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The Fast Runner (Atanarjuat)
The Fast Runner (Atanarjuat) Image
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Metascore
91 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 29 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.9 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 56 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Starring: Natar Ungalaaq, Sylvia Ivalu
  • Summary: Evil in the form of an unknown shaman divides a small community of nomadic Inuit, upsetting its balance and spirit. Twenty years pass. Two brothers emerge to challenge the evil order: Amaqjuaq, the Strong One, and Atanarjuat, the Fast Runner. (Lot 47 Films)

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 29
  3. Negative: 0 out of 29
  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    100
    An experience so engrossing it is like being buried in a new environment.
  2. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Wilmington
    100
    A landmark movie that becomes a priceless entryway into a distant land and its people, few of whom will ever seem as foreign and far away again.
  3. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Mick LaSalle
    50
    It's an endurance test. Though never boring, the movie is a fairly long slog through the snow.

See all 29 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 46
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 46
  3. Negative: 6 out of 46
  1. JohnB
    10
    How can you not like this film? The artistry, the storyline, the photography - it's all fantastic.
    • 1 of 1 users said yes
  2. sugarbush
    10
    This is a must see. Aboriginal cultures across Canada have great stories worthy of film. With these stories coming alive on film, we get to be immersed in Aboriginal legends. The history of the Fast Runner, comes alive with vivid imagery and will keep drawing you in. Watch the movie, embrace the Arctic, embrace the Innu. With 6 Genie Awards given, the critics are not wrong.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. ryancarroll88
    9
    Being the first movie to ever be filmed in the Inuit language, Inuktitut, 'Atanarjuat' is as much a cultural edification as it is a sprawling tribal drama. Director Zacharias Kunuk uses the most of this unique setting, taking the time to admire the vast, open wilderness and infuse the traditions and lifestyle of the Inuit people into the script. The major misstep of this movie is its running time - at 172 minutes, I felt some of the lesser plot points could have been cut to make watching the movie less daunting. All in all, though, 'Atanarjuat' ranks as one of the better things to come out of Canada.… Expand
    • 2 of 2 users said yes

See all 46 User Reviews

Trailers

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