Map of the Human Heart

Map of the Human Heart
Company type	Film
Industry	Motion picture
Founded	1992
Founder	Vincent Ward (director), Louis Nowra (writer)
Headquarters	Australia / United Kingdom / Canada
Products	Film

Map of the Human Heart, also recognized under the titles Carte du Tendre, La Carte du Tendre, and released in the Philippines as War Dragon, is a 1992 motion picture helmed by New Zealand director Vincent Ward. The script, penned by Australian writer Louis Nowra, draws from a concise 10-page outline authored by Ward himself. Originally slated to direct Alien 3, Ward was removed from that assignment, which subsequently led him to concentrate his efforts on this film.

The narrative unfolds mainly around the period before and during World War II, centering on Avik, a Canadian Inuit youth, portrayed in his younger years by Robert Joamie and as an adult by Jason Scott Lee. The film delves into Avik’s intricate relationships with Albertine—his romantic interest—played by Annie Galipeau (young) and Anne Parillaud (adult), as well as Walter Russell (Patrick Bergin), who serves both as a father figure and a competitor for Albertine’s love. The supporting cast features Jeanne Moreau portraying a Québécois nun and John Cusack in the role of a cartographer chronicling Avik's journey.

Plot

Set in 1931 within the Arctic-Canadian community of Nunataaq, young Avik (Robert Joamie) lives under the care of his grandmother until she chooses to end her life by plunging into the frigid sea. After accompanying British mapmaker Walter Russell (Patrick Bergin), Avik contracts tuberculosis, referred to as the "white man's disease." Russell transports him to a Montreal medical facility where Avik encounters Albertine (Annie Galipeau), a Métis girl with whom he falls deeply in love. Unfortunately, their relationship is soon severed by the clinic’s Mother Superior.

Years pass, and Avik crosses paths once again with Russell, who is now engaged in salvaging a German U-boat wreck near Nunataaq. Haunted by his enduring love for Albertine (Anne Parillaud) and burdened by superstition that he brings bad luck, Avik seeks Russell’s assistance in finding her, presenting a chest X-ray he has preserved since their separation.

As an adult (Jason Scott Lee), Avik enlists in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II, serving as a bomb aimer aboard an Avro Lancaster bomber. Albertine, now involved with Russell as his mistress, reignites her affair with Avik. In response, Russell assigns Avik and his crew to a perilous mission—the firebombing of Dresden—where Avik emerges as the lone survivor.

Suffering from trauma, Avik returns to Canada and succumbs to alcoholism. Decades later, Rainee (Clotilde Courau), his daughter born from the liaison with Albertine, seeks him out. While en route to attend her wedding, Avik crashes his snowmobile onto an ice floe; as he succumbs to the cold similarly to his grandmother’s fate, he envisions himself at the wedding and soaring away with Albertine in a hot air balloon.

Cast

Jason Scott Lee as Avik
- Robert Joamie as Young Avik
Anne Parillaud as Albertine
- Annie Galipeau as Young Albertine
Patrick Bergin as Walter Russell
Clotilde Courau as Rainee
John Cusack as The Mapmaker
Jeanne Moreau as Sister Banville
Ben Mendelsohn as Farmboy
Jerry Snell as Boleslaw
Jayko Pitseolak as Avik's grandmother
Matt Holland as flight navigator
Rebecca Vevee as Inuk cook
Josape Kopalee as Inuk elder
Reepah Arreak as Avik's girlfriend

Production

A significant sequence in Map of the Human Heart visually reconstructs the Dresden firebombing, serving as a tribute to director Vincent Ward’s father, who was involved in that historic event. The production was filmed in Nunavut, where local Inuit people were cast as extras to provide an authentic representation of Nunataaq. Among the film’s memorable moments are a crucial romantic scene set atop an English military blimp and a surprising final twist that concludes the story.

Release

The film had its premiere outside the competition at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival. It was subsequently released in Australia on 22 April 1993 and later distributed in the Philippines by First Films under the title War Dragon on 29 June 1994.

Critical response

On Rotten Tomatoes, Map of the Human Heart holds a 78% approval rating based on 23 reviews, with an average rating of 6.8 out of 10. Metacritic assigns it a score of 71 from 18 critics, reflecting generally favorable feedback.

Reviewers commended the film for its ambitious narrative and visual creativity. Roger Ebert characterized it as "a soaring story of human adventure," emphasizing its focus on a remarkable personal odyssey instead of violence. Brian Case highlighted its broad narrative scope spanning continents and decades, noting Ward’s unique visual approach despite financial limitations. Hal Hinson of The Washington Post described the movie as possessing "incantatory intensity."

Box office

The movie earned A$539,000 in Australia, £251,167 in the United Kingdom, and US$2.8 million across the United States and Canada, culminating in a global total of approximately $5 million.

Accolades

After its out-of-competition screening at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival, Map of the Human Heart received several honors. At the 1993 Australian Film Institute Awards, it won Best Film and Best Director for Vincent Ward, while Robert Joamie was recognized as Young Actor. The film also garnered nominations for Best Original Music Score, Sound, Editing, and Cinematography. At the 1993 Tokyo International Film Festival, Ward received Best Artistic Contribution; Robert Joamie and Anne Parillaud earned Special Mentions for Talent of the Future. Additionally, Ward was nominated for the Tokyo Grand Prix. Jason Scott Lee was nominated for Most Promising Actor by the Chicago Film Critics Association in 1994.

Bibliography

Pym, John, ed. "Map of the Human Heart." Time Out Film Guide. London: Time Out Guides Limited, 2004. .

External links