MAP OF THE HUMAN HEART

UK, Australia, France, Canada, 1993, 126 minutes, Colour.
Jason Scott Lee, Anne Parillaud, Patrick Bergen, John Cusack, Jeanne Moreau, Ben Mendelsohn.
Directed by Vincent Ward.

Map of the Human Heart is an unusual film, set in Canada, but written by Australian playwright Louis Nowra and directed by New Zealand director (resident in Sydney), Vincent Ward. Ward's previous films were Vigil, a story of the remote New Zealand countryside, and The Navigator, a mystical fable about mediaeval villagers digging through the Earth to emerge in Auckland 1987, attempting to place a cross on a cathedral spire as a vote of offering against the Black Death.

Map is more accessible, but it combines elements that fascinate Nowra and Ward. Action takes place in Eskimo territory from the early '30s to the mid '60s, a saga of a lively boy, his encounter with a map-drawer, his illness and recovery, action in World War II and the aftermath. The period, the setting and Ward's fascination with maps and outlines (aerial shots, explorations, symbols like x-rays) give it a distinctive touch. The themes of respect for cultures, the church, the intrusion of world war conflict and the pessimism in decline of cultures are interestingly treated. And the bombing of Dresden sequences are dramatic and emotional.

Jason Scott Lee is excellent as Arvik, and the boy playing the young Arvik is wonderfully vital. The international cast includes Patrick Bergen as the map-maker, Anne Parillaud as Albertine, Ben Mendelsohn as a young flyer and John Cusack as the map-maker.

1.Impact of the film? International perspective? Universal perspective? The contributions of various national sensibilities?

2.The title, indication of themes? Maps - land, sea? The opening up of unknown territories, charting of land and waters? Navigation? The use of maps during war? The aerial shots of war, bombings? Maps and photography? Machines? The human contours by experience, relationships and story? The backing of photographic devices: montages, aerial shots, the bombing of Dresden, the use of x-rays?

3.The Canadian landscapes, snow and sea? Montreal and the school? England and its peacefulness? The war bombings of Dresden? The re-creation of the periods, the score?

4.The film's sense of humanity, its epic scope, its romantic perspective, the generations? Culture?

5.The portrayal of the Eskimo culture, the inroads of western civilisation? The indigenous culture, style of living, survival, religious beliefs and rituals? The coming of the whites, technology? The whites as benign but colonial? Illnesses and treatment, the whites bringing the illness and therefore having to provide the cures? The alienation of the Eskimos from their culture and place? The death of the race, individual suicides? The interracial prejudice? Children of interracial relationships? The possibility of achievement, the coming of World War II and involvement? The success of the young Eskimo in the war situation? The experience of bombings and the horror of war? Collapse? The final sequence with the defeated Eskimo, dreams and reality?

6.The structure of the film, the opening in the '60s and Arvik telling his story, the film as a memoir, the sad state of Arvik as he told the story, drunken, aged? His regrets? Arvik as a map-making storyteller and the contours of his life? the white man listening, offering sympathy? The continued telling of the story - and the reaction of the listeners in the bar to the drunken Eskimo bludging on them?

7.Arvik as a young boy, his vitality, seen leaping, the plane coming into his world? The background of his whaler father, his mother, looked after by his grandmother and caring for her? His illness, the dilemma whether to go for treatment or not? The importance of health? The wrench from his world - and its leading to his ultimate illness and death?

8.The map-maker and taking Arvik on the plane, his initial flight, his great joy in flying and observing from the air? His making it his career? The observation of the outline of Montreal, the lights? Making flying his life, navigating, observing Dresden and the deaths, his final flight in death? His arrival in Montreal, the severity of the sisters, his fears, unfamiliarity with a city, the hospital? The x-rays episode? In the hospital, western civilisation? His being brought to health, the devices, braces and plaster?

9.Arvik and the initial clash with Albertine, fighting, punching, in class, his swearing, the sister and her harshness? In the cupboard? The fights with Albertine, the black eye? Yet their becoming friends? Sharing ill health? Their adventures in the hospital, talking together, innocent sexuality? The oppression of the sisters and the medical staff? Their running away, in the fields, pursued? The effect of this experience as a child?

10.His return to his home country, his settling in again, yet alienated? The arrival of Walter, the experience of the war? The secrecy of the mission? His accompanying Walter, the bonds between the two men? The dead men and the maps? Alien death in the snow? The failure of the mission? The dilemma of whether he should go or stay? The rejection by his people? His obligations to his grandmother, her going over the boat and dying? Her death? His longing for Albertine - and asking Walter to take her x-ray to the city and give it to her?

11.The transition to the war, his joining up, his achievement? The air raids, his photographic skills? The friendship with the crew, especially Farm Boy? The camaraderie of the pilots in World War II?

12.Albertine and her work for the war effort, seeing the photographs, discovering Arvik's presence? The code words Holy Boy and the memories of the past? The meeting with Albertine? His awkwardness? Going to the dance, discovering her relationship with Walter? His being put off guard? The continued meetings, discussions, his love for her? The hot air balloon and the sexual encounter on the balloon?

13.Arvik and his experience of war, Albertine and her love for Walter and for Arvik? Albertine and her memories, her commitment to Walter? The end of the tour, the dead pigeon - and the irony of their having to go on more raids? Albertine and her love for Arvik, pleading with Walter that he not go? The encounter between Walter and Arvik, the sense of menace, the threats? Going to Dresden? Walter's theories about the bombing of Dresden - his cold analysis of the war, the effort against Hitler, Hitler to be crushed? The image of smashing of Dresden porcelain?

14.The special effects for the bombing of Dresden, from Arvik's point of view? The effect, the fire, his bailing out, the deaths of his friends, landing, wandering the city, human beings burnt and in agony? The effect on him?

15.The aftermath of the '60s as something of an anticlimax? The correspondence with Albertine? The arrival of her daughter, his travelling, her quest? His acknowledging her as his daughter, her wanting to understand her origins and roots? The invitation for him to come to the wedding? His attempts to go, psychologically impossible? His wandering around the town, telling his yarns and getting a drink? His imagination of going to the wedding, the balloon, Albertine, his death?

16.The final impact of the film as romantic yet pessimistic?