NORTH STAR
France, 1996, 84 minutes, Colour.
Christopher Lambert, James Caan, Katherine Mc Cormack, Burt Young.
Directed by Nils Gaup.
North Star is a story about miners in Alaska, centring on Nome and the selections in the vicinity of Nome. The film is brief, resembles many of the dramas set in the goldmining towns with the prospectors for gold. The focus is on Christopher Lambert as a part-Indian who wants to defend the secret Native American lands and caves. James Caan is an absolutely ruthless prospector with a secret (that he is part Indian). Katherine Mc Cormack plays his girlfriend who is brutally betrayed by him, saved by Christopher Lambert and is able to help bring justice to the people of Nome.
The scenery is spectacular, the performance by James Caan is strong - but, the rest of the material is familiar and fairly conventional.
1. An Alaskan adventure? The rugged wilderness, the frontiers? Prospecting for gold? Race issues?
2. The locations for Alaska, the town, the mountains, the snow? Musical score?
3. The title, its evocative nature, the nature of claims for goldmining? The claims, the mining company excluding foreigners being able to make claims, the Swedes and Norwegians and their reaction, martial law in the town, the wealthy magnates and their buying up the claims, their ruthlessness and violence, law and order restored?
4. The Indian themes, the focus on Hudson, his being part Indian, witnessing the death of the Indian chief in the cave, his pursuit of McLennon?, in the town, the pursuit in the countryside, his seeming death, his survival, the pursuit, his taking Sarah, saving her life? In the cave, the final confrontation, the fight? His saving Sarah at the end and the death of Mc Lennon? Conventional hero?
5. Mc Lennon, his wealth, his henchmen, their shooting the Indians in the cave, taking the claims, his banning foreigners from having claims? His relationship with Sarah? His taking over Hudson's claim? The confrontation in the town, he and his men forming a posse, the pursuit, his ruthless killing of the sheriff and his men, his own men and the jealousy of Sarah, his brutality towards Sarah? The confrontation with Hudson, the pursuit, in the cave? His presuming Hudson dead? His speech to the miners, excluding the foreigners? The colonel and his taking over, the arrest, Sarah being the witness? His final attack on her, Hudson killing him? The secret of his being part Indian and his killing those who knew? A portrait of an evil man?
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6. Sarah, her relationship with Mc Lennon, believing only good of him, being taken, Hudson saving her life, her listening to him? Her witnessing the killing of the marshall and his men? Mc Lennon presuming her dead, her being a witness against him? Her life being saved by Hudson? Watching him leave?
7. Mc Lennon's men, their brutality, the killing of the Indians? Their power, wealth? Their turning against McLennon?
8. The foreign claimants, the Swedes, the administration turning against them? Injustice? Nome being taken over by martial law? The sheriff and his pursuit of Mc Lennon? His death? The military takeover, the restoration of law and order, the foreigners having their claims?
9. A popular glimpse of a piece of American history?
