…are the two words I would use to describe this recent Flicker Alley release. Exhilarating in that there is now a quality copy of NANOOK on Blu-Ray. There is also the availability of the other rare films on Disc 2 although the visual quality doesn’t match that of NANOOK. No matter, just being able to see them is the key point here. The depressing part comes with the 1988 French documentary NANOOK REVISITED which revisits the same locations Robert Flaherty used almost 70 years later. The use of color film and sound heightens the drab reality of the locals’ everyday existence although it’s fascinating to watch them watching NANOOK and laughing at some of the inaccuracies while soaking up this visual record of their past. Most everyone knows that Flaherty staged a number of scenes in NANOOK but it was poignant to hear a local man say that he was deliberately trying to record on film Inuit life before the “White Man” came and wouldn’t allow them to use anything contemporary. It would be interesting to visit Port Harrison today and see how life there has changed since 1988.
NANOOK now looks better than it ever has thanks to the digital transfer of David Shepard’s 1972 restoration. The film is aided immeasureably by Timothy Brock’s score which is not only atmospheric (the use of harp in the walrus hunt is especially effective) but somewhat melancholy as befits the always harsh surroundings Nanook and his family lived in. Knud Rasmussen’s THE WEDDING OF PALO shows us Eskimo (Inuit) life on the Western Coast of Greenland circa 1933 which presents a very different world from that of NANOOK. Greenland in the summer is full of vegetation and in addition to seal, there is musk ox and salmon to sustain the community. Unfortunately Rasmussen is no Flaherty and his attempt to come up with a storyline is much less satisfactory as it relies too much on Western European romantic cliches. Nevertheless the footage is remarkable and we do get a glimpse at what the Greenlanders’ life is like although more title cards would have been helpful. Highlights are the drum dance, the salmon run, and the village shaman’s healing techniques.
The remaining films on the second disc consist of two silent sequences from Frank Kleinschmidt, a Harvard reworking of the building of the igloo from NANOOK, and two later sound shorts about Inuit and Arctic life. I was already familiar with Kleinschmidt from a silent film called SANTA CLAUS (1925) which incorporates North Pole footage with Christmas Eve activities. ARCTIC HUNT (1913) & PRIMITIVE LOVE (1927) resemble NANOOK in content but not in style. The two other offerings, ESKIMO HUNTERS OF NORTHWESTERN ALASKA (1949) and FACE OF THE HIGH ARCTIC (1959) give us more of the same with the addition of documentary style voiceovers. After awhile it all starts to run together but the historical value of these films coupled with the historic and artistic value of NANOOK make this a valuable set to have. It’s not for everyone and it’s more than a little pricey but those interested in different cultures and exploration will find it hard to resist. Flicker Alley has done their usual fine job with another stylish presentation and extra features including an invaluable booklet on the material.
The Capsule Critic 