dance), considered the father of documentary, as he filmed his epic work ''Nanook of the North'' in the 1920s.
Claude Massot's film is skimpy on biographical information and dramatic motivation, but it does present its own documentary-like view of the arduous task Flaherty set for himself. The film details these harrowing conditions with evocativeness, and its stunning visuals re-create the landscape in all its harshness.
The heart of the film is in the depiction of the relationship that develops between Flaherty and his principal subject, Nanook. The men, from obviously different social and societal universes, develop a bond in their mutual adventures that is actually quite touching. Dance, in his second turn as an historical filmmaker (he earlier played D.W. Griffith), brings his usual intensity to the sketchily written role, and he is ably matched by Adamie Inukpuk, who brings warmth and humor to the role of Nanook.
The film carefully mines the primitive ways of the Eskimos for their inherent humor for modern audiences, but it also makes clear their essential dignity. The ending will produce more than a few audience sniffles.
The film will have a tough commercial road because it neither fully succeeds as an adventure story nor as an insightful portrait of Flaherty's obsession.
KABLOONAK
Presented by Ima Prods. and Bloom Films
CFP Canadian Distribution
Producers Georges Benayoun, Paul Rozenberg, Pierre Gendron
Direction Claude Massot
Screenplay Claude Massot, Sebastien Regnier
Director of photography Jacques Loiseleux, Francois Protat
Art direction Valodia Aronine, Gilles Aird
Editing Joelle Hache
Cast:
Robert Flaherty Charles Dance
Nanook Adamie Inukpuk
Nyla Seporah Q. Ungalaq
Mukpullu Natar Ungalaq
Aviuk Matthew Jaw Saviakjuk
Running time -- 105 minutes
No MPAA rating
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
Set in the Canadian Arctic, the movie deals with the experience of director Robert Flaherty (Charles Dance), considered the father of documentary, as he filmed his epic work ''Nanook of the North'' in the 1920s.
Claude Massot's film is skimpy on biographical information and dramatic motivation, but it does present its own documentary-like view of the arduous task Flaherty set for himself. The film details these harrowing conditions with evocativeness, and its stunning visuals re-create the landscape in all its harshness.
The heart of the film is in the depiction of the relationship that develops between Flaherty and his principal subject, Nanook. The men, from obviously different social and societal universes, develop a bond in their mutual adventures that is actually quite touching. Dance, in his second turn as an historical filmmaker (he earlier played D.W. Griffith), brings his usual intensity to the sketchily written role, and he is ably matched by Adamie Inukpuk, who brings warmth and humor to the role of Nanook.
The film carefully mines the primitive ways of the Eskimos for their inherent humor for modern audiences, but it also makes clear their essential dignity. The ending will produce more than a few audience sniffles.
The film will have a tough commercial road because it neither fully succeeds as an adventure story nor as an insightful portrait of Flaherty's obsession.
KABLOONAK
Presented by Ima Prods. and Bloom Films
CFP Canadian Distribution
Producers Georges Benayoun, Paul Rozenberg, Pierre Gendron
Direction Claude Massot
Screenplay Claude Massot, Sebastien Regnier
Director of photography Jacques Loiseleux, Francois Protat
Art direction Valodia Aronine, Gilles Aird
Editing Joelle Hache
Cast:
Robert Flaherty Charles Dance
Nanook Adamie Inukpuk
Nyla Seporah Q. Ungalaq
Mukpullu Natar Ungalaq
Aviuk Matthew Jaw Saviakjuk
Running time -- 105 minutes
No MPAA rating
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
- 8/29/1994
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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