Best Movies by Farr
Man Against the Elements
By John Farr
Next to family, friends and clean water, movies are my focus and passion. In my articles and speaking engagements, I serve as a sort of quality filter for movie lovers, sifting intelligent, rewarding titles from the enormous volume of DVDs now in the marketplace.

For my friends at Waterkeeper, I’m doing a series on films that celebrate the beauty of our natural world, and, directly or indirectly, reinforce the pressing need to protect it.

This first installment identifies some landmark documentaries that any lover of the outdoors should own on DVD.

We begin with the pioneering work of documentarian Robert Flaherty. In 1922, he released the silent “Nanook Of The North,” chronicling how one Eskimo family cheerfully subsists in the most frozen, remote part of Alaska. Close to a century later, this remains an astonishing achievement, revealing man’s ingenious, unwavering capacity to adapt and survive, even under nature’s most inhospitable conditions.

Extending this primal theme of man against the elements, Flaherty’s “Man Of Aran” (1934) evokes the raw power and majesty of the sea. Set on the harsh, inclement Aran islands off the coast of Ireland, this film builds on the impact of “Nanook,” portraying the struggle of native people who subsist on the wild, unpredictable Atlantic waters around them. In this struggle, the sea is not enemy but provider, yet temperamental enough to warrant skill, hardiness and a certain reverence in any approach. At film’s end, it feels like both man and nature have emerged triumphant.

In the talking picture realm, but with precious little talking required, is Flaherty’s “Louisiana Story” (1948), perhaps the director’s crowning achievement. A boy living with his family in the Louisiana bayous communes with his wild and mysterious surroundings while looking on with fascination at the work of oil drillers nearby. Flaherty’s brilliant camera work lends a subtle artfulness to the theme of civilization encroaching on nature. (Ironically, this film was underwritten by Standard Oil!)

Another landmark documentary pays tribute to an explorer who opened up new vistas for us. In 1925, Rear Admiral Richard Byrd made history by being first to fly a plane over the North Pole, then in 1929 trumped himself by performing the same feat over the South Pole. This latter event might just be the stuff of history books had Byrd not brought two Paramount newsreel photographers on this heroic journey. “With Byrd At The South Pole” records this incredible expedition for posterity, and even 75 years later, it’s an astounding visual testament to human persistence, courage, and the awesome variety of our world.

I close with two more recent entries which show how the more physically fit and agile among us both challenge and commune with elemental forces. Bruce Brown’s “The Endless Summer” (1964) captures the sheer adrenalized joy of the surfing experience just as this pursuit was becoming a national craze. Surfing is depicted as sport and state of mind, and the footage of thrill-seeking athletes riding immense, aquamarine walls of water provides potent vicarious thrills.

Finally, there’s “The Man Who Skied Down Everest” (1975), a stunningly photographed, surprisingly cerebral film about one athlete moved to attempt the impossible. We join champion skier Yuichiro Miura and his team as they first ascend the world’s highest peak, in itself a life-threatening challenge. We then watch as Miura attempts to descend on skis (with a parachute behind him), a virtual suicide mission. Your heart will leap into your throat as you watch the climax of this film, realizing it’s no stunt.

For more film recommendations, feel free to visit www.farronfilm.com