Nanook of the North
8.17
Ratings: 8.17/10 from 24
users.
Nanook of the North was filmed from 1920-1921 in Port Harrison, Northern Quebec by Robert Joseph Flaherty.
This was the first successful documentary ever made, and was a true benchmark for ethnographic film.
Robert Flaherty brought and entirely unknown culture to the western world.
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.
I dont thinknour rules today apply to 100 yrs ago... while I see the signs of staging and cuts too it's of no significance compared to the glimpse into Inuit practices... even if they are staged
Awesome doc,makes you appreciate the hardships these people endured on a daily baisis,sad that he died less than 2 years later
I watched this documentary when I was in 6th grade and again a few years ago. I did not realize it was the first documentary. I enjoyed the movie very educational
An amazing look into our past. One of my very favorite and recommended films.
I found this documentary to be very interesting. Seeing how the life of the Inuit back in that time era really shows how different people live depending on their location. Although this film was staged it still shows how the people lived and survived there. I believe that if it had not been staged to a limit the film wouldn't of been able to get the point across as strong as Flaherty would of wanted.
This movie is not my favorite. Apparently, this movie was suppose to give us information about actual things that Nanook and his family did to survive... well actually, this film... most of it was staged which was degrading. Nanooks "family" was not really his family... the boat scene was just ridiculous. Sure they did the things on the film but as an experienced producer I saw plenty of cuts and remakes of that film especially of the boat scene where u can see plenty of times where they stopped filming after every person got out of the boat... hence the inter-titlers (they needed some sort of pause to make that edit in the movie)... There were some parts where I liked the hunting and the making of the igloo but overall this movie was not a documentary... I believe if anything it was a normal dramatic northern Eskimo fiction/non-fiction movie
I thought the movie capture the many aspects of the old inuit people. Whether it was fake or not, the information seemed pretty true. For one of the first documentaries I think it did itself justice. It captured why the inuit can find happiness in the life they live.
I think this was an amazing movie! It really makes you think about the things we take for granted today, when they were devoting their whole lives to survival back then, and still barely having enough to survive.
I wonder what made Robert Joseph Flaherty want to make this movie and why that family? I really like how close the family is and how they all work together. The part where they are making the igloo was my favorite!
I think this movie was a fairly good documentary about the Arctic life, if staged or not this is what I think of when I think of living in the Arctic. I especially liked the seen when they were building the igloo. The music could have been different of not so loud but that's okay. I still liked the film.
This movie/documentary was really amazing, in my opinion. Learning that some of it was staged or semi-planned was a bit of a bummer, but it was still an awesome movie. Seeing how people acted in this was very different from how i've grown up and how life currently is around here, it is brilliant (in my opinion).
I thought it was neat to see what their lifestyle was like. Even though it was a silent film, I still felt some emotion. Pretty good documentary for that time period I would say.
I'm not a particular fan of this film. But I respect it, because it's the first documentary film. After reading some more about this film, I've come to know that the family was not really Nanook's family.
Nanook Of The North is somewhat interesting such as how they had to catch actual footage. To me, knowing that Flaherty changed some of the aspects of the way the Inuits lived and who the actors played really degraded the point of the movie. Having the people do certain things and playing people they're not, makes things very un-realistic and gives out false information.
I thought it was cool to see how another culture lived/survived without the everyday resources we are equipped with in the present day. They use and take advantage of their lands and resources in order to survive in the terrain they live in. They rely upon their survival skills and basic knowledge and thats pretty impressive to me.
Zac
Wether this was staged or not, they still did all of the things that was filmed. He still hunted the seal. Also even if those woman where not his wives, that is not the point of the movie. The movie is about how they live, not about wives. What i saw of the movie was good. No matter if its completely authentic or not.
I thought the video was good for my second silent film. I loved the part where nanook chopped out a chunk of ice from the ground to make a window for the igloo. I thought it was very clever of him to do that in order to let in the heat and sunlight. I wondered how so many people could fit into that canoe?
Interesting movie, It's cool to see different life styles and what others do for a living. I didn't like the music though, it was all on the same level which made it seem very depressing and I don't think the movie was made to be taken in a depressing way, because the people are used to living the way they live and they don't take it the way we do.. Overall its not my favorite..
Most of the movie seemed real. The only part of the movie that didn't seem real was the boat scene. Overall the movie was interesting because you got to see what people in the north were like.
cool vid
No matter what you call it - feature or documentary, it is true to life... Absolutely amazing, so humane and romantic, so full of optimism and joy, that barely any movie can compete with. A true masterpiece that they don't make any more!
just reading Bill Nichols Introduction to Documentary as I came across Nanook of the North, but from what I understand from the reading, shouldn't this film be actually known as a fiction or even to go as far to say it is a Moc-cumentary?
This is an excellent film in every way for its day. And imagine a woman who loves you so much that she will chew your boots just to soften them up! Let me see a feminist do that!
Excellent! Thoroughly entertaining. I never knew Nanok was a real person.
this documentary is the best ever..
father work hard for his family..