KKrastin If someone doesn't walk away from seeing this with a greater respect for another culture altogether, they weren't watching this movie. It was intense, with a lot of emotions (and changes of emotions), after they have an airplane crash in the middle of nowhere. Had she not been with him on the journey, it was clear that he wouldn't have survived. The humanity and respect she maintained, along with patience with him, gave an awe inspiring experience on the journey. I can see why it was nominated for so very many awards and received 8 (to this date). It was well done and the music score was amazing. Being a photographer I was also entranced with the phenomenal cinematography in the film.I would certainly encourage you to watch this, if you have any questions about what your own journey may be looking like and what changes you might be seeking and not really knowing it at the time.

susan-317 I assume that Charles Martin Smith was inspired to make this film after making "Never Cry Wolf" another beautiful accomplishment taking place in the frozen north. There are plenty of reviews here that explain the plot line and story. I am sure many of them mention the beautiful direction, the wonderful and moving performances by Barry Pepper and Annabella Piugattuk and all the supporting cast.In this review, I wanted to express my appreciation to the director for explaining to all of us who have seen the film how it is even possible for anyone to survive in a landscape which seems so barren. The film acknowledges that when the Inuits die, their tools go with them and it is the few tools that they carry that make it possible to survive.Nature abounds around us all, but most of us could not exist without microwaves and prepackaged foods. Yet these people live and thrive in a place that most people will experience only from the relative safety of a cruise ship! I wanted to thank the director for allowing us this glimpse into the lives of people who survive in one of the most amazing yet inhospitable places on the planet. I learned so much from this film and was so moved by its beauty and the performances.

sddavis63 I would say without a doubt that this is perhaps the finest Canadian movie I have ever come across. The cast is strong, the scenery beautiful (the movie is set in Canada's Northwest Territories but I believe filmed in northern Manitoba, and makes full use of the exotic bleakness of the Arctic wilderness) and the story both interesting and emotional.Barry Pepper put on a fantastic performance in a demanding role as Charlie Halliday, an Arctic pilot who crashes en route to Yellowknife while taking a young Inuit woman named Kanaalaq (played very sensitively by an Inuit actress named Annabella Piugattuk) suffering from TB to the hospital. Kanallaq speaks little English, and so Pepper does have to carry a big chunk of the story (or at least the dialogue) and he does so very well. The two have to find a way to survive in the middle of nowhere, with an Arctic winter about to set in and little hope for rescue. The movie traces the growing bond between the two as they face this situation together, a bond made more noteworthy by the fact that Charlie seemed to have little use for the Inuit as the movie opened. You see the bond developing, and you suspect there's sadness ahead, as Kanallaq gets progressively sicker as time goes on. Back in Yellowknife, James Cromwell was effective in a limited role as the owner of the company for which Charlie flew, confident at first that he would be found, then he also gradually losing hope as time goes on.Some might feel that the movie sputters a bit at the end, going out with a whimper rather than a bang, but I thought the ending was quite effective. After Kanallaq dies, Charlie continues his trek through the snow, until finally discovering Kanallaq's people, who (in a scene shot from a very long distance) welcome him into their encampment. I have rarely found a movie as emotionally moving as this one. There's a certain similarity to the powerful Andean survival adventure "Alive." This movie is a very different movie, with a feel all its own, but it's every bit as effective.

Samiam3 Although Canada is a tenth the population our our neighbours, we have just as many talented novelists. Among the names who have sold internationally are:, Margret Atwood, Robertson Davies, Mordecai Ritchler, and also Farely Mowat. Mowat takes us into the coldest parts of the country where he gives us the most heartwarming stories. This is one. Although I have not read this particular book, I can honestly say that the Snow Walker is among the most heartbreaking of Canadian movies.Charlie Halliday is a young pilot in the Canadian Northwest Territories, who is about to endure a life changing experience. It all begins when he takes on a young Inuit girl as a passenger at the plea of her family. He was just doing a test flight and happened to set the plane down just a few feet from their camp. They want him to take her to Yellowknife (the capitol of the Northwest territories) because she is very sick. He agrees to do so, but they don get very far. In mid air, the engine blows and the planes goes down, down down, and crashes in the middle of the vast empty tundra. Well it doesn't crash, he manages to land it, barely. With only a handful of supplies and a heck of a long walk, the two must fight to survive the coming elements.The Snow Walker is Kurosawa, meets Atanarjuat, meets Dances with Wolves, meets several others, but you get the point. It is emotionally epic and visually stunning. If you are smart and resourceful, you don't need a big budget to make a visually stunning motion picture, Nature itself is your big budget. Just set up a camera, on a hill, wait until the sun is in the right position and start shooting, and you can have a real epic sunset rather than a CG one. It is more challenging, but no pain no gain, all the best movies are the result of hard physical labor. Although there are a few moments that I would have cut out if I were editing this movie, I don't think there is a single bad scene in the Snow Walker. There is not a bad performance, nor is there a bad shot in the movie. It is beautiful and epic, and it is shameful that Canadian films like Snow Walker are not even screened in Canadian theatres let alone the rest of the world.