Arctic Tale

Arctic Tale

“Arctic Tale” is about the most brutal place on earth for creatures to survive, and shows it getting even worse. The film tracks polar bears and walruses in the Arctic as global warming heats up their environment and disrupts business as usual.

The footage is often amazing, considering that it was shot in frigid temperatures, underwater at times, and usually within striking range of giant and dangerous mammals. We follow two representative characters, Nanu (a newborn polar bear cub) and Seela (a newborn walrus). They go out into their new world of blinding white and pitiless cold. They learn to swim or climb onto solid ground as necessary. They get instructions from their parents on stalking prey, defending themselves against predators and presumably keeping one eye open while asleep.

These animals are composites of several different individuals created in the editing room from footage shot over a 10-year period but the editing is so seamless that the illusion holds. The movie was made by a team led by director Sarah Robertson and cinematographer Adam Ravetch (who are married), not to enforce scholarly precision but to tell a fable of birth, life and death at the edge of the planet.

It is said that the landmark documentary “March of the Penguins” began life in France with a cute soundtrack on which the penguins voiced their thoughts. Much of the magnificence of “March” can be traced to Morgan Freeman’s objective narration (which described what happened during a year in these birds’ lives; no embroidery was needed; they were astonishing).

But “Arctic Tale” does something entirely different. Queen Latifah narrates a story in which our huge furry friends are almost personalized like cartoon characters. And this impression is reinforced by songs on the soundtrack: As dozens of walruses huddle together on an ice floe, we hear “We Are Family,” followed by mighty blasts of walrus flatulence.

They might as well have been singing “we are starring in a family film.” The movie may engage younger viewers, and the images are undeniably powerful for all ages. But the problem the movie sidesteps is that being a polar bear or a walrus is a violent business. In a land without vegetation, evolution has produced animals that survive by eating each other.

In one blood-chilling scene, Nanu’s mother warily shepherds her cubs away from a male polar bear who would, yes, like to eat them. The walrus with her baby is automatically paired (it seems) with another female walrus an “auntie” who volunteers to help protect the little family. This is particularly unselfish considering what happens to the auntie.

The film doesn’t dwell on killing or eating; it wants us to know such events, and worse things, are taking place just offscreen. The eyes of young viewers are spared the gory details. But the cuddly view of Arctic life those two little bear cubs romping in the snow, then snuggling under mom for a snack gives way quickly to a struggle for survival.

Living in such a freezing world is already tough, but it becomes tougher when the ice melts. Polar bears and walruses will become scarce as the ice becomes scarce too because they are mammals that swim and therefore have to breathe by climbing onto floes. Queen Latifah narrates this documentary with Kristin Gore. It shows Nanu carefully walking on slushy ice which may be quite disconcerting for her.

This movie also takes time to acknowledge other icy forms of life further north, such as jellyfish, birds and foxes who scavenge behind polar bears’ kills. There are no humans featured, even though Inuit people worked on it.

Ultimately I have mixed feelings about “Arctic Tale.” As an enjoyable film for all ages, it succeeds admirably well. But it suffers by comparison with “March of the Penguins.” Despite its sad scenes, it sentimentalizes them too much: attributing human emotions or motivations to animals can be dangerous (or at least misguided).

The score tells us what we’re supposed to feel at any given moment instead letting these moments speak for themselves visually through images alone; likewise both voiceover narration as well overall approach interfere unnecessarily with our ability see things clearly here especially when there’s so much beauty before our eyes!

Watch Arctic Tale For Free On Gomovies.