The beautiful and desolate artic tundra is the setting for Asif Kapadia's drama Far North. The film depicts the lives of two women, Anja and Saiva, living a hermetic existence, while in the distance lies the ominous rumble of an unexplained war. There lonely lives are shaken by the arrival of Loki, an injured man whose presence quickly begns to divide the women.
From the opening voiceover, where Saiva (the excellent Michelle Yeoh) tells of her 'curse', there is an almost unbearable sense of creeping dread. Beginning with the almost sacrificial murder of a sled dog, Kapadia's film studies the human condition, the ravaging effects of war and the rigours of isolation. Some aspects seem metaphorical, Loki himself is named after the Norse god of mischief and he enters the lives of the two peaceful women only to bring chaos and turmoil, a wolf among sheep. Initially the relationship between the women is never explained, all we know is that they are in hiding from the unseen conflict happening in the distance. The arrival of Loki at first seems positive, he offers company and a male presence both women seem to appreciate. However it is not long before Anja, the youngest of the two, begins a love affair with Loki and the narrative shifts to flesh out Saiva's backstory. We learn that she took charge of an infant Anja after soldiers slaughtered her tribe.
Anja and Loki plan to leave Saiva and travel towards population to create a family, this provokes a feeling of sympathy for the older woman, until the shocking climax. Perhaps one of the most horrific conclusions in cinema, Saivas final act of desperation destroys the lives of all three characters. After the slow burn build up, this conclusion is abrupt and devastating.
A bleak and beautiful film, Far North is small enough to go completely unnoticed but it deserves more attention.
Comments
Post a Comment