Review of Nanook of the North (1922) by Antonius B — 16 Oct 2018
Say what you want about the footage director Robert J. Flaherty gives us of this Inuit group in a rugged part of the Canadian Arctic, that elements of it were staged and it wasn't a pure documentary, but he gives us a pretty incredible insight into a completely different world.
Highlights include seeing them build an igloo, complete with window and a light reflector, hunt and kill using traditional methods, and make their way across the barren landscape with their semi-tame dogs.
It's also interesting to see the family improbably emerge from the inside of a kayak after crossing a river, one after another, and the mother give her baby a bath by spitting into a fur rag and wiping it on him.
I would have loved to have known more about them, e.g. their beliefs, family life, how childbirth was accomplished, etc ... but I was impressed with what I did see.
This review of Nanook of the North (1922) was written by Antonius B on 16 Oct 2018.
Nanook of the North has generally received very positive reviews.
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