Atanarjuat: the Fast Runner Essay

The role of religion has been a major factor of e very(prenominal) purification for as long as anyone bathroom remember. The feeling of togetherness that comes with belonging to a host of people that believe in the like mentations and a central entity defines a soul and the way they see the world. Atanarjuat The unfaltering showtimeshows the impact of a true tenet on a clan of Eskimos in Igloolik, a liquidation ineasterly Arctic wilderness, at the dawn of the set-back millennium. An evil harassment was said to be following one member of the folks, Oki, because of his jealousy of Atanarjuat.The film follows the lives of these two men and the conflicts they give up as they grow older. It also focuses on the spiritual ideas that drive both Oki and Atanarjuat, and their opposite tribe members, to drastic actions. From the s closing curtain-off, the curse is infix into the film successfully, as it dish ups explain wherefore certain things happened to Atanarjuat and O ki. The curse was portrayed by a sound effect whenever a person was affected by it. Without that effect, the idea of the curse may non energise come across as well, and magnate even hold back been forgotten until the end.As well as the curse was portrayed, the close for it coming about was a office confusing for viewers who were not utilize to the language and style of the film. Years in the beginning the story of Atanarjuat and Oki, a shaman predicts that a curse will be brought on by Tulimaq. By no coincidence, tenting leader, Kumaglak, died in a duel and his rightful(prenominal) successor, Tulimaq, was passed everyplace and Sauri was given the title. Tulimaq does not expunge this well, accusing Sauri of constituent murder his father.Tulimaq becomes a laughing stock and cannot feed his wife and kids, Atanarjuat and Amaqjuaq, though he gets help from his friend, Panikpak, widow of Kumaglak. It was hard to understand what exactly caused the curse and why Tulimaq was the one burdened by it with the way the story was told. The quick scenes and unreadable dialogue were not exactly helping in telling this story, especially since it was from a culture that most viewers would not be familiar with. Overall, the film was effective in describing the actions and beliefs brought on by Tulimaqs curse.The power the idea that the curse is what causes the unceasing conflict between Atanarjuat and Oki is portrayed skillfully. In the beginning a tribe member, Qulitalik, is shown sledding the village in fear of the curse, only foretells to return if his sister, Panikpak, ever selected his help. This promise is so strong that, decades later, when Atanarjuat needs help hiding and defeating Oki, Qulitalik is the person that aids in ending the curse. This brings in the idea of allegiance to family and biotic community and shows that these were vital beliefs of the tribe.Another grimace of the film that greatly helped illustrate the richness of both the tribes beliefs and credit of the curse was symbolism. Throughout the film, certain symbols and emblematical gestures were used to show the tribes belief in a certain idea. Right before her husband dies, Panikpak witnesses a stone lamp fall and break in half, which foreshadowed the bad events that were to come. A walrus-tooth necklace was introduced in the beginning of the film as a divide of heirloom of Kumaglak. It was given to Sauri as a symbol of his peeled power as the new chief.Although it is just an object, it revealed the tribes reliance in what it represented because at the end of the film, once the necklace was returned to Tulimaqs spirit, its rightful owner, stay is brought back to the village. This film shows how greatly this tribe of Eskimos are effected by their beliefs and rituals, although the viewers may not be familiar with them. In the ethnography Never In Anger by Jean Briggs, she describes the difference in gender roles in Utku tribe. They were very similar to t hose of the tribe of Igloolik.The women were the caretakers, doing housework, tending to wight hides, looking after children, and cooking, enchantment the men fished, hunted, and built igloos as shelter. Each energise was separated during meals and women were submissive to men. This played an intrinsic part in the film, especially for the character, Puja. She did not seem to want to conform to the ideals of what women were say to do in the tribe, and was seen as inactive and spoiled. She also seemed to believe she could have much than one man, as men were allowed to have more than one wife, and challenged this idea when she seduces Atanarjuats brother, Amaqjuaq.The womens role in the village was a catalyst for certain actions taken by the males. For example, Atanarjuat and Oki had their first conflict over Atuat when she and Atanarjuat fell in love while she was betrothed to Oki. Oki goes after Atanarjuat once over again when Puja lies about his brother hitting her for no r eason, when in fact it was because she was caught cheating on her husband with him. Although women were not in outpouring of the actions of the tribe or important decisions of the tribe, it is shown that they do have importance in some other sense.They can influence the mens actions individually and in damage of the tribe as a whole. The film Atanarjuat The Fast Runner definitely has some aspects that need improvement for viewers who are not familiar with the Eskimo culture to understand. However, in terms of portraying the culture and beliefs, this film gives its listening something they can identify with. No offspring where they are from, they can sympathize with what believe in a supernatural popular opinion can make one do, and how family and community loyalty influences ones decisions.