Far North
Cast:
Michelle Yeoh, Sean Bean
Direction:
Asif Kapadia
Rating:
***
Here’s truly adventurous filmmaking. Clearly, the British director of Indian origin, Asif Kapadia, and his cast and crew clearly had to struggle with climatic conditions while shooting this epic tale of passion and revenge.
Based on a short story by Sarah Maitland,
Far North
transports the viewer to the awe-inspiring snowscapes of the Arctic tundra. The starkness of the narrative coupled with the director’s technical rigour adds up to a cinematic experience as accomplished as Kapadia’s acclaimed debut feature
The Warrior
(2001).
The script, co-authored by Kapadia and Tim Miller, goes well beyond the surface of the folk tale-like plot, bringing us close to a trio of characters.
Two women struggle to survive on the frozen wasteland. The older one (Yeoh) is forever travelling further north in order to escape from the soldiers who have massacred her tribesmen. As for the infant adopted many years ago, she’s now a beautiful young woman (Michelle Krusiec).
Into their desolate world enters a mystery man (Bean). Nursed back to health from the brink of death, the stranger’s presence tests the women’s ‘familial’ bonds. How they interact with the intruder rivets our interest right upto the jolting climax.
Into their desolate world enters a mystery man (Bean). Nursed back to health from the brink of death, the stranger’s presence tests the women’s ‘familial’ bonds. How they interact with the intruder rivets our interest right upto the jolting climax.
On the downside, a couple of extended flashbacks are contrived merely to quicken the narrative’s momentum. Indeed, on the whole, the film’s snail-pace is a deterrent.
That apart,
Far North
has plenty of pleasures to offer-in particular the stunning camerawork by Kapadia’s regular collaborator Roman Osin. The brittle severity of Michelle Yeoh’s performance is an added asset. A tough film, yes, but one that should be sampled by discerning viewers.