Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing Film
Review: The buzz surrounding this film is overdone. You do feel as though you're there in the arctic but the plot is claustrophobic and lacks perspective. You could get cabin fever watching this movie so have a backup pick handy!
Rating: 
Summary: Fast Runner, Slow Pace...
Review: The Fast Runner is two stories in one. The plot centers around Atanarjuat (fast runner) and his betrayal by wife, brother, and clansmen. The tone is set from the beginning with the line "Evil came to us like death." As the movie continues, the weight of this curse grows heavier and the wickedness of the characters becomes more apparent as they weave ever increasing webs of cruelty, sexual infidelity, and murder.
However, the second, and the most compelling story is told in the day-to-day living of the Inuit people. Watching these people come back hunt after hunt with no food and make homes, light fires and raise children in the frozen tundra that extends for miles with no plants for foraging when meat is scarce, no wood for burning, no cotton or wool for weaving is remarkable. Their ingenuity subtly hits you in the face.Fast Runner is a nice idea almost done well. The pace of the movie is deliberately slow as one would expect the Inuit life to be. Language is sparse and the scenery gorgeous in its barrenness. However, the movie does not quite reconcile the mundane living of the Inuit with the soap opera romance that tears at clan unity and the unwillingness of the clan's members to recognize or act upon this destructive force. Watch it for the simplistic portrayal of Inuit life and the beautiful scenery. If you're looking for a good story, try elsewhere.
Rating: 
Summary: Film Shot So Natural and Real.
Review: Excellent film of an Alaskan tribe survival in their natural territory. They respect their elders. The eldest son must hunt for food and get along with other tribe's they meet. But some tribes are called "strangers". They try to steal someone's dog sled, food or kill for what they want. The Fast Runner can keep it all together. An evil tribe tries to kill by stabbing the tent he and another man is sleeping in. Naked, he escapes and runs for his life and even appears to run on water while enemies fall through. This film, shot on video, also deals with evil spirits, love, death and leadership. But mostly, the family stays together no matter what. There are scenes of full frontal male nudity, female nudity, sex and simulated violence.
Rating:
Summary: stark, slow, compelling
Review: Atanarjuat loves Atuat. His father was a bit of a tribal ne'er-do-well, and he is very close to his brother, literally and figuratively, throughout the film, as he courts Atuat, fights for her, wins her, loses her, and returns to her despite the murderous machinations of Oki, son of the tribe's chief. This film tells a classic tale, but the fact that it is Inuit makes it especially interesting; the pace is different and the light is more stark, a bit like Scent of Green Papaya for the northern climes. The first time the camera opens onto the snow-filled tundra, your eyes will be shocked. The acting is very good, many things can be seen in a look or a smile, and the details of clothing and everyday life are incredible. For a technologized Westerner, it can be jarring to adapt to the pace of the film, but it is filled with drama, love, violence, life and death, and the experience is eminently worthwhile. DVD features are abysmal, however. I would have *loved* a behind-the-scenes documentary or commentary by the cast and crew, particularly since this is such a rarity -- an Inuit film, but the only extras are trailers for Lagaan, Lawrence of Arabia and Limbo. That's it. A real shame.
Rating: 
Summary: Riveting, Enchanting
Review: What a thrill to see a film of this quality by and of indigenous people! It puts US efforts to shame.
Rating:
Summary: Great film, wasted DVD
Review: I won't belabor points made by other reviewers about the film itself. Yes, it's long; yes, it's slow. So are any number of great works (2001: A Space Odyssey comes to mind). My comment is about the DVD, which is utterly bereft of the extra goodies that make DVDs so much fun. This disc doesn't even include its own theatrical trailer, for Pete's sake! And a film like this just cries out for a "making of" piece and an ethnographic mini-documentary. Interviews with the Inuit filmmakers and actors would be welcome. But none of that appears in this edition. Alas.
Rating: 
Summary: too long for comfort
Review: What is the hype with this film - it took me 4 nights of having to turn the dvd off when sleep overcame me just to get through it to find some redeming value in it- yeah the scenery is stark and I suppose the photography is beautiful (how can you mess up filming white snow. blue skies and ice everywhere) but this story could have been told in about one hour in a National geographic special -...I totally was over PUJA in the beginning and don't see why Atanarjuat would want her in the first place (maybe slim pickings)which is the crux of the whole story.
I don't understand why this got such great reviews (glad I didnt go see it at a theater). Not every independent film (documentary) is art even if expensive techniques are used and its about indigenous people....Reminded me of the hype surrounding the Blair Witch Project - some people are too easily amused.
Rating:
Summary: I'm sorry but I have to dissent, too
Review: Geez, we love indie and all sorts of creative/different films, too, are educated, open-minded, etc., etc., but everyone in my family thought this was tough to sit through. The chase scene is extraordinary, no doubt about that. That's why I give it one rather than two stars. As a slice of life, it is compelling and haunting. And the use of high definition video tape is interesting, although the outdoor production values don't seem very good--lots of glare on the camera lens, etc. The scenery is awesome. But this has to be the slowest movie I have ever seen. Everything could have been said in half the length. They are called editors, get one. I sure do not want to discourage this kind of effort, and I really wanted to love this film, but this was way, way too long and "windy." By windy I would normally mean too much talking, but this is more too much standing around, and way too much repetition. Seems amateurish and overbearing to me. Maybe it is just us, but I would truly discourage folks making this kind of film from putting out something of this length, even if you have that much to say (and I do not think this film does). I want to see more of this kind of project and at nearly three hours, this takes up too much of the available screen time.
Rating:
Summary: HOT EMOTIONS ON ICE
Review: The stark, frozen vistas of the Arctic are the setting for THE FAST RUNNER, an intense Inuit legend of love, revenge and survival brought to life in one of the most acclaimed films of the year. Atanarjuat falls in love with Atuat, a woman promised to the son of Oki, the clan's leader. Atanarjuat fights his rival and wins, so Oki plots to kill Atanarjuat and his brother in their sleep. But Atanarjuat escapes and runs naked across the ice, embarking on a harrowing adventure of extreme survival so he can return wiser and stronger to heal the rift in his clan. A timeless and majestic film of passion and truth. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: My hubby is eskimo and we loved this movie!!
Review: Wow!! a first of its kind!! A beautiful movie well done! Both my husband (who is Alaskan Eskimo) and I loved it! You cannot even imagine a movie such as this until you see it. I was skeptical at first, but as the movie went on I realized that I was inthralled with it...I couldnt leave the movie! I, of course, averted my eyes during the naked man running section of the movie out of respect for my husband...but all in all, I think it is a movie that should not be missed!
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