Set in the frozen wilderness and frontier towns of the Yukon Territory at the height of Klondike Gold Rush in the late 1890's, Randal Kleiser's "White Fang" (1991) is above all a story of love and friendship between two young orphans: Jack Conroy, played by a fresh-faced but precociously talented Ethan Hawke, and White Fang, a lone gray wolf.
Loosely based on the classic Jack London novel of the same name, "White Fang" is as eager and hopeful a film as Jack is when he touches shore in the Yukon Valley. But no sooner is Jack mugged by reality in the shape of a sly and malicious Beauty Smith (played a finely villainous James Remar) and his two cronies, than Kleiser begins to unveil the unyielding, unpitying hardness of nature, starting with the shooting death of a she-wolf, mother to the wolf pup White Fang.
The story of the film is a journey in more ways than one, and Jack's journey closely parallels White Fang's in spirit and tone. Both are recently orphaned survivors, vital spirits in a barren landscape. Jack's challenges start as soon as he lands: a new land, both harsh and majestic, with potentially unlimited wealth awaiting the lucky and the industrious. The difficult conditions are compounded by the reason for Jack's sojourn: though he claims to want only to work his father's claim, he clearly, ultimately, seeks to redeem his father's death.
As their stories progress and Jack and White Fang eventually find each other, their fraternal/paternal relationship seems to take the place of the their absent parents. They care and look out for each other and at different times, rescue each other from certain death. Kindred spirits, both were forced to grow up quickly and they take on the odds of survival with pluck and, mostly, good humor.
The photography of "White Fang" matches the beauty of the arctic landscape: underground lakes and grottos, ice caves and vast expanses of snow framed by distant mountain ranges. Cinematographer Tony Pierce-Roberts's impressive use of the wide shot – in some instance with the sled team slicing across the screen, perfectly channel the adventurist spirit of the time and the place. Like Jack, it's hard for us not to be completely swept away by the wide open scenes of nature at its purest. Pierce-Robert's dramatic crane shots, from slow, intimate creeps to quickly rising booms are also beautifully choreographed.
According to Kleiser, the film was storyboard from first shot to last. Given that so many scenes involved wolves or wolf-dogs of varying degrees of tameness and training (as well as an astonishing cameo by Bart the Bear in a fight scene) this was a wise decision. Because of the limitations inherent in filming under these conditions, Kleiser bravely relied on the pure visual grammar of film language to tell the characters' story. His economy of shots, matching eye lines, composition and distribution of elements in the screen space were carefully thought out and intelligently, if not painstakingly, executed.
On a personal level, I found watching "White Fang" to be a touching, even moving experience, and only very momentarily sentimental. In fact, the director's reserve in not allowing the material to move into maudlin sentimentality is to be admired and appreciated. This reserve is the mark of a great observer.
Successful sound design elements also contribute to the film's faithful and creative re-creation of its sensory world: at tense moments like when the ice is cracking under Jack's feet, or when we hear a heartbeat-like thudding in more hallucinatory scenes, as when Gray Beaver of the Han tribe finds little White Fang caught in a game trap. I also very much enjoyed the majestic soundtrack, with its resonant symphonic score: horns, strings, and unusually, wind instruments working together in resonant and harmonic ways to make Jack and White Fang's story truly great storytelling.
Finally, the film's faithful and evocative re-creations of the historical era, from the stock photos and maps of the opening credits to the impressive outdoor sets of the Klondike towns, combined with a refined instinct for storytelling, magnificent locations, well-directed actors (including a small, delightful role by the great Seymour Cassel!) and disciplined choreography make "White Fang" a great film experience.
Loosely based on the classic Jack London novel of the same name, "White Fang" is as eager and hopeful a film as Jack is when he touches shore in the Yukon Valley. But no sooner is Jack mugged by reality in the shape of a sly and malicious Beauty Smith (played a finely villainous James Remar) and his two cronies, than Kleiser begins to unveil the unyielding, unpitying hardness of nature, starting with the shooting death of a she-wolf, mother to the wolf pup White Fang.
The story of the film is a journey in more ways than one, and Jack's journey closely parallels White Fang's in spirit and tone. Both are recently orphaned survivors, vital spirits in a barren landscape. Jack's challenges start as soon as he lands: a new land, both harsh and majestic, with potentially unlimited wealth awaiting the lucky and the industrious. The difficult conditions are compounded by the reason for Jack's sojourn: though he claims to want only to work his father's claim, he clearly, ultimately, seeks to redeem his father's death.
As their stories progress and Jack and White Fang eventually find each other, their fraternal/paternal relationship seems to take the place of the their absent parents. They care and look out for each other and at different times, rescue each other from certain death. Kindred spirits, both were forced to grow up quickly and they take on the odds of survival with pluck and, mostly, good humor.
The photography of "White Fang" matches the beauty of the arctic landscape: underground lakes and grottos, ice caves and vast expanses of snow framed by distant mountain ranges. Cinematographer Tony Pierce-Roberts's impressive use of the wide shot – in some instance with the sled team slicing across the screen, perfectly channel the adventurist spirit of the time and the place. Like Jack, it's hard for us not to be completely swept away by the wide open scenes of nature at its purest. Pierce-Robert's dramatic crane shots, from slow, intimate creeps to quickly rising booms are also beautifully choreographed.
According to Kleiser, the film was storyboard from first shot to last. Given that so many scenes involved wolves or wolf-dogs of varying degrees of tameness and training (as well as an astonishing cameo by Bart the Bear in a fight scene) this was a wise decision. Because of the limitations inherent in filming under these conditions, Kleiser bravely relied on the pure visual grammar of film language to tell the characters' story. His economy of shots, matching eye lines, composition and distribution of elements in the screen space were carefully thought out and intelligently, if not painstakingly, executed.
On a personal level, I found watching "White Fang" to be a touching, even moving experience, and only very momentarily sentimental. In fact, the director's reserve in not allowing the material to move into maudlin sentimentality is to be admired and appreciated. This reserve is the mark of a great observer.
Successful sound design elements also contribute to the film's faithful and creative re-creation of its sensory world: at tense moments like when the ice is cracking under Jack's feet, or when we hear a heartbeat-like thudding in more hallucinatory scenes, as when Gray Beaver of the Han tribe finds little White Fang caught in a game trap. I also very much enjoyed the majestic soundtrack, with its resonant symphonic score: horns, strings, and unusually, wind instruments working together in resonant and harmonic ways to make Jack and White Fang's story truly great storytelling.
Finally, the film's faithful and evocative re-creations of the historical era, from the stock photos and maps of the opening credits to the impressive outdoor sets of the Klondike towns, combined with a refined instinct for storytelling, magnificent locations, well-directed actors (including a small, delightful role by the great Seymour Cassel!) and disciplined choreography make "White Fang" a great film experience.