Review documentary:Nanook of the North (1922) vietsub

 

When I heard that the results and materials shot by Robert Flaherty, the photographer of "Nanook of the North" during his first Arctic expedition that lasted more than a year, were burned due to a small fire, I I wonder where he found the confidence and fortitude to support his second shoot - which lasted a year and four months. This photographer and director who is rich in the cultural complex of "marginal ethnic groups" may not have received any professional training in anthropology, but it can be seen from the film that he has some anthropological temperament and characteristics. If Malinowski's long-term fieldwork set a milestone for future anthropological practitioners, then Flaherty's "Nanook of the North" pioneered the fusion of film documentary and anthropology. A first for photography!

I only watched about two-thirds of this documentary in class, and later I finished watching the rest of it myself.

     To be honest, the first time I watched the movie I felt really average. That was more than half a century ago. The shooting and post-production technology was far from the current level. How would people who are tired of watching many commercial and entertainment blockbusters today feel about this kind of black and white silent film? In the early 20th century, when film technology was just born, the film's relatively backward shooting technology may not be consistent with the film's reputation. From the "ten-second countdown" shot at the beginning of the film to the combination of silent film-style synthetic subtitles, these features are an original film style that cannot be reproduced in contemporary films no matter how retro they are - a black and white product of the pre-industrial era of the 20th century. .

     Going back to the filming techniques of this film, the most controversial thing is undoubtedly the conflict between some scenes that are suspected of being "staged" and the authenticity of the documentary film. For example, there are rumors that the seal pulled out of the ice cave by the hunter named Nanook in the middle of the film was actually long dead; and in the first half of the film, two or three adults can actually be squeezed into the magical raft canoe. , two kids plus a puppy! From a one-minute long shot, one after another walks out of the raft, which makes people suspicious: Has this long shot been edited and then synthesized? How could one canoe hold so many people? In addition, the whole family makes an igloo (Igloo) reasonably together, and there is also the scene of the family getting up later. There is almost no doubt about the artificial shaping and "staged" nature of the plot. If viewed from the perspective of so many doubts and controversies mentioned above, how should the "authenticity" of this film be tested, and how much can it be used to draw lessons from Chengdu for anthropological films?

     Flaherty does not regard the filming of "Nanook of the North" as a true scientific record. This is because he is not a professional in this field, and he is not limited to simple documentary. It is a restoration or even a re-creation of the traditional side of a marginalized nation. Doing so may violate the purpose of completely natural science, but considering that the Inuit were eroded by industrial civilization at that time, coupled with the harsh climate conditions in the polar regions, this method of recreating reality is desirable.

     The characters in the film only move, and sometimes even actively make some reactions and expressions to the camera. But in this less than an hour-long film, it condenses Flaherty's hard work and experience of working in the polar regions for one year and four months. Of course, filming only played a small part in that long period of time. At other times, perhaps Flaherty would experience the coldness of the polar regions and the cruelty of nature with the Inuit people! If we don't get along well with the local people and understand their basic necessities, food, housing, and transportation, we won't be able to get the cooperation of this group of Inuit people, let alone take images that reflect their original and traditional cultural aspects. Therefore, from this perspective, Flaherty can be regarded as half a field worker.

     What is commendable is that Flaherty did not look at this group of marginalized tribes with a prejudiced eye. In his shooting shots, a kind of humanistic care is involuntarily revealed. From the hunting behavior and daily details of Nanook and his companions in the camera, we can even hear his admiration in his heart: In such a difficult and difficult environment, such extraordinary things can be born. nation!