Pathfinder

Nominated for Best Foreign Film, this lusciously photographed action adventure film is based on an old Norse legend. Mikkel Gaup stars as a young Laplander whose family is wiped out by a savage tribe of barbarians: the Tchudes. Taking up with a gentle tribe, the young boy plots his revenge while the Tchudes continue to hack and slash their way across the tundra. He's able to convince a few of the gentle Laps to aid him in his struggle, while the remainder of the tribe pack up and head for the coast. In the ensuing battle, the boy is taken hostage, and the Tchudes demand that he lead them to the tribe's coastal hideout. While Pathfinder is, in one sense, a coming-of-age story, it's primarily an action film. Psychological nuance takes a back seat to the gripping camerawork, primal violence, and growing suspense of the story. There's not much food for thought here, but action-adventure fans (who constitute a major part of the video watching public) are going to find this foreign film very accessible. Director Nils Gaup has successfully taken a page out of the Hollywood guide to moviemaking and delivered a non-stop thriller that will have viewers jumping out of their seats. Highly recommended. (R. Pitman)