Die Männer von Aran

This review is being written by a man who absolutely despises everything about realist style films. However, Flaherty's depiction of life on the Isle of Aran captivated me from start to finish. Filled with inaccuracies and misrepresentations, Flaherty would have been lying through his teeth to have called this a documentary (the man of Aran wasn't even from Aran). Man of Aran remains realist however in that, I believe, in that it only speaks to you if you hold a connection to the sort of life it depicts. Flaherty brings forth the essence of that life but will only hold your interest if you actually care how someone might farm in a soilless field of broken rock.

If that isn't your bag, you can still at least enjoy Flaherty's visuals. Waves pound against rocky cliffs sending spray a hundred feet high. It is quite a spectacle.

I really enjoyed this film. It is best to ignore any questions about the plot and whether it is a movie or a documentary and just sit back and be transported back in time. The island is a beautiful, yet harsh and isolated place and the people are a product of that environment. I just saw the film after returning from a trip to Ireland, where we spent several enchanting days on the island, hiking in the rain. The locals told me about the movie, I had only a vague knowledge before then.

What has really sold me on the movie was the DVD edition we viewed it on. There is a wealth of details about the movie, the director, the island, and much more now available. Fans wedded to todays ultra-slick color and CGI productions might be disappointed, but for the serious movie fan this is a gem!

Another movie by a master movie maker.

His documentaries make one feel the hardship his subjects undergo, whether real or not.

A must see along with Nanook.

The visuals are stunning as is the empathy of the director for his subjects.

Would there be a documentary director like him today -- except for Frederick Wiseman whom I am sure was inspired by Flaherty's movies such as Nanook (a picture of a long lost world) and Man of Aran.

I wonder if people are still farming Aran or if they have all left for the big city.

There are other documentaries by the BBC -- See South Georgia Island or the re-creations of Shackleton's unsuccessful trip to the South Pole and you will feel as well as ache along with them.

A true pioneer when making films was difficult at best, impossible at worst. But Flaherty make the impossible real and captured a world that no longer exists.

Next time you feel the need to gripe, complain, sit-back, loaf and refuse to get-up and get going, you need to watch this movie which expertly makes the point of you don't work you don't eat and it is not a threat but a reality. You got people living on what amounts to a giant rock of an island trying to make it all make sense in huts with weather, hardships and work being your everyday challenge to exist. If you enjoy it and it appears that they do, then they are living out their lives to their satisfaction. Nice shots of the background and how people respect what they have and become good stewards of it. It appears getting wet and cold is the price to pay for living and working on this island. Some fascinating events and surprises come-up of which I wont mention that cause intrigue and capture the viewer every step of the way. I had a couple of moments where I said "so that's what is going on and why they do that" which were very enjoyable. Remember, this movie goes back decades ago in a remote place meaning, no 7-11, TV, phones, Internet or bar visits. You work from sun-up to sun-down and retire to your little hut where animals, a hot liquid and rest awaits. Working together is a must or it gets even worse too. This is very well demonstrated. Good movie to snack with or have a sandwich with a tasty drink. Stop complaining about anything and everything and see how others live and love with less...

I rented this from Netflix recently. Visually, this picture is stunning. Some of the finest filming of the sea I've ever seen. The minimalist story really isn't much, just an attempt to provide some excuse for various actions in the film. This film is really not a documentary at all. One of the special features on the DVD is a short film called "Making the Myth" (or something like that), which is all about how the film was made, how Flaherty scripted various scenes, etc. As noted in the a previous review, the entire shark scene was something Flaherty pushed, recognizing that shark hunting sells. However, according to "Making the Myth," basking shark hunting had gone out over 50 years earlier. Apparently Flaherty also thought that, if he got people hunting the sharks for his move, they might start it up again as a local industry. We found a good portion of the dialogue almost unintelligible. Especially at the start, we thought they we speaking Gaelic! Still, the dialogue is really unnecessary. Flaherty uses old fashioned dialogue cards, like in a silent film, to explain what's coming up. Overall, this was a very interesting film to watch. Since it's just over an hour long, it's a good one to see when you have some time but don't want to commit to any "Major Movie Event!"