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CM . . .
. Volume VIII Number 18 . . . . May 10, 2002
Waterwalker
is the last film made by the Canadian legendary artist, film maker, environmentalist,
canoeist and writer, Bill Mason. Filmed in 1984, it is a tribute to the
Canadian landscape, the First Nations, the canoe and to Bill Mason himself.
It stands the test of time as an important documentary for Canadians to
treasure and use as they plot the future of the Canadian wilderness.
The focus of the documentary is the canoe,
the amazing watercraft that walks on water. Mason expertly pilots his
old trusty canoe through a jaw-dropping variety of situations, from
calm, windless days on the shores of Lake Superior, through giant waves
that can and do swamp him, over treacherous rapids that batter his boat
and test his mettle at every stroke. It is Mason's lifelong romance
with and knowledge of the canoe that carry him successfully through
every situation. Although he also worked as a commercial artist and
an animator, he spent as much time as possible out in the wilderness,
frequently alone to ponder and paint. His method of transportation was
always the canoe, and he took little else with him.
"This love or passion for canoes that some people have isn't something
that you can explain. I'm not sure that you can be born with it but
as far back as I can remember I was fascinated with canoes. They flunked
me in grade one because all I could do is draw pictures and make models
of canoes. They thought I was a slow learner but I figured that I didn't
need all that other stuff that they were trying to teach me because
I knew what I was going to be... I was going to be a canoeist."
Mason's work ethic was prodigious. His
planning before he embarked was meticulous. Once in the field, he sometimes
travelled 18 hours a day. As the writer, director and producer of his
own films, he scaled peaks to get single shot and repeated his shooting
until he was satisfied. He wrote and recorded his experiences and spent
hours painting a scene with a palette knife, only to destroy the picture
over and over because he was obsessed with "getting it right." It was
in the wilderness that he was happiest.
"All of my life people have been telling me that you should never travel
alone..... but it's interesting. I've never been told that by anyone
who's ever done it."
Mason began making films in 1962 with
Paddle to the Sea. He made a total of 11 films and wrote three
books as well as painted until his death in 1988. His work was recognized
internationally and is still held in high esteem by environmentalists
and wilderness afficionados. In Waterwalker, Mason describes
the beauty of the natural surroundings as he explores the shoreline
of Lake Superior and makes his way up the difficult river system feeding
the lake to its source. He pays tribute to the Aboriginal people who
lived in harmony with nature, using it, but respecting it without despoiling
it. He talks about his canoe and its value to him and to the native
people over the centuries.
And he relates his passion for painting.
The viewer is treated to some magnificent scenes of Mason creating a
painting that seems, for all intents and purposes, to be a mirror image
of the scene before him. His drive for perfection meant that many paintings
were destroyed, as the film shows, but the final products were most
excellent representations of the landscape. Mason's unique style left
no hint of how the paint was applied which makes his art seem even more
realistic.
The film is 86 minutes long. It is full
of breathtaking scenes of waves, white water and Mason's expert canoeing.
Bruce Cockburn's music fills in behind the visuals as Mason battles
roiling rapids.
This film would be of interest to those
who like wilderness adventures and canoeing plus those who are interested
in art and how great artists make it look so easy. It will also be of
interest to those who are interested in film making and as an example
of the work of an award-winning Canadian naturalist film maker. Waterwalker
is a fairly long documentary that has many scenes without vocal description,
something teachers using this film in a classroom should be aware of.
Highly recommended. Harriet
Zaidman is a teacher-librarian in Winnipeg, MB.
To comment on this
title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.
Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal
use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other
reproduction is prohibited without permission.
Published by
TABLE OF
CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - May 10, 2002.
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