Snow Walker (The)

Genre: adventure drama
Director: Charles Martin Smith
Release: 2003
Studio: First Look Holdings, Infinity Media, Inc., Walk Well/Snow Walker
Rating: PG
MBiS score: 8.1/10


Behold the Great White North, Sense its Majesty and Menace


THE SNOW WALKER takes place in the Northwest Territories circa 1953 and our protagonist, airplane pilot Charlie Halliday (Barry Pepper), acts as a lifeline for native inhabitants of the area. As the story begins, Charlie is asked to deliver supplies to an Inuit band and gets permission to return home via Bathurst to conduct personal business. Taking to the air, he does not yet know that an unusual and important request will upset his well laid plans. With James Cromwell (Walter Shepherd, Charlie’s boss), Kiersten Warren (Estelle), Jon Gries (Pierce), Robin Dunne (Carl) and Annabella Piugattuk (Kanaalaq).

When I sat down to watch THE SNOW WALKER, I had just endured a couple of high-profile letdowns (on which I won’t comment) and I expected very little from this obscure, low-budget Canadian film. On paper, it does appear as noteworthy as a few snowflakes in January but, on screen, it beats down on you like a full-blown polar storm. Once it has set its rhythm and mood, you will realize that Charles Martin Smith’s humble movie stands as a force of nature, an absorbing and affecting trek through land and life. Nothing less, dear movie buffs.

The movie’s simple and genuinely touching screenplay, based on a Farley Mowat short story, showcases two characters bound by destiny and purpose and, as their friend and foe, a Northern expanse both barren and beautiful, a grandiose setting rife with adventure and danger. By way of incident, THE SNOW WALKER also links opposing cultures in a sensible, positive manner. I won’t say more about the plot, having already spoiled some of its impact, but I trust it will still enthrall you.

In other respects, THE SNOW WALKER remains as firm and reassuring as an inukshuk. It is blessed − truly blessed − with solid production values, efficient direction and first-rate acting, mainly from Barry Pepper and Annabella Piugattuk. Its narrative structure, artful juxtaposition of images and moving musical score by Michael Danna are also remarkably effective. Really, this is all you need to know for now.

My advice? Allow yourself some free time – preferably with a loved one – and watch this very impressive film set in a world not too distant but quite different from ours. THE SNOW WALKER deserves your attention and, even more so, your admiration.


MBiS

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