Final Rating: 3.5/5
As our climate is ever evolving, and we wonder what the future holds, Polaris (read our original review from Fantasia Festival 2022) director Kirsten Carthew (listen to our interview with Carthew) delivers a frost laden Mad Max of the north. Its essence is prevalent in the medieval like costumes and vehicles adorned with animal horns. The savage factions, called Morads, that remain after the disaster that devastated mankind patrol the land by snowmobile, where they tap green liquid from the trees (seemingly to get hopped up on), with remnants of oft snow covered equipment that sits in piles, akin to a junkyard. It all adds a fitting touch to the post-apocalyptic nature of the story.
Those who remain survive as they must off this harsh wilderness, (the hockey sticks as ice fishing rods is a nice, uniquely Canadian touch) and the film is not shy in depicting how violent their society is. Rival tribes protect their territories without mercy, as they make uses of what resources remain.
Much of the heavy lifting is done via terrific lead performance by the film’s young star (played by Viva Lee) who has to carry the emotional resonance of the film as Suki, an almost feral like child, cautious yet inquisitive, violent yet compassionate, fierce yet thoughtful, who uses her ingenuity, and special link to Polaris, in order to survive. She was raised by a polar bear simply referred to as Mama, but after she is kidnapped by the Morads and separated, fearing they have killed Mama, she pursues her freedom, escaping in a brutal fashion.
Upon wandering the wilderness, she comes across a ramshackle hut, where she strikes up a friendship with a harmonica playing, elderly woman Dee (Muriel Dutil) bearing the scars of this violent world. She lives in this makeshift shack, comprised of sheet metal and tires, waiting for a sign from above. Upon seeing the markings on Suki’s hands, she attempts to explain to her how special she is, empowered by the North Star (Polaris) itself. She spends her days gassing up the various vehicles that the gang who runs the area need to get around.
There is not a lot in the way of dialogue, although every emotion and sentiment is portrayed effectively by the cast. The starkness of the landscape and the sound of the wind, voices echoing into the vast distance, the whine of the snowmobile engines provide distinct audio for the setting. The cinematography captures picturesque shots that showcase both the beauty of the land, and the harsh realities it presents.
There is an environmental aspect one can glean as Suki weeps when she removes the spout from a tree (similar to tapping trees for sap) and sees its almost fluorescent green contents (which we are to presume is an effect of whatever the disaster was). She later is angered when she sees a clearing of trees chopped down.
As Suki continues her journey, she befriends Frozen Girl (Khamisa Wisher) who she’d rescued with Dee, and snuck back to a shelter. Suki brings her back to health, aided by her powers, and shortly thereafter the two set off in a quest to find Polaris. As they do, they again encounter Morad tribe members, and must fight for their lives.
If there are some faults in the ice to chip away at, it’s not hard to ask questions about how Suki would know how to do things like drive a snowmobile, or set the traps she does, as there is little backstory on the character. Personally as a whole I would’ve liked to have seen more of the inner workings of the Morad society. There’s clearly a hierarchy from the way the various members are portrayed, not to mention how it came to be established in the aftermath of the post-apocalyptic event and there’s lots of story to be mined there. Their world is certainly set up to be explored. Frozen Girl’s origins and significance likewise are unexplored. However, overall it serves as an intriguing addition to this genre, and one that fans will no doubt enjoy for both its brutality and sentiment.
Thank you to Filmoption for the screener.
