30 Second Bottom Line: An Inuit (Eskimo) legend, over a 1,000 years old, is told with the impact of a modern day documentary. It's the tale of an evil spirit that invades a community before finally being banished.
Story Line: Set in the far northern Arctic, a feud breaks out between two clans of Inuit's that live in a cooperative community, dependent on each other for hunting and fishing. One family has two brothers, Atanarjuat and Amaqjuaq, and the other a brother and sister, Oki and Puja. The custom of many ancient and modern societies dictates that fathers choose the brides for their sons. A young woman, named Atuat, has been selected for Oki by his father. The catch is that Atuat and Atanarjuat, the fast runner of the title, are in love and use their free spirit to consummate their relationship. Oki is bitter over this rebuff and when his sister Puja is shamed after being caught having sex with Amaqjuaq, she covers up by lying to Oki in telling him that the two brothers are going to harm her.
This moves things from a long simmering feud to a sneak attack, resulting in Amaqjuaq being killed. Atanarjuat, naked and freezing, is chased by Oki and two others from his clan across the stark Arctic tundra, where there is nothing but ice, melting water and a horizon in the distance. Even though it's summer, this is not your usual, slightly chilly run in the woods. The pursuit beats any car chase you've seen in years and permits the story to unfold as it shows us folklore, customs, forgiveness, revenge, reincarnation and justice.
Tell me more about it: There is much more to the story than is described in this review. Although the plot is not hard to follow, early on it can be a challenge to comprehend because so much of what we see, hear, feel and think is difficult to process, as we are not familiar with how the Inuit routinely spend their day. Building an igloo, lighting candles with seal oil, skinning hide for clothes, looking at a tattoo, having dinner, making love in a communal tent, adultery, etc. are fascinating sub-plots to the overall story.
In this time and setting, it's not until Atanarjuat is being chased, naked, across a frozen Arctic Circle in summer, are we able to instantly understand what is going on. From that point forward the true impact of the story becomes clear and it slams home. We are then able to put together the culture and how people lived their lives at that time with an action story where evil is carried out, fought against and eventually overcome.
"The Fast Runner" makes the case for a three-hour movie. If it were anything less than its running time of 172 minutes, instead of being profound, it would be an entertaining but unfulfilling story about Inuit legend. There are too many layers of this film to count. Anyone that says that they really want to see something new and entertaining that could never come out of Hollywood, now is your chance. It's won many awards on the film festival circuit and after you see the film, you'll understand why. Words I seldom use before July 1st, "This is one of the best films of the year," I offer to you now.
Footnote: the subtitles in this film are the best I've seen, as they have thick, bold, round letters that are very easy to read.
DVD