IMDb RATING
7.4/10
6.8K
YOUR RATING
The telling of an Inuit legend of an evil spirit causing strife in the community and one warrior's endurance and battle of its menace.The telling of an Inuit legend of an evil spirit causing strife in the community and one warrior's endurance and battle of its menace.The telling of an Inuit legend of an evil spirit causing strife in the community and one warrior's endurance and battle of its menace.
- Awards
- 26 wins & 20 nominations
Pauloosie Qulitalik
- Qulitalik
- (as Paul Qulitalik)
- …
Pakak Innuksuk
- Amaqjuaq
- (as Pakkak Innushuk)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaWhile this film would never get SPCA approval, every animal killed was used in true Inuit fashion; all the meat was consumed, and the skins were put to practical use.
- GoofsJust before Atanarjuat jumps over the crevasse, the shadow of a crew member appears in the snow, at the bottom of the screen, to the left.
- Crazy creditsThe film's end credits play next to behind the scenes footage of the making of the film. Many primary cast and crew members appear at the same time that their credits come on screen.
Featured review
The humanity of the characters, both good and bad, and the dazzlingly vistas make this film memorable.
How many times have you heard this philosophy in film: `All I have is memory'? `The Fast Runner' is just such a memory film of the Iglooik people telling a 1000 year-old story of feuding brothers, unfaithful wives, and patricide most foul. The beginning voiceover says, "I can only say this story to someone who understands it."
If it sounds like `King Lear' or `Hamlet,' it's not quite Shakespeare but close. It is as close to today's internecine and global wars as any other movie you will see this year.
Set against the vast, frozen, flat, brilliantly-lit Arctic Circle, this tragic tale slowly reveals a small family circle that must deal with their crimes without the help of kings or counselors or cops. They have only themselves, and despite that, or perhaps because of it, they must work out solutions that not only do not disintegrate the circle but also mete out the punishment satisfactorily.
A naked man running for his life for 15 hours over the frozen tundra is an enduring image; two men alternately hitting each other in the face, waiting for the blows, is as unusual a fight scene as you will ever see. It's all a part of the heavily ritualized culture, where breaking from the norm is a critical occurrence. Everyone sleeping in the same tent lends a new meaning to family unity. Forgiveness for heinous crime is a lesson still to be learned by far more advanced cultures.
I was moved by the grandeur of last year's epic `Himalaya.' This year's extraordinary `Fast Runner' has given that film a run for its money. The humanity of the characters, both good and bad, and the dazzlingly vistas make this film memorable. Don't miss the outtakes at the closing credits and the shots of the very modern actors who so convincingly play first-millennium Inuits.
`The Fast Runner' deserved the Camera d'OR for best first film at Cannes.
If it sounds like `King Lear' or `Hamlet,' it's not quite Shakespeare but close. It is as close to today's internecine and global wars as any other movie you will see this year.
Set against the vast, frozen, flat, brilliantly-lit Arctic Circle, this tragic tale slowly reveals a small family circle that must deal with their crimes without the help of kings or counselors or cops. They have only themselves, and despite that, or perhaps because of it, they must work out solutions that not only do not disintegrate the circle but also mete out the punishment satisfactorily.
A naked man running for his life for 15 hours over the frozen tundra is an enduring image; two men alternately hitting each other in the face, waiting for the blows, is as unusual a fight scene as you will ever see. It's all a part of the heavily ritualized culture, where breaking from the norm is a critical occurrence. Everyone sleeping in the same tent lends a new meaning to family unity. Forgiveness for heinous crime is a lesson still to be learned by far more advanced cultures.
I was moved by the grandeur of last year's epic `Himalaya.' This year's extraordinary `Fast Runner' has given that film a run for its money. The humanity of the characters, both good and bad, and the dazzlingly vistas make this film memorable. Don't miss the outtakes at the closing credits and the shots of the very modern actors who so convincingly play first-millennium Inuits.
`The Fast Runner' deserved the Camera d'OR for best first film at Cannes.
helpful•40
- JohnDeSando
- Aug 10, 2002
- How long is Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- The Fast Runner (Atanarjuat)
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- CA$1,960,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $3,789,952
- Gross worldwide
- $5,204,281
- Runtime2 hours 52 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.78 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner (2001) officially released in India in English?
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