Do Spirits Equal Strength?
By William "Tommy" McNulty, with comments by Adrianna Abreu, Karen Haberland, Jonathan Zubkoff, and Tanya Saleh
[1] In Atanarjuat, we see what appears to be a traditional Inuit gathering, during which our protagonist and title character, Atanarjuat, is seen fighting the antagonist, Oki (39:15). To the standard American viewer, this scene may seem gritty, rather slow, and certainly strange. A fight scene with a mere five blows would be tame by today’s standards. As we watch Oki and Atanarjuat strike each other in the temple, we can understand the gravity of this scene. This fight, while seemingly taking place for reasons we can certainly relate to (Oki and Atanarjuat are fighting over Atuat), is normal to us, yet certainly acts as a clear way of showing how the remainder of the film will play out. We do get the sense in earlier scenes that Oki should be viewed as the antagonist, yet this is the scene that could be used to turn even the most skeptical of viewers. In contrast, Atanarjuat is fully associated with the spirits of his family and the positive light they previously cast upon the tribe. As the scene plays, we can see just how effectively director Zacharias Kunuk was able to utilize this scene as a way of bringing the audience all to the same page. Through intense camera work focusing on various characters around the igloo, to the sound starting and stopping at very specific moments, the filmmaker was able to gather several aspects of this Inuit tale and bring it to the forefront during this scene.
[2] The tradition of the Inuit people is clearly the first thing we respond to as the scene begins. It appears as though one aspect of the Inuit culture we can grasp from the beginning moments (and actually throughout the scene as well) is that this will be a fair fight. There is a way to determine who strikes first, and from there on blows will go back and forth to the same spot. As Atanarjuat pulls back his hair to expose his temple, we seem to see a moment of hesitation. As he pulls back the strands of hair covering his ear, we see him stare blankly to the floor followed by a quick glare into the eyes of Oki. He knows that the following blows will cause him a great deal of physical pain, yet after staring into Oki’s eyes he appears to regain his composure, allowing Oki to strike him at full force in the temple. This first punch is followed by a mere moment of Atanarjuat attempting to build up his strength. He looks around but is not fazed by the moment, quickly regaining his composure and preparing to return a punch to Oki.
[3] It is only after the first punch that we see Kunuk attempting to press the story further. In subsequent punches, the characters seem to hallucinate or hear sounds and voices after they are struck, giving the viewer a look into how their own minds are reacting to their current situation. The first strike is merely a stepping-stone used to get us to the next step. Atanarjuat is seen as a strong individual whose momentary hesitation is erased as his opportunity arises. It is after this initial shock that we really begin to feel the effects of this scene and how it will play a significant role for the entire film.
[4] Atanarjuat’s first strike to Oki is the point at which the scene begins to pull together various aspects of the Inuit story. As Oki stumbles backwards, the viewer does not hear the hushed silence present after the first punch, but, rather, as Oki goes to wipe a bead of sweat from his brow, the scene cuts to the image of Bad Shaman. We see the evil spirits in Oki beginning to rise. It is made clear at this point that the evil spirits have chosen their place in Oki, the ultimate cause of his demise. The fact that his destiny was predetermined at this point is brought to the forefront as he sees images of the evil shaman entering his head. (see comment by Tanya Saleh)
[5] It is not until the final moments of the scene that we realize how seriously this hallucination plays into the scene as a whole (and eventually the entire film). Atanarjuat and Oki are similar in size and strength in addition to having the style of fight favor equality. Up until these few seconds no one has the upper hand. The most important seconds in the scene, however, come as Panikpak, the wife of Kumaglak (the old tribe leader) summons her deceased husband to bring forth the good spirits of the past in an effort to help Atanarjuat. The breakaway to Kumaglak running towards the camera may seem a corny way of creating the metaphor that the good spirits are coming to help, yet the message is nonetheless passed on to the viewer, and we are clearly able to see just how powerful these spirits are. While Atanarjuat feels as though Oki is stronger than he, the spirits of his family give him the upper hand and severe advantage in the eyes of the Inuit people. (see comment by Adrianna Abreu) (see comment by Karen Haberland)
[6] When we see Atanarjuat defeat Oki, we are not merely seeing him win over Atuat from Oki and his family, we are, more importantly, being given a clear example of foreshadowing for the remainder of the film. As previously stated, this fight was clearly fair (with each member being given equal opportunity to strike), and neither opponent could be seen as having any type of advantage prior; however, as the fight continues we see how the good spirits of the past are able to defeat the evil spirits that are currently poisoning the tribe. The theme of the film in general seems to be that good can and ultimately will overcome evil, even when evil seems to have a leading hand. This specific scene is doing nothing if not echoing this very sentiment. Just as in the opening scene of Atanarjuat, when the evil shaman defeats the good shaman, in the opening moments of this scene we see Oki being given the chance to make the first strike. To put it bluntly, the power is in his hands, and it seems as though this would provide at least a minor edge; however, Oki is overcome with evil spirits and thus cannot ultimately succeed, despite his superior physical strength.
[7] While the two men do look similar in size, we must look back further in the film to a scene in which Atanarjuat tells his brother that he actually feels as though Oki is, in fact, stronger than he. This comment only strengthens the argument that the spirits are playing an extremely active role during the fight. We must ask ourselves whether or not Atanarjuat would have won the fight had Panikpak not summoned the good spirits. The storyline and filmmakers are clearly suggesting that the answer to this question is a definitive “no.â€
[8] After Oki is defeated and clearly poisoned by the evil spirits, it seems as though he too knows that he will not be able to defeat Atanarjuat in a fair fight. It is later in the film that we truly see this idea come to fruition as Oki attempts to murder both Atanarjuat and his brother, Amaqjuaq. It is clearly stated earlier that Amaqjuaq is the stronger brother (as opposed to Atanarjuat as the fast runner), and because of this, Oki knows the only way to defeat them is to sneak up on them. As we see later, he will sneak up behind the tent where they are both sleeping and try to stab them from outside, where he could not be seen coming. While Amajuaq is killed, we see Atanarjuat escape, once again filled with the presence of the good spirits. Even when Oki attempts to blind-side Atanarjuat, we see once again how powerful the presence of the good spirit really is.
[9] Overall, I think this scene should be viewed through its theme: good can and will defeat evil. Panikpak summons the good spirits, and as they take over him, he is able to strike down the evil spirited Oki. Just as the evil spirits had poisoned the tribe, they now poison Oki, and this scene shows the true beginning of his demise. He cannot defeat Atanarjuat in a simple blow-by-blow fight, and thus he not only loses Atuat, but he also begins to lose the respect of the tribe. As we see throughout the film, despite the fact that Oki is stronger than his opponent, the good spirits rise and give ultimate power to Atanarjuat.
Comments
The imaging of spirits is not only the director’s attempt to visually capture Atanarjuat’s strength over Oki but also a further glimpse of the Inuit’s spiritual culture. Another consecutive scene that depicts a spiritual hallucination that bids Atanarjuat greater strength than Oki takes place during Oki’s murderous attempt to kill Atanarjuat. Only after Oki's spear comes out stained with the blood of Amaqjuaq and right before Oki strikes the fallen tent again, Oki is startled and distracted at a vision of his grandfather Kumaglak shouting angrily "Atanarjuat's brother is coming after you!†Quickly after, audiences are stunned to see Atanarjuat bolt out of the tent and running fast into the frozen tundra stark naked. It is shown within this twenty-second time frame that Atarnajuat’s only given chance of survival was passed down through the spirits.
Another time that viewers see the spirits guiding Atanarjuat to survival takes place as Oki and his two brothers chase Atanarjuat, but being the "fast runner" that Atanarjuat is, he keeps a steady pace in front of them for miles. Oki knows that there is an open crack in the ice that will stop and corner Atanarjuat. But as Atanarjaut keeps running he sees a vision of an old man calling to him. Because of this vision Atanarjuat gains the power to make the jump over the open crack, which mkaes Oki turn back to get his dog sled. One could conclude that it is the Inuit spirits that guide Atanarjuat not only to survival at this time but to ultimate victory over his equal opponent, Oki. (see comment by Jonathan Zubkoff)
Director Zacharias Kunuk uses the appearance of the spirits in the midst of the fight between Atanarjuat and Oki in order to broaden the audience's view of the conflict. Prior to the fight scene, the audience's understanding of the current turmoil is the dispute between just the two men. The preceding scenes highlight Oki's jealousy of Atanarjuat's hunting and running abilities as well as introduce their competition for Atuat. It is Oki's threats and continued hostility toward Atanarjuat that lead to the fight. However, while the fight is begun solely between the two men, cinematic direction quickly makes the audience understand that there is much more at stake.
When Oki is hit, the laughing face of the evil shaman appears, reminding viewers of the showdown that occurred twenty years earlier. The same battle between good and evil is just as present now as it was then. The evil spirit has entered Oki, and the spirit of the fallen leader Kumaglak has come back to help Atanarjuat. This connection is what broadens the audience's view from the simple idea of fighting over a woman to a community-wide conflict. Directly after the appearance of the shaman, the camera cuts to Sauri, who became leader after the evil shaman killed his father. He sits grimly in support of his son. On the other side of the igloo is Panikpak, who calls forth the good spirits in support of Atanarjuat. Later, after Atanarjuat wins the fight, Atuat chooses to marry him, and takes her place on the side of good. It is in this way that the director expands the conflict to one that divides the entire community. The audience is left wondering whether the good will remain triumphant or the evil will have its revenge.
I agree with Adrianna's point that the spirits essentially decide the outcome of the fight between Atanarjuat and Oki. Some additional supporting evidence for this is that we clearly see that Atanarjuat is scared of Oki's strength, and I believe he even admits that he cannot win. To emphasize this further, Oki wins the coin toss (which I found to be slightly amusing itself) and elects to punch first. So, one would naturally assume that if Oki was punching first, he would be able to knock Atanarjuat out in 2 punches, or at least survive Atanarjuat's 2 punches, and then knock him out on the third. As we all know, Atanarjuat knocks Oki out in two punches, after Oki sees the evil Shaman and Atanarjuat is protected by the spirit of Kumaglak. This is the first time during the film when we essentially see the spirits of good and evil, and we see whom these spirits are supposed to be protecting. Oki's terrible actions later on can be explained by the presence of the evil Shaman, and Atanarjuat escapes death multiple times, perhaps explained by the presence of the good elders who protect the village. However, even with the protection of these spirits, horrible things still happen to Atanarjuat. Why did the spirits not protect his brother? Why did the spirits/elders not protect Atuat from being raped? Why did the spirits/elders allow Oki to rise to power and temporarily make life suck for Atuat?
When they face one another before the duel, Atanarjuat and Oki are equals, both subordinated and disciplined by the rules and tradition of the fight. Because Atanarjuat wins the duel by "playing by the rules," it becomes clear that Inuit traditions and spirits (or "good" forces, according to the Inuit people) are in his favor. On the other hand, Oki loses by playing fairly, which ostensibly causes him to realize that he can only "win" in other situations by breaking Inuit traditions and acting selfishly (enter Bad Shaman). It goes without saying that those who use Inuit standards would regard those who seek to protect Inuit traditions are "good" (Atanarjuat further shows his devotion to the community by hunting to feed other mouths, exercising forgiveness to maintain cohesiveness in the family, etc.) and those who seek to damage tradition as "evil" (Oki further breaches the peaceful tradition by murdering and lying).
