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Information

Year
1934
Runtime
76 min.
Director
Robert J. Flaherty
Genre
Documentary
Rating *
7.4
Votes *
1,655
Checks
807
Favs
37
Dislikes
5
Favs/checks
4.6% (1:22)
Favs/dislikes
7:1
* View IMDb information

Top comments

  1. the3rdman's avatar

    the3rdman

    Beautifully filmed (and skilfully edited) ethnofiction of dubious veracity. If taken at face value it could easily give the wrong impression of Ireland and probably even the Aran Islands. Of course, the customs filmed are not invented, just anachronistic in some cases. The revival of the shark hunt is quite reminiscent of the revival of the beluga whale hunt on the island of Iles-aux-Coudres in the St. Lawrence in Marcel Carriere and Michel Brault's Pour la suite du monde; both traditions had died out and were revived at the instigation of documentary filmmakers. Of course performance is certainly a part of the documentary process, as is the influence of the camera and crew, but Man of Aran is less than transparent about it. The film's focus remains firmly on a constructed nuclear family engaged in a romantic struggle with nature, to the detriment of all other concerns. Anybody tempted to view the film uncritically--anybody who has seen the film at all, in fact--is advised to check out How the Myth was Made: A Study of Robert Flaherty's Man of Aran (included as a special feature on the Home Vision dvd). Still, in spite of its romanticism, Man of Aran remains an impressive work of myth-making. 10 years 7 months ago
  2. Nilsmedskills's avatar

    Nilsmedskills

    I don't get it... boring. 2 years 7 months ago
  3. Cippenham's avatar
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In 5 official lists

  1. This movie ranks #41 in Sight & Sound's The Greatest Documentaries of All Time
    Sight & Sound's The Greatest Documentaries of All Time's icon

    Sight & Sound's The Grea…

    41
  2. This movie ranks #65 in BFI's 100 Documentary Films
    BFI's 100 Documentary Films's icon

    BFI's 100 Documentary Fi…

    65
  3. This movie ranks #211 in Anthology Film Archives's Essential Cinema
    Anthology Film Archives's Essential Cinema's icon

    Anthology Film Archives'…

    211
  4. This movie ranks #497 in UNESCO's Memory of the World
    UNESCO's Memory of the World's icon

    UNESCO's Memory of the W…

    497
  5. This movie ranks #538 in TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest Films
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    TSPDT's 1,000 Greatest F…

    538
View all lists this movie is in