Happy People: A Year in the Taiga (***1/4)

This documentary, codirected by Werner Herzog, might well have been called Trapped in Siberia. The title might refer to the isolation of the setting, which for more than half the year is accessible only by helicopter from outside the region. Or it might refer to the fate of the sable and other wildlife that are caught by the movie’s “star,” a personable 60-year-old who has been making his life and living for 40 years using an ax, things he makes with his axe (such as skis), and a snowmobile. He spends much of the year roaming a “territory” of about 1500 square kilometers, stocking a series of self-made cabins in the fall, then returning throughout the winter to reap the animals caught in his traps. When the Yenisei River is not frozen over, he catches a lot of fish, too.

There are other people in the film; primarily they are other men who are making a living in traditional ways. The provides only limited cultural context, and virtually no political context, for the lives these men lead. Moreover, while the term “taiga” applies to northern forested lands around the globe, the film specifically deals with one sparsely populated area of Siberia, and leaves out the details of village life. (Visually, the town holds decidedly less charm than the natural landscapes.) This is not a bad thing, but the no-nonsense approach way surprise those who’ve seen Herzog documentaries such as Encounters at the End of the World (filmed in Antartica) or Cave of Forgotten Dreams. Perhaps because this is a collaboration (with Dmitry Vasyukov), Herzog’s German-accented narration is devoid of the speculation and philosophizing he has often employed. Perhaps also he is taking a cue from his leading man, whose own explanations (in Russian, with subtitles) of what he is doing are clear and concise. And, of course, the man’s skill with an ax speaks for itself.

Notwithstanding the apparent contentment of these “happy people,” I doubt anyone viewing this will be persuaded to adopt their lifestyle. Yet it’s impossible not to admire their independence and self-sufficiency.

IMDb link

viewed 2/22/13 7:20 pm at Ritz Bourse and reviewed 2/23/13

Wake in Fright (***1/4)

A young Sydney schoolteacher (Gary Bond), midway through a year-long stint in a small town that he can’t wait for to end, stops over in another remote town on the way back home for vacation. The local pastime, at least among the men, seems to be beer drinking and gambling; the teacher seems to hold himself above them, but in the course of a single weekend learns that he shares some of their basest instincts. This 1971 film, re-released, recalls the sort of western in which a stranger wanders into a small town, but instead of facing down a local outlaw the educated teacher must face down his own nature. It can also be seen as relating to group conformity, a fictional exposition of a psychological experiment.

One or two things about the movie seem a bit forced. Does every male Australian take offense if you won’t drink beer with him? The time line seems somewhat compressed as well, making the hero’s unraveling less convincing, although we actually know little about him. Still, the economy of the storytelling has power, and the outback setting is indelibly evoked by director Ted Kotcheff, who with screenwriter Evan Jones adapted a novel by Kenneth Cook. There is apparently no new footage, but a disclaimer at the end relating to a kangaroo hunt notes that footage was taken from an actual hunt. Animal lovers, or admirers of human nature, be warned. The best-known (and most memorable) cast member is Donald Pleasence, playing an alcoholic, debauched doctor. Director, Ted Kotcheff went on to do, among other films, Weekend at Bernie’s.


IMDb link


viewed 11/19/12 7:00 pm at Ritz Bourse and reviewed 11/20/12

Predator (**1/4)

This Arnold Schwarzenegger vehicle boasts a fairly interesting premise — a being from another planet is hunting Arnie and his men (including Carl Weathers), commandos on a mission in a Central American jungle, as delicacies and is seemingly invincible (and invisible). However, what results is a massacre of the men, leading up to the inevitable confrontation between man and alien in which Arnie must use both body and brain.

Doing this from the alien’s point of view might have been more interesting. Within the limitations of the script, it’s well done, technically, but the story is 90% formula.

IMDb link

written in 1987; slightly revised and posted 10/3/13