The Snow Walker (2003) User Reviews

Closer to fact than fiction

[hwm-assoc · 8/10 · 24 October 2004]

Having spent several years in air search an rescue, this movie is most excellent on how people react when things go wrong. The producers went to great lengths to give accuracy as seen by the detailed mock up they had of the Norseman and the great amount of mosquitos encountered. To rate this movie in a low category would indicate to me that the commenter has had very little to do with wilderness survival in the high arctic.

Even the crash details were reasonably accurate in that the floats on the aircraft had crumpled at the tips. The anger of the pilot after the crash is indicative of shock reaction in such and incident. His methods of survival versus her small fire and small shelter add to the realism of this movie.

A very well produced movie

[jdhanley · 8/10 · 10 August 2004]

All too often, people write off movies that come from countries that don't have the Hollywood budgets. The Snow Walker is a Canadian production and every bit as good as anything produced in Hollywood. This is NOT a "Hollywood" film, however, and that's what makes it so great. The movie is made by veterans of the industry (directed by Charles Martin Smith (American Graphiti) and stars Barry Pepper with James Cromwell. It takes place in northern Canada and tells the story of a pilot who crashes is a desolate area of the north along with a young sick Inuit girl who he is trying to get to a hospital to save. Much of the story is about the survival of these two people in the desolate north.

The scenery is amazing and very genuine as the movie was shot in Nunivut, northern Manitoba and B.C. It is based on a story by one of Canada's great authors, Farley Mowat.

This is a definite must to go and see or rent. If you like a great story, this story is for you. If you love movies that are true to the culture they are portraying, this definitely is for you. The Inuit woman (Annabella Piugattuk) who stars in this film is from Nunivut and in real life really does live in a traditional Inuit fashion. This movie is very real to the Inuit way of life.

A very touching movie and one that everyone will enjoy. I completely recommend it for everyone.

A nice surprise

[digger2640 · 8/10 · 21 January 2005]

I hired 'Wimbledon' but upon opening the case there was the wrong disc. Instead it was this film called 'The Snow Walker'. Had full intentions of taking it straight back to the video store but it was late at night and figured I'd just put it on while I did something else.

I found myself fully engrossed in this film. It was such a nice simple story that's been wonderfully acted. Some of the scenery was nice and what was there was very well shot. Good use of what was available. The music really fit the film well.

Sometimes the films that we have no intention of watching turn out to be nice little surprises.

Beautiful Film

[Faithintheblade · 30 August 2004]

I just finished watching this film and it was absoloutly gorgeous. The vastness and emptiness of the arctic tundra is so foreign in this day and age of big cities and suburbs, it was just refreshing to watch. Barry Pepper has never been a good actor in my mind, but this film shows his real potential, he made the character of Charlie a believable one, and the change he experiences didn't come off as clichéd like in so many other movies. The young Inuit girl who played Kanalaaq(sp) was so impressive, more so when you learn she can do many of the things her character in the film did!!! She is very beautiful and talented and i can't wait to see where this takes her!

The directing is very good as well. The idea to use as little music as possible adds to the feeling of isolation and barreness of the arctic, and the shots of the sky especially the Northern Lights were gorgeous!!

All in all i loved this film ***/5

A tale of compassionate love and friendship

[gazineo-1 · 7/10 · 2 May 2005]

Love, friendship, humanity, are themes that always pops up on the screen here and there. Sometimes these special matters gives as a result not really good movies, just a shallow and unemotional examples. But that is not the case with 'Snow Walker, The'; a good, compassionate and even gripping story of an encounter of two different persons from two different cultures, a white man (Pepper) and an Arctic native young woman (Annabella Piugattuk). Charlie Halliday (played by Pepper) is a pilot who lives in North Canada and in one of his many travels along this deserted region, he is asked by a group of Arctic fishermen to help a young and sick woman (Piugattuk) to be attended by a doctor in the city where he lives. He accepted the task but during the flight a malfunction causes an accident and he and his passenger have to struggle for survive in the Arctic tundra. A simple story line with a very good development. All the time we follow the process that turns the simple minded, egoist Charlie Halliday in a man who finally discover within himself the importance of being generous, high spirited and all the virtues of companionship and human respect. The great point of this process is that the movie is never a boring and sentimental tale. On the contrary, there is many moments of suspense, and edge situations, that make the viewer bits his nails. Pepper is good at the lead role but newcomer Piugattuk is fantastic. Director Charles Martin Smith - a good actor, who made great works as an actor before, especially in 'Untouchables, The' by Brian de Palma - captured the essence of the story and his work as a director here is a success because he never loses the point and, finally, succeed to tell us a story that is about the shock of cultures and the stupidity of all prejudices concerning the difference between people, nations and cultures. In fact, we must remember that Charles Martin Smith was the lead actor in celebrated 'Never Cry Wolf' directed in 1983 by Carrol Ballard, a movie with almost the same background. He learned the lesson! So, 'Snow Walker, The' is one of these movies not made with blockbuster ideas. But a serious, well intended product, that shows to all the audiences that we can still find intelligence in the movie industry.

See this movie!

[machine_gun_molly · 10/10 · 24 June 2004]

Every once and a while a movie comes along that is meant to be, in my humble opinion, seen. The Snow Walker is that movie.

The storyline is simple: a bush pilot is asked to bring a young sick Inuit girl to a Yellowknife hospital but the plane crashes in the Canadian tundra. As simple as that. What develops between the two characters is a bond that only two people trying to survive in that situation could experience.

Charles Martin Smith's direction is perfect. He gives both Barry Pepper and Annabella Piugattuk free rein in their performances that gives us the impression of improvisation. Their friendship enfolds slowly, as any friendship would, if you where with a stranger battling the tundra, which in this movie, is almost like a third character. As flat and as barren as the tundra may appear, it is shot in such a way that has your eye searching for detail as if you were looking at a painting.

The Snow Walker is an example of straightforward storytelling that proves the fact that less is sometimes more. There are no car chases, no gunfights and yet I found myself completely engrossed. I came upon this movie by chance when I read the review in a local newspaper that gave it 4 stars and yet I never saw a single trailer or advertisement for it.

What a shame that this great movie will not be seen by a larger audience.

Absorbing

[tohu · 6/10 · 21 September 2006]

This film turns out to be a lot more than you expect. You think it's going to be a simple crash-landing in the wilderness/survival/love story but both the script and the performances lift it out of that. It becomes an absorbing story of the relationship that develops between two people of different cultures. I'd never heard of Barry Pepper but he takes on the difficult job here of holding much of the film, and he does it very well - and his co-star is mesmerising. The scenery of Canada's North Western Territories is breathtaking, and there is able support for the two leads from the ever-reliable James Cromwell and the other supporting cast. It's well worth watching.

Powerful & Gripping

[mail-924 · 9/10 · 8 September 2004]

The Snow Walker, following the Farley Mowat book 'Walk Well My Brother' introduces the characters Charlie Halliday, a self-absorbed pilot (played by Barry Pepper) and Kanaalaq, a quiet, resourceful Inuit girl (played by Annabella Piugattuk). The film is directed by Charles Martin Smith, the man who played the main character in Farley Mowat's 'Never Cry Wolf' which must have inspired him to translate this Mowat book into another film. The movie is exceptionally well made, especially considering its low 10 million CDN budget. The camera is well controlled, and the beautiful scenery is captured as well as in any film. Barry Pepper is, as always, a natural talent. He takes the arrogant Charlie on a journey not only of Canada's Northwest Territories, but of character development. Annabella Piugattuk is wonderful as the succinct Inuit girl. Despite language barriers, the two characters manage to communicate well enough, and their relationship blossoms in a fascinating way. You'll find this film exciting, and it is much more entertaining than you'd expect. My only wish was that the film's conclusion was extended; I wanted to see more. I look forward to both Charles Martin Smith and Barry Pepper's next efforts. 9/10

Love on the rocks

[Buddy-51 · 7/10 · 30 July 2005]

Sort of a cross between "Flight of the Phoenix" and "Nanook of the North," "The Snow Walker" tells the true story of Charles Martin Smith, a bush pilot in 1935 who crash landed his plane on the Canadian tundra with a seriously ill Inuit woman as his sole passenger (he reluctantly picked her up at a remote camp, agreeing to fly her to a hospital for treatment). Stranded in the middle of nowhere, miles away from the nearest town or human settlement and with little or no hope of ever being rescued, the two struggled for survival against both the elements and the disease that continually threatened to take the woman's life.

Smith is presented to us at the outset as a cocky, self-assured young man who feels, as a white man, innately superior to the natives who inhabit this far northern region of the globe. It isn't until he is forced to rely on the instinctive cunning and acquired wisdom of this young Eskimo woman that he comes to understand and appreciate the beauty and majesty of her people in their oneness with nature.

What starts off as a decent little tale of survival soon blossoms into a touching love story between two people from totally different worlds who connect at the very deepest levels of bonded commitment and mutual self-reliance. Despite the fact that Kaanalaq can barely speak a word of English and Smith not a word of Inuit, the two of them learn to communicate almost entirely through expression and gesture, coming to a shared understanding of the other's worth as a human being. Barry Pepper and newcomer Annabella Piugattuk achieve a real rapport as the unlikely lovers thrown together by a capricious, perhaps even cruel, but certainly life-altering trick of fate. There are also fine performances from Kiersten Warren, James Cromwell and Jon Gries as just some of the people back at the base fretting over Smith's unexplained disappearance.

"The Snow Walker" makes full use of its unusual setting, showing us how harsh and unforgiving nature can be to humans who happen to wander into the most remote regions of this immense planet. But it is as a love story, rather than an adventure tale, that "The Snow Walker" ultimately connects with its audience.

This film is a modern classic!

[mich123 · 10/10 · 13 October 2003]

The Snow Walker is a fantastic film! Barry Pepper captivated the audience as we followed him on his soulful journey through the arctic. He kept the audience laughing the whole way with the undeniably entertaining chemistry with Annabella. Their stark contrast of cultures is what creates the powerful energy that moved me and everyone around me to tears at the peak of the films emotion. Annabella was brilliant! She held the heart of the film and gave it the warmth needed to make the picture work amidst all of the cold. I could not imagine this movie without her. James Cromwell and the rest of the ensemble cast provided the realism of this period piece. His familiar presence was ensuring and comforting given the circumstance of the story. The whole cast made the film one to remember and gives it a classic quality that you can only find in some epic Disney films like 'White Fang" or 'Never Cry Wolf". Highly recommended!

Quietly sneaks up on the viewer

[merklekranz · 7/10 · 17 February 2007]

I must admit that for a film that lacked any real action other than the plane crash, "The Snow Walker" has some fine qualities. The casting and character driven plot is excellent. The photography clearly depicts the graveness of their situation. The gradual understanding of the Inuit Woman, and her survival techniques, is well delivered. Charles Martin Smith obviously understood the vision he was trying to create. Not an easy movie to shoot, under harsh conditions, I rate this a 7.0. Comparable survival film ratings would include "Touching the Void" 9.0, "The Red Tent" 7.0, "Alive" 6.5, "Grizzly Man" 7.0, "Vertical Limit" 6.5. - MERK

Lost!

[jotix100 · 8/10 · 24 February 2006]

We meet Charlie Halliday, a young bush pilot, as he and his friends are spending a night of drinking and just having fun. Halliday, and his friends, are mean toward one Inuit man that comes to the tavern trying to sell them a little animal skin. Little prepares this young man for what happens to him the following day.

Director Charles Martin Smith does wonders in this movie. The action takes us all over the Canadian arctic tundra. The director, and his cinematographers, captured in all its glory this part of the vast country most of us will never see. This movie celebrates the human instinct of survival and deals with how Halliday, a man who clearly shows his disdain toward the Inuit, at the beginning of the film, has to depend on a young girl that shows him a thing or two about how to survive in that hostile climate.

Barry Pepper surprises us in the film in the way he portrays Halliday. We see the transformation, for the better, as he realizes how his salvation depends on Kanaalaq. Annabella Pingattuk, who plays the young Inuit girl is an asset in the film. James Cromwell is seen as Shepherd, the man in charge of the pilots.

"The Snow Walker" shows a lesson in acceptance, and endurance when all hope is lost by a person. Thanks to Charles Martin Smith and his collaborators for a satisfying film.

The civilized barbarian and the barbarian from civilization

[sycul · 7/10 · 7 April 2006]

This is a story about survival. Yes, there is life out in the nowhere, although we, barbarians from the civilization might not think about it when sitting on the sofa and drinking beer in the front of the TV in our warmly heated living room. But what if you happen to crash with your plane in the middle of nowhere? I'd say you're lucky, 'cause you have a civilized barbarian with you; she's sick, but still can save your life, take care of you, sew you a coat to survive the winter, teach you how to conquest the white wilderness. And you'll realize soon enough, that the knowledge you brought from your civilized world doesn't help you to survive. You're just a weak and defenseless human being exposed to the cruelty of the wild nature. It's an outstanding movie, worth watching.

Snooze Walker

[ArtVandelayImporterExporter · 4/10 · 27 November 2021]

Barry Pepper should be in more movies. He should be in better movies. OK, they can't all be Hollywood action stars. I get it. Somebody has to be the American lead in a Canadian Film Board production.

But this movie drags on nearly as long as a Farley Mowat novel. Just stretching out across the frozen tundra, boring the living shyt out of everybody who experiences it.

Barry Pepper's pilot character wouldn't last five minutes in 1950s Edmonton (which he mentions), much less the NorthWest Territories. He's got the survival sense of a goldfish. Luckily for him, he's got an Inuit girl along for the ride.

Isn't it cute how he does some old-timey hunting to bring down a caribou and she dissects the entire thing into useful bits so they can survive. See. We CAN all get along after all.

Scenery is beautiful, though. But really, if anyone has bothered to read this far, seek out Kurosawa's Dersu Uzala if you're looking for a harrowing, emotionally involving, non-Hollywood tale of surviving the tundra. THAT movie will leave an impression on you.

My lasting impression of this one is that Michael Buble can't act.

They got it right

[jgstorey · 22 August 2004]

My wife and I are educators who spent 9 years in Nunavut and presently work in the NWT. In fact I was the Principal in Igloolik for four years and Anabelle was one of my students. I am very proud of her for the truth she brings to this role in creating a wonderful character . Unlike every other film about the North except Atanarjuat this movie struck my wife and I as "true" It had an accurate depiction of Inuit culture, white arrogance and colliding cultures.

We think Pepper's character was white-washed a bit..... selling cola to Bathurst? Well we know that a lot of bush pilots made their fortune on the Whiskey trade but I guess this would have made the pilot a harder sell for redemption. As for another commentator suggesting he made every survival mistake in the book...he seems about as bright as most new-comers to the Arctic, myself included. If we stay and survive we get smarter in a hurry though.

What we liked is that the characters went beyond stereotypes, Pepper's character went through an amazing learning arc and was treated with respect. This is not a cartoon buffoon though he starts that way. The gentleness and power of Inuit culture is on display but Annabelle is not a cartoon either. Her humanity and sense of humour come through wonderfully.

The struggle for survival is a bit optimistic but hey... We were still able to suspend our disbelief. The land came alive in a way that made us both homesick for Nunavut. Fantastic.....

Pijuyuk, Annabelle.

Almost a classic...but not quite.

[brena70 · 7/10 · 19 February 2006]

I feel this movie was well made and possessed much potential. I was really impressed with Annabella's character...she gave the movie a genuine feel. I like the fact that Kanaalaq did not unrealistically learn to speak fluent English within a short time frame, but that her and Charlie were able to communicate regardless. Although this movie was brilliantly made, the characters were well cast, the story-line was very realistic, and the connection between Charlie and Kanaalaq was mysterious and exciting, it is a movie that I will never watch again! In my opinion, when Kanaalaq died, the movie took a turn from what could have been a classic into "just another sad movie." I think the ending of this movie should be re-done. Charlie would find a way to "heal" her TB and Kanaalaq would live and their companionship would develop into a deep romance. Speaking on behalf of all the females in the world...we need happy endings! That would have been the key to make this movie a 10 out of 10!

Spectacular story of survival and redemption

[gazetas · 9/10 · 9 October 2004]

Terrific cast and subtle direction from Martin makes for an emotional journey in Canada's high arctic. I was quite impressed with the casting, especially the lead Inuit girl. In many ways, the partnership of Pepper and the young Innu girl elevate this film above the standard plot.

Its unexpected poignancy in dealing with spiritual matters and the theme of redemption of Charlie Halliday's special blend of charm and arrogance deserves special mention.

It would have been easy for this film to degenerate into melodrama, but the cast and director continue striving towards offering the audience mature and interesting choices.

Score was a titch "movie-lite", but that is a small quibble. Kudos to entire production for bringing this astonishing vision to fruition.

Inuit intuition in the tundra

[shakercoola · 7/10 · 20 June 2018]

A Canadian drama; A story about a pilot who gets stranded after in the Canadian Arctic with only an ailing Inuit woman as a guide to the harsh wilderness. This is a touching and poignant survival tale. Some viewers will remember the marvellous performance Barry Pepper gave as the sharpshooter in Saving Private Ryan and he is a force in this film too. His co-star, Annabella Piugattuk, gave a wonderful debut performance too, imbuing a naturalism that allowed her to display the emotional and spiritual nature of her people. Some scenes are padding, such as backstory to the pilot's psychological challenges, and there are some false notes too with Pepper's girlfriend back home, but the power of the picture scrapes this into special territory.

Wasn't expecting much.

[faseone23 · 8/10 · 19 September 2004]

It was late at night, i was bored and decided to see what movies were playing. After looking though the scores of sub par movies on at the time , I came upon this movie. I thought it might be kind of interesting a la "Alive" or "Castaway." ... little did I know that it would be both entertaining and captivating as i really wanted Charlie to live. The acting was superb. I started to get quite the crush on Kanaalaq (annabella piugattuk) as she was so strong and truly was responsible for him making it to the others at the end. Even though she was very sick she knew what had to be done.

Beautiful scenery, top notch story, and acting that was bang-on make this a definite recommended movie. Few people will get the chance to see it as it doesn't star Bruce Willis, nor is it directed by Kevin Smith... but it has a charm all it's own.

Good unique adventure story

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 4 January 2014]

It's 1953. Charlie Halliday (Barry Pepper), a former WWII pilot, is a bush pilot in the Northwest Territories of Canada. On a stop to store some fuel, Charlie encounters an Inuit family. Charlie agree to take a sick girl to Yellowknife in exchange for some ivory. However they crash out in the middle of nowhere.

It's a pretty interesting survival story. Barry Pepper is a top notch actor. The Inuit girl is very stoic, somewhat a one dimensional performance. However the landscape and the adventure is unique and fascinating. I don't even want the other stories in this movie. The search and the people back home is unimportant. I'd rather just have the story of Halliday and the Inuit girl.

Great Adventure

[billcr12 · 8/10 · 6 October 2012]

A tale of survival, The Snow Walker is the story of a Canadian hot shot pilot who flies a single engine prop plane into the Canadian wilderness near Manitoba on a regular basis. One day, Charlie drops off some drums at a remote area where he meets some Inuit Eskimoes who give him a pair of valuable ivory tusks as trade in order to have him take back a young woman to a hospital, as she is coughing up blood and may have tuberculosis. He reluctantly agrees, and while on the journey, the plane breaks down and they crash land in the middle of nowhere. He jumps up and down, cursing their dilemma, while the Eskimo girl calmly uses a piece of string to catch fish. Her outdoor skills are formidable, and he soon realizes that she is much better then he is in the great outdoors. They walk a long way and eventually he decides it would be better to return to the plane to await a rescue. They set up camp and most of the film shows the two learning to communicate and teaching each other their very uncommon cultures. The scenery is beautiful, and the young actress a natural, which makes The Snow Walker a trip worth taking.

Trying to survive in desolate northern Canada

[Wuchakk · 6/10 · 13 November 2023]

In 1953, a Canadian bush pilot based in Yellowknife (Barry Pepper) flies a routine gig in the area of Queen Maud Gulf of the Northwest Territories (which is Nunavut today). When he crash-lands with a sickly Inuk girl, their chances of making it back alive aren't good. James Cromwell is on hand as the pilot's boss in Yellowknife.

"The Snow Walker" (2004) is a survival flick helmed by Charles Martin Smith, who no doubt learned a thing or two about shooting in the remote North on the set of "Never Cry Wolf" (1983). It was based on a short story by Farley Mowat, who happens to be the character played by Smith in "Never Cry Wolf."

Although beautiful in its own unique way, the setting is too one-dimensional for my tastes, but the acting is convincing. Anyone interested in gritty realistic survival films should find something to appreciate. It features the mundaneness of "Limbo" (1999), but lacks the thrills of "The Edge" (1997). While this is the least of these, it's superior to "Anything to Survive" (1990).

The movie runs 1 hour, 49 minutes, and was shot in Churchill, Manitoba (tundra scenes); Rankin Inlet, Nunavut; Merritt, British Columbia (caribou hunt); and Thompson-Nicola Regional District, British Columbia.

GRADE: B-

Loved this movie - it stays with you after you finish watching it

[roberta_young · 9/10 · 1 August 2006]

I loved this film. The main character played by Barry Pepper is the kind of brash guy who seems initially rather unlikeable, but you see him grow as a person, acquiring humility and compassion as he recognizes his dependence on this young Inuit woman, and helps her through her illness in return. Their relationship was touching and very believable. The poem "High flight" by RCAF Pilot Officer Gillespie Magee who was killed in 1941, was an odd choice to accompany heartbreaking scene on screen, but it worked surprisingly well, particularly with the beautiful musical score, and gorgeous cinematography.

That last scene is unforgettable, and speaks volumes about our need for each other. Western culture often emphasizes a "look out for number one" attitude, the classic male image of a "lone wolf" riding off into the sunset by himself, but this film shows so clearly that "no man is an island complete unto himself".

Beautiful vistas, moving story, and well developed characters mark this story of adventure and one man's redemption.

[FiendishDramaturgy · 7/10 · 15 March 2007]

Failure, betrayal, adventure, self-discovery, friendship, companionship, and redemption. These are the elements of this work. This isn't one of my favorite movies, but it WAS enjoyable, entertaining, and demonstrative of what makes a good film.

I caught this one by accident, actually, and found it a delightful surprise. It's not among my favorites simply because I crave the big blockbustery KABOOM popcorners, but I was entertained whilst watching it.

It's well worth your time to give it a watch.

It rates a 6.6/10 from...

the Fiend :.

Beautiful scenery/Frustrating action

[zykqpw · 5/10 · 30 July 2005]

Yes, the scenery is beautiful. Yes, the presentation of Inuit culture is interesting. But there isn't more to it, and there are some very frustrating plot elements that just don't "make sense" and are never clarified. Barry Peppers character decides to go to Yellow Knife, which is 200 miles away (after crashing). He gets half way there and then succumbs to mosquitoes and stupidity. He's saved by the lovely Inuit girl. Rather then at that point hauling ass to Yellow knife (a five day walk away), they lallygag around for some undetermined amount of time. Then he hears a plane and immediately comes to the conclusion that they should turn around and walk back to the crashed plane, because they are looking for him there. Never mind that the crashed plane is five days away and the plane that is searching is going to be long gone by then. Why would anyone, let alone an experienced bush pilot/war hero aviator, not just keep going to yellow knife which was five days down the road in the direction that they were going in the first place. This is never really explained and it just rang False and it rang Plot Device. Then, of course, when they get to the crashed plane there is no one there and he goes into a depression about the "coming snow". At this point, it is still daylight, there is no snow, and yellow knife is 10 day walk away. It was just plain frustrating to watch. It made absolutely no sense.