Audiences watching The Fast Runner for the first time will be thrilled to see that it's every bit as impressive as they've heard. Those returning for a repeat viewing will appreciate the detail of Zacharias Kunuk's observant direction and the subtlety of the natural performances from a cast including many non-actors.
We begin in the thick of things, as Kunuk invites us to join an intimate conversation inside an atmospherically lit igloo. This opening scene is vital - it's a note from the director that we will be observing this community from within. Ever so slowly, the film - and the Inuit community that it depicts - takes shape before our eyes, with a moralistic and near-Shakespearean storyline emerging.
In Igloolik, an Arctic island community, a proliferating number of love triangles spirals out of control, threatening the wellbeing of Atanarjuat, a handsome native recognised for his running skills. The Fast Runner incures the wrath of local bully Oki when he both falls for the brute's betrothed and attracts the attentions of his sister.
A subsequent strike on Atanarjuat's home leaves his brother murdered but Atanarjuat outsprints his adversaries and shelters in a remote district. However, the jealous Oki won't rest until he has revenge and his hunt for The Fast Runner continues.
Presenting a compelling adventure with plenty of spectacle - not least the now legendary scene in which a nude Atanarjuat hotfoots it across the tundra - this represents a collossal achievement for Kunuk and his collaborators. From that intriguing opening scene onwards, the director uses high-definition digital video to trailblazing effect, taking the camera deep into unfamiliar places to present - in Kunuk's own words - "a universal story with emotions people all over the world can understand."
At 165 minutes, The Fast Runner is a marathon of sorts but it's also one that you will never want to end.
Chris Wiegand
The film's highly authentic screenplay was compiled from eight different versions of one particular story, as recounted by elders in the community
