Passage

'Passage' achieves something truly special in telling the story of John Rae and his remarkable journeys. In recognising that there's more to a story than the story itself, John Walker blends established techniques to create a wonderful, rich hybrid documentary that paints a full picture of a man and his times, the lands he travelled through, the people he met and the struggles he endured. Walker's choices in switching narrative viewpoints, in sparing use of dramatic re-creation and in bringing the modern world face-to-face with the Victorian are the sign of a fine director at ease with his craft and one who credits his audience with the intelligence to follow his line. A landmark documentary.

In 1845, the British send John Franklin with two ships and three years supply on a well-equipped expedition to find the Northwest Passage in the Artic but the group disappears. Franklin's wife eventually convinces the Admiralty to offer a £20,000 reward. She even pursues spirits and psychics. In 1854, John Rae (Rick Roberts) of the Hudson's Bay Company discovers Eskimo tales of the lost Franklin expedition having resorted to cannibalism. Many including Lady Franklin with help from Charles Dickens fought against the leaked report condemning Rae to ignominy and elevating Franklin as the hero adventurer who discovered the Passage.

This is a documentary about John Rae starting with his life and departure from Orkney. Rick Roberts studies his life in Orkney and then travels to Canada's north to see the Inuit ways. Director John Walker and his actors are working on recreating scenes of the story. It's part documentary and part actors' workshop. It's an usual way to do a documentary and some of it feels unnecessarily stretched out. There is a weird combative section where former Naval officer and historian Coleman claims the Franklin expedition was slaughtered by natives. The Charles Dickens part is the big discovery. This is educational about a little known aspect of the famous historical event.

For Franklin buffs there is a lot of interesting material here, although it is presented in an odd way. It's a documentary of a making of a dramatic retelling of John Rae's search for the lost expedition. Unique and kind of clever but isn't successful in its delivery.

While overall it is strangely presented, at times self-absorbed and seems to lose focus, it is worth watching for the scenes where the Inuit man visits England. In particular, there are some very heated and upsetting scenes where experts contest the fate of the expedition with the Inuit man. It's this climax that is worth watching this film for. And the discussion on Dickens was very interesting too.

It's a bit of a mess, poorly shot and gets itself distracted. But it is still an interesting mess, particularly if you have a curiosity for the subject matter.

As an aside, I'd love to know why they used so much of the rehearsal and script reading shots instead of the actual dramatisation they filmed. It was quirky but you wonder what the point of the dramatisation was when they used so little of it. Was this always the plan? Or did they realise the making of was more interesting than the dramatisation? Perhaps they couldn't decide, so they did both?

If the scenery does not capture you or the acting inspire maybe you should see it again. The story is fascinating and placing Rae in the centre is superb. He was an amazing man. I loved the whole thing - and by the way I always thought Dickens a creep and a sponger.

I viewed this film in the company of archaeologists and arctic specialists with some connection to the current Franklin expeditions, and its authenticity was vouched for. This is not a direct adaptation of McGoogan's book, rather a hybrid of documentary styles which come together to tell a ripping good yarn. I don't understand the slagging that a couple of reviewers have given Passage, beyond the fact that they have missed some of the nuances, especially regarding the Inuit.(Tagak Curley DOES have the juice to speak for his people...note the Order of Canada lapel pin)

Even if you have already read Fatal Passage, it is worth watching this film for its lush visuals and the historical and geographical texture it lends to the tale. Well worth the investment!