NANOOK OF THE NORTH, 1922
Movie Review

Documents one year in the life of Nanook, an Eskimo (Inuit) and his family. Describes the trading, hunting, fishing and migrations of a group barely touched by industrial technology. Nanook of the North was widely shown and praised as the first full-length, anthropological documentary in cinematographic history.

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REVIEW:

Robert Flaherty’s endearing documentary following the life of an Eskimo, Nanook, and his family members from the Hudson Bay opens a portal into a world that seems ancient and archaic, yet manages to sustain a fulfilling life during the modern time of 1922. It was a fortunate accident that Flaherty’s first film of Eskimos was destroyed because his second work, Nanook of the North, shows the everyday lives of these people through a story with a beginning, middle, and end, something that his first film lacked. Unlike his first attempt, Flaherty gives this documentary emotion by showing the ups and downs of living a nomadic life where survival is based on animals and snow. I think it was very open of the Eskimos to trust Flaherty and allow him to film them without knowing the positive or negative repercussions of his end result. Through Nanook’s wide grin we see the strong and captivating spirits of this hard-working tribe that wouldn’t have otherwise been seen if it weren’t for Flaherty’s curiosity of what lies at the end of the Canadian railroads.

Flaherty and his editor, Charles Gelb, used innovative camera techniques to give the documentary a dynamic feel. Close-ups, panoramic scenes, and reverse-angle shots added depth and variety to Nanook, giving the documentary genre spice and emotion. Though this is a documentary, exciting events don’t always happen in succession throughout the day, so it was natural that Flaherty staged some scenes to attract an audience. For instance, when Nanook and his tribe killed the walrus and seal, they actually used guns but the only weapons shown on screen were spears and bare hands. This added drama to the action but wasn’t too fabricated to make the scenes seem staged. Also, Flaherty had the Eskimos build only half an igloo to shoot them “waking up” and “falling asleep” in so as to get the most

The primitive and harsh lives of Nanook and his family was not depressing and sympathetic, but completely the opposite! Flaherty showed the eternal happiness of these people, despite their severe living conditions. During the downtime between killing walrus and building igloos, Nanook played with his children and gleefully inhaled blubber with the other male Eskimos. Flaherty cleverly used subtitles to describe the action of playing out on screen without translating what they said word for word. His descriptions left the audience wondering what was to happen next and kept them excited about the next season’s tribulations. I think it as important for Flaherty to make this documentary and show the 1920s world how other people live. Although Paramount originally rejected signing on to distribute Nanook, the success of this film was overwhelmingly positive across the globe.

The success of Flaherty’s documentary is due in large part to his admiration for the Eskimos and his urge to tell the world about their lives. Flaherty said, “ What I want to show is the former majesty and character of these people, while it is still possible – before the white man has destroyed not only their character, but the people as well.” His curious nature, combined with his strong determination has provided Flaherty with the honor of creating the first documentary that still reigns supreme today.

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Nanook of the North