In the Reign of Twilight is a somber and oh-so-labored attempt to reveal yet more damage done to contemporary native peoples by the bellicose Lords of Western Culture and Commerce (the cover notes describe the piece as "the ironic story of a cultural exchange that typifies the 20th Century." Oh my!). The specific focus of the work is on the impact of multinational military and industrial developments in the Canadian far north on native Inuit populations, beginning in the 1950's with the establishment of far-flung Defense Early Warning (DEW) installations, and continuing to various present day petrochemical industry encroachments. Using interviews with several generations of Inuits, TV news montages, and the annoying, metaphorical musings of an off-screen narrator, an attempt is made to show how both the Canadian government's aggressive push to assert its sovereignty on the far north, and the insidious incursion of civilization in general has resulted in the disintegration of traditional Inuit social and cultural structures and the destruction of individual lives. Three stuffy, suited government types are also periodically trotted on camera to chortle and croak like the witches in Macbeth; they're around to offer alternatively flatulent and evil-sounding party-line commentary on Canadian/Inuit social welfare policy--an easy form of irony, I suppose. There are some striking images and moving moments in In The Reign of Twilight, and it's obvious that this earnest video is just itching to expose cultural villainy. Unfortunately, due to the diffuse treatment and general lack of editorial discipline it fails to do so convincingly. An optional purchase, simply because there is little else on the subject (other than the NFB's Broken Promises: The High Arctic Relocation). Aud: C, P. (G. Handman)
In the Reign of Twilight
(1994) 87 min. $275. Bullfrog Films. PPR. Color cover. ISBN: 1-56029-683-6. Vol. 12, Issue 4
In the Reign of Twilight
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: