Introduction
Nanook of the North was never meant to be a documentary, a category that still needed to be established during the film’s creation. The picture was produced with commercial exhibition and distribution in mind, as well as people used to literary fiction films. Nanook of the North is among the most well-known wordless documentaries, which has remained popular worldwide since its publication in 1922. The research begins with the alterations that Nanook suffered between its debut and the film’s reconstruction in the 1970s and subsequent editions on other platforms. The film’s artistic style is genuine, as are the hardships Eskimos face. Flaherty merits admiration for not only creating an epoch-making film but also making it appealing to the public and retaining their interest in tale design. Nanook of the North operates as a Rosetta stone for documentary ethnography, representation, ethics, and orientalism deliberations.
Film Techniques
Nanook of the North is a silent American film that blends docudrama and documentary elements at a period when the notion of splitting films into drama and documentary was not yet available. The cinematography in Nanook of the North is the foremost thing everyone should notice. Compared to today’s industry, the technology at this period in cinema history was crude. The aspect did not deter Flaherty since the film features several of the most breathtaking shots currently accessible for viewing. For example, the film’s opening sequence has an outstanding deep-focus view of icebergs floating in the sea when the sun is towering above the ocean (Geva, 2021). Before the audience is introduced to the film’s primary character, Nanook, everything in the scene appears to be in order and the sense of tranquility.
Parallel Action
Flaherty employed a variety of cinematic approaches to develop the film. The method of rotating between two or more scenes concurrently in separate locations within the film’s setting is known as parallel action. Parallel action refers to two sequences that occur concurrently in the film’s timeframe but in different locales. It was employed to increase tension, contrast, and pace in the film ‘Nanook of the North.’ An example of parallel action in the film is when Nanook’s children are permitted to play as their parents work. , sheds a human but realistic perspective on the family’s optimistic attitude toward a harsh reality. (Geva, 2021).
The Scenery
The camera returns to images that show the misery of the Eskimo tribe by employing the bleak terrain behind the scenes. As the subjects participate in their activities, the spectator can observe the snow and ice. Civilization has not affected these folks, and the scenery behind the action is serene. However, the Eskimo people are continuously at odds with their natural surroundings (Flaherty & Kraus, 1971).
The Camera
Flaherty’s camera skills accomplished much more than just gorgeous visuals. His creative camera skills were crucial to Nanook of the North’s success. The picturesque video and dramatic reenactment of Nanook of the North, taken with a participation camera, portrayed the mood of the time and expressed the Eskimos’ difficulties.
The camera work in ‘Nanook of the North is the primary technique everyone should notice. Compared to all we have now, the technology at this period in cinema history was pretty crude. It did not deter Flaherty since his film features several of the most magnificent shots currently accessible for viewing (Flaherty & Kraus, 1971). For example, the film’s prologue has an outstanding deep-focus view of icebergs sailing around in the ocean when the sun is towering above the ocean. Before being exposed to the film’s primary character, Nanook, every scene component appears to be in position, and a sense of tranquility is produced.
Sound
Human voices, sound, and musical effects are the three categories of sound used in film production. Sound is artificially synthesized and modified. Sounds aid in conveying the message to the intended audience. Flaherty did not serve as an ethnographer, although he was creating his tale from real-life sources. He was pioneering cinematic paths in this, and even though the concepts of ethnographic cinematography were not yet in existence, it is surprising how much he succeeded in getting it correctly. Flaherty prepared the day’s tape and displayed it for the members, who were allowed to make ideas, establishing a process that would become core ethnographic etiquette.
Despite the Eskimo people’s ongoing struggle with their natural surroundings because civilization has not affected these people, the scenery behind the action is tranquil. Flaherty’s camera technique, however, was capable of far more than just gorgeous pictures. Nanook of the North’s revolutionary camera methods was crucial to his success.
Actualities, short films of real individuals in natural settings, dominated cinema production in its early years. The two main themes were the travelogue and, more importantly, the industrial-life portrayal. These films prioritized unmediated observation of the reality above staged spectacle. The major invention of Robert Flaherty was merely to mix the two kinds of reality, filling the exotic excursion with aspects of indigenous labor, play, and existence. Flaherty surpassed the travelogue this way, as the picturesque grew into a genuine and sympathetic depiction.
The image has two elements that, even now, remain at the heart of the documentary concept. These include process and duration, which accurately describe how ordinary tasks are completed and how long it takes to do them (BBC Earth, 2016). For example, consider Nanook’s spectacular igloo-building sequence, in which work is not only shown in the social context but arises as perfect for spirituality and beauty due to Nanook’s ability and Flaherty’s cinematic disclosure. Initially, there is the cover, then warmth, and eventually light.
Artistry Merge
The artistry merge is achieved in the film by humanizing natural processes, artistry and artistry merge. Nanook of the North pioneered these concepts, which remain practically unrivaled in their execution. Ethnography, landscape, exploration, staging, reenactment, and the merging of adventure and nature films were all part of this. Flaherty describes his previous life in the context of ethnography. He was quite old school in several aspects, such as being very exact and never altering his camera angles. Flaherty still needs to modify his approaches for the narrative impact, including employing suspense as a component of his primary strategies. Flaherty would indeed frequently employ cut-ins.
Another trend in his film is that although there is no actual ending, nothing is answered. It brings up the realism component since, in actual situations, only some issues have a straightforward solution to why things occur that way (Flaherty & Kraus, 1971). Nonetheless, the picture is replete with fudging and faking in many forms. Commentators would criticize Flaherty for neglecting reality in preference for a small quantity of romance, despite its documentary worth. These were attractive Inuit who were cast and compensated for their jobs. The characters’ original clothing was a nostalgic blend; the Inuit had begun to incorporate Western dress sometime before.
The on-screen activity and attitudes, including comedic scenes portraying indigenous people getting perplexed by recordings and other contemporary innovations, were mostly recorded to meet a white settler’s concept of how indigenous people operate. The fact that Nanook of the North is nearly fictitious reveals the hidden objective (BBC Earth, 2016). Flaherty went to tremendous lengths to stage whatever was seen on-screen, although appearing as something unintentionally catching reality with filming and on-screen text technique.
Color
Things have become more dangerous for the fearless characters through Nanook of the North. It becomes much more tragic, considering that the actual Allakariallak died a few days after the film’s debut. He was allegedly starved to death while he was out hunting the deer. We witness a vision of a bleak, cruel world through which the brave man struggles to make his way alone. Flaherty successfully colors the scheme by frequently peeling away at pictures of Nanook’s gruff dogs (BBC Earth, 2016). They are his pals, yet they are also brutal and strange. They symbolize the other, eventually, uncontrollable component of creation, and their persistent, opposing presence was an essential part of Flaherty’s work.
The robust character of Nanook that the conventional documentaries form was discriminatory and downright antagonistic to indigenous voices, particularly those behind the camera (Geva, 2021). After more than a century, the impact of Nanook of the North is well-established, particularly and sadly, regarding how it gradually normalized demeaning images of indigenous people on-screen. This production is a documentary containing highly fabricated components, contributing to its long-term importance (Laman, 2022). Today, discussions regarding the legitimacy of a particular documentary television series can occur on various social media sites. These debates might be tiresome, but they show that people are eager to confront every situation.
Nanook of the North set a precedent according to how documentaries may alter reality instead of preserving it by attempting to pass off fantasy as truth. Among the film’s most iconic scenes is the creation of an igloo. A second igloo needed to be erected with a wall demolished to fit the operator and camera to shoot inside the construction (Laman, 2022). The seal hunting, with Nanook patiently waiting over an opening in the ice and his harpoon ready, is another well-known scenario. Close inspection of the edits reveals that this scenario was likewise manufactured.
Conclusion
The film represents a significant cinematic breakthrough because of its selection, material arrangement, and sensitivity. The compassion of its filmmaker, choice, and presentation of material distinguished the film from the adventure novels of the time. Flaherty became the first filmmaker to mix documentary material successfully and narrative art. The picture has a genuine sincerity that outweighs any staging issues. The first footage Flaherty shot was of a walrus hunting in the Belcher Islands. The audience observes the hunters sneaking up on a sleeping herd without cuts, inch by inch. Flaherty’s crew worried for Allakariallak’s life and encouraged him to kill the walrus with a weapon. Nevertheless, he left the camera running, culminating in one of wordless cinema’s most praised moments.
References
BBC Earth. (2016). Planet Earth II Continues Official Trailer. YouTube. Web.
Flaherty, R. & Kraus, R. (1971). Nanook of the North. Windmill Books.
Geva, D. (2021). A philosophical history of documentary, 1895-1959. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
Laman, D. (2022). ‘Nanook of the North at 100: How Documentaries Can Warp Reality. Collider. Web.