Nanook Of The North Essay

Nanook of the North, is considered the first feature-length documentary film, but there are many constructed/re-enactments through out it. The movie informed the viewers on how the Eskimos lived during the 1920's. Robert Flaherty, the director, followed a family in Northern Canada and documented their daily activities. However many scenes seem to have been retaken in order to get a different shot of the subject. Flaherty could have been unsatisfied with his first shot and so he would have the “actors” re-enact the action until he was happy with the result. At the beginning of the film when the family is at the trading post one of the boys get sick and is given medicine from the worker at the post. It shows a two person medium shot of the boy and the trader. Then it cuts to a close up of the bottle as the medicine is being poured in a spoon.
There were many different shots through out this hunt that in took 40 to show it. The first shot shows a camp with a person running into the frame yelling about the walrus. The family jumps out of their tent and run to their kayak, place it in the water and the husband rides off. The family stands on shore not sure what to do next and a couple even look over to the camera for some sort of direction. The rest of the scene shows Nanook riding in a group from the same angle as it cuts to different angles of just him riding. Even though this scene was suppose to be exciting it came out a little awkward because of the way it was captured. Also at first the walrus' are not visible and the hunters have their backs to the camera. Then it cuts to another shot of them heading towards the camera. It is obvious that the shots that the hunters have their backs to the camera, or when they are far in the distance that was the actually hunt. So all the close ups, medium shots, or the people heading to the camera were done later to add