Fresh
Flaherty wasn't much of an ethnologist -- he routinely staged scenes for his camera and insisted that his subjects return to traditions they'd abandoned generations before -- yet he was a master dramatist.
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
Nanook of the North
A story of life and love in the actual Arctic.
1922 · 1h 19m · Passed
Documentary, Drama
Directed by
Robert Flaherty
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Nanook of the North
Overview
This pioneering documentary film depicts the lives of the indigenous Inuit people of Canada's northern Quebec region. Although the production contains some fictional elements, it vividly shows how its resourceful subjects survive in such a harsh climate, revealing how they construct their igloo homes and find food by hunting and fishing. The film also captures the beautiful, if unforgiving, frozen landscape of the Great White North, far removed from conventional civilization.
Director and cast
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
100%
Tomatometer
Fresh
Despite the comparatively primitive technique and the natural difficulties of shooting a film in the frozen Hudson Bay wastelands, every minute of Nanook lives up to its reputation.
Variety Staff, Variety
Fresh
Nanook is one of the most vital and unforgettable human beings ever recorded on film.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Fresh
These characters are plainly 'playing' themselves, and scenes such as the igloo-building manifest a sage grace and skill.
Time Out
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