weezeralfalfa Review of Eskimo

Eskimo (1933)

Good docudrama involving traditional Alaskan Eskimos

[8/10 · 26 February 2019]

Saw this on the graveyard shift at TCM. A docudrama featuring Inuit Eskimos in northern Alaska. It's a pre-code film, which is important, as, starting the near year, certain sexual aspects, such as the rapes, multiple wives, and wife sharing , probably would have been stricken by the new Production Code authorities. Originally,160 min. long, it was shortened to120 min.. Costing around $1 million, it was an unusually expensive film for its day. Although reasonably popular, MGM didn't immediately recoup its financial investment. Based up explorer Peter Freuchen's books "Der Eskimo", and "Die Plucht ins weisse Land". The author also played the treacherous sea captain, who raped the wife of the lead character: Mala, and cheated at goods exchanges. It was directed by W.S. Van Dyke, who wanted to emphasize the corrupting influence of Europeans on Eskimo culture. In contrast, in its advertising, MGM emphasized the unusual sexual aspects.......Originally, it was desired to cast untrained Eskimos in the lead roles. However, this soon proved unsatisfactory. Thus, trained oriental-looking actors were cast in these roles. Ray Wise, with Inuit and Russian ancestry, was cast in the lead male role: Mala. His first wife: Aba, was played by Chinese American Lulu Wong Wing. After her death, his first wife (he eventually acquired a second), Ira, was played by Lotus Long, of mixed Japanese and Hawaiian ancestry. The second hour includes much dialogue in English, mainly by the Canadian authorities, who were especially concerned about Mala's assassination of he ship's captain., in retribution for getting his wife drunk, before he raped her, ultimately leading to her death. The Canadian officials included Inspector White, played by the director, Sargent Hunt, and Constable Balk. When the native language was being spoken, occasional intertitles in English were included........During the film, we see the men successfully hunt walrus, a polar bear, a bowhead whale, birds, salmon, and caribou, the latter in boats, as the caribou crossed a river. Also, facing starvation, Mala ate one of his sled dogs. However, we didn't see them hunting seals, which are an important part of their diet, and provide skins for clothing, and for the skins of their kayaks and umiaks. Also they provided oil for their lamps. The skin of the beluga and narwhales is an important source of Vitamin C for them. Fish and mammal livers provide Vitamins A and D. Since they eat their meat uncooked, vitamins are not destroyed by cooking. An important aspect of Inuit culture is the sharing of food. This helps prevent starvation, and serves an important social function. We did see the men sharing a piece of meat, each cutting off a piece, then passing it to the next man.......Three types of dwellings were shown: the snow igloo, the pelt -covered hut of summer, and the unusual igloo made of rocks, also for summer. Without trees, presumably, their pelts were supported by driftwood or whale bones.......... I was curious about details of how they construct their snow igloos and how they function. So, I checked out a number of internet sites. They use a rod to probe the snow, testing how much force it took to sink the rod. If too compacted, it would be too heavy to maneuver, and would have too little air spaces to provide good insulation. Of course, they don't want the snow to be undercompacted either. They use their snowknife(Machete-like) to cut and shape the blocks. Usually, they cut blocks from within the circle that marks the walls of the igloo. This provides a 'basement', which serves as a cold air sink. Snow is added to the outside to plug the gaps between blocks. The inside surface melts some, and refreezes to plug the gaps between the blocks. I was surprised to learn that the inside temperature is usually maintained around freezing. This conserves oil, and prevents excessive melting of the insides of the blocks(actually rectangles). A hole is left in the apex, which allows smoke and excess heat to escape. The people sleep on raised platforms, avoiding the coldest air.