Editing Map of the Human Heart

{{Short description|1992 film by Vincent Ward}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox film
|name           = Map of the Human Heart
|image          = Map of the human heart poster.jpg
|caption        = '''Theatrical release poster'''
|director       = [[Vincent Ward (director)|Vincent Ward]]
|producer       = [[Tim Bevan]]<br />Vincent Ward
|screenplay     = [[Louis Nowra]]
|story          = Vincent Ward
|starring       = {{plainlist|
*[[Patrick Bergin]]
*[[Anne Parillaud]]
*[[Jason Scott Lee]]
*[[Ben Mendelsohn]]
*Robert Joamie
*Annie Galipeau
*[[Jeanne Moreau]]
*[[Clotilde Courau]]
*[[John Cusack]]}}
|music          = [[Gabriel Yared]]
|cinematography = [[Eduardo Serra]]
|editing        = John Scott<br>[[George Akers]]<br>Frans Vandenburg
|studio         = [[Working Title Films]]<br>[[PolyGram Filmed Entertainment]]<br>[[Film Finance Corporation Australia|Australian Film Finance Corporation]]
|distributor    = [[Hoyts#Hoyts Distribution|Hoyts]]-[[20th Century Fox|Fox]]-[[Sony Pictures Releasing|Columbia TriStar Films]] (Australia)<ref>{{cite web|title=Map of the Human Heart (35mm)|website=[[Australian Classification Board]]|access-date=2 August 2021|url=https://www.classification.gov.au/titles/map-human-heart}}</ref><br />[[Miramax|Miramax Films]] (North America)<ref>{{cite web|title=Map of the Human Heart|website=Canadian Feature Film Database|access-date=27 August 2021|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/canadian-feature-film-database/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=2191&DotsIdNumber=}}</ref><br />[[Ariane Films]] (France)<ref name="uni">{{cite web|title=Map of the Human Heart (1992)|website=[[UniFrance]]|access-date=2 August 2021|url=https://en.unifrance.org/movie/11139/map-of-the-human-heart}}</ref><br />[[Rank Film Distributors]] (United Kingdom)<ref name="uni" />
|released       = {{film date|df=y|1993|4|23}}
|runtime        = 109 minutes
|country        = Australia<br>Canada<br>France<br>United Kingdom
|language       = English
|budget         =US$13 million<ref name=ww>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=14 December 1998|page=102|title=15 years of production}}</ref>
|gross          = US$5 million<ref name=ww/>
}}
'''''Map of the Human Heart''''' (also called '''''Carte du Tendre''''' and '''''La Carte du Tendre'''''; released in the Philippines as '''''War Dragon''''') is a 1992 film by [[New Zealand]] director [[Vincent Ward (director)|Vincent Ward]]. The script for ''Map of the Human Heart'' was written by Australian author [[Louis Nowra]], using a 10-page treatment Ward had written a year earlier as his guide. Ward was originally intended at this time to be directing his script of [[Alien 3|the third film in the ''Alien'' series]], but his dismissal from the sci fi project (leaving him credited solely as providing the story) led to his directing this film instead.

''Map of the Human Heart'', set mostly before and during the [[World War II|Second World War]], centres on the life of Avik, a Canadian [[Inuit|Inuk]] boy. The film stars Robert Joamie and [[Jason Scott Lee]] as the youth and adult Avik. His love, Albertine (played as a child by Annie Galipeau and as an adult by [[Anne Parillaud]]) is countered by the imposing Walter Russell ([[Patrick Bergin]]), who plays a pivotal role as both surrogate father to Avik and his primary rival in Albertine's love. [[Jeanne Moreau]] has a minor role as a [[French-speaking Quebecer|Québécois]] nun. [[John Cusack]] also has a small but important role as the mapmaker to whom Avik relates his incredible tale.
{{TOC limit|limit=2}}

==Plot==
In 1931, in the [[Arctic Canada|Arctic-Canadian]] settlement of Nunataaq, Avik (Robert Joamie) lives under the watchful eye of his grandmother (Jayko Pitseolak) who undertakes [[senicide]] by jumping in the cold sea. While tagging along after British cartographer Walter Russell ([[Patrick Bergin]]), Avik falls prey to tuberculosis, the "white man's disease". To assuage his own guilt, Russell takes the boy to a Montreal clinic to recover. There, Avik meets Albertine (Annie Galipeau), a [[Métis people (Canada)|Métis]] girl. The two fall in love, but their relationship is quickly broken up by the Mother Superior who is in charge of the clinic.

Years later, Avik again meets Russell, who this time is on a mission to recover a German U-boat lying wrecked off the coast of Nunataaq. Throughout his life, Avik is haunted by love for a now-grown Albertine ([[Anne Parillaud]]) and by a belief that he brings misfortune to those around him. Avik asks for Russell's help in learning her whereabouts, and he gives the cartographer a chest X-ray of the girl which he has carried with him since their separation.

More time elapses, and a mature Avik ([[Jason Scott Lee]]) joins the [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] in the Second World War and eventually becomes a [[Bombardier (aircrew)|bomb aimer]] in an [[Avro Lancaster]] bomber. Albertine, who has become Russell's mistress, seeks out Avik. She begins an affair with Avik, but Russell soon finds out, and as revenge, he sends Avik and his crew on a suicide mission ([[Bombing of Dresden in World War II|the firebombing of Dresden]]), in which Avik is the sole survivor of his crew.

Despondent over his war experiences, Avik flees to Canada, where he becomes an alcoholic. Decades later, he is sought out by Rainee (Clotilde Courau), the daughter born from his affair with Albertine. On his way to the girl's wedding, Avik crashes his snowmobile on an ice floe; as he freezes to death (similar to his grandmother), he dreams of going to his daughter's wedding and flying away on a balloon with Albertine.

==Cast==
{{div col}}
*[[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
{{div col end}}

==Production==
{{unreferenced section|date=August 2017}}
''Map of the Human Heart''{{'}}s re-creation of the firebombing of Dresden is one of the most graphic and powerful sequences in the film. On the day Ward finished shooting those scenes, he received word that his father, who had actually participated in the historical firebombing of Dresden, had died. This is why Ward chose to dedicate the film to him.

The scenes in "Nunataaq", the region of Northern Canada where Avik's people are from, were filmed on location in what is now [[Nunavut]], using local Inuit as extras. Two other scenes received attention. The first one is a pivotal love scene that takes place on top of an English military [[blimp]] (not in a cabin or gondola but actually on top of the blimp), the other is the final scene of the film which has a twist ending.

==Release==
''Map of the Human Heart'' premiered out-of-competition at the [[1992 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref name=cannes>{{cite web|title=Map of the Human Heart|url=https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/films/map-of-the-human-heart|website=[[Cannes Film Festival|Festival de Cannes]]|publisher=Association Française du Festival International du Film|accessdate=21 January 2019}}</ref> In Australia, the film was released on 22 April 1993.<ref>{{cite news|last=Connolly|first=Keith|title=Tending to a sense of place|url=https://www.ozmovies.com.au/movie/galleries/photos/map-of-the-human-heart|accessdate=12 July 2021|work=[[The Age|The Sunday Age]]|publisher=[[Fairfax Media|John Fairfax Holdings]]|date=18 April 1993|quote=The new film... begins its Melbourne season next Thursday, rated M.}}</ref> The film was released in the Philippines by First Films as ''War Dragon'' on 29 June 1994.<ref>{{cite news|title=Grand Opening Today!|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=8cBNEdFwSQkC&dat=19940620&printsec=frontpage|accessdate=12 July 2021|work=[[Manila Standard]]|publisher=Kamahalan Publishing Corporation|date=29 June 1994|page=24|quote=The sensational star of 'Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story' is back in a spectacular adventure that will make him a legend of his own!}}</ref>

===Critical response===
''Map of the Human Heart'' has an almost even rank between critics and audience at [[review aggregator]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], indicating that the film is liked by both parties. The site's ranking shows that 23 critics approve the film at 78%, with an average ranking stands at 6.8/10.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/map_of_the_human_heart|title=Map of the Human Heart (1993)|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|publisher=[[Flixster]]|accessdate=12 July 2021}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], basing on 18 critics, the film holds a 71 out of a 100, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/map-of-the-human-heart/details|title=Map of the Human Heart|publisher=[[Metacritic]]|accessdate=12 July 2021}}</ref>

''Map of the Human Heart'' was critically well received by many film critics. [[Roger Ebert]] noted: "''Map of the Human Heart'' tells a soaring story of human adventure – adventure of the best kind, based not on violence, but on an amazing personal journey. It is incredible sometimes what distances can be traveled in a single human life, and this is a movie about a man who could not have imagined his end in his beginning."<ref>[[Roger Ebert|Ebert, Roger]]. [https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/map-of-the-human-heart-1993 "Review: 'Map of the Human Heart'."] ''[[RogerEbert.com]]'', 14 May 1993. Retrieved: 23 December 2015.</ref>

Brian Case in the 2004 ''Time Out Film Guide'', said: "Ward's ambitious epic love story covers two continents and three decades and, its execution apart, could have sprung from one of those fat romantic chronicles written for the typing pool. But Ward has an extravagant visual imagination so that even the more outlandish scenes, like the hero and heroine finally consummating their passion on a half-deflated barrage balloon, linger in the mind. Where lack of money cramps his vision of WWII bombing raids on Germany, the director achieves a pleasing shorthand with lighting."<ref>Case, Brian. [https://www.timeout.com/london/film/map-of-the-human-heart "Review: 'Map of the Human Heart'."] ''Time Out Film Guide''. Retrieved 12 July 2021.</ref><ref>Pin 2004, pp. 744–745.</ref>

Hal Hinson of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' said that the film is of "incantatory intensity".<ref>{{cite news|last=Hinson|first=Hal|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/longterm/movies/videos/mapofthehumanheartpg13hinson_a0a818.htm|title='Map of the Human Heart' (PG-13)|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=14 May 1993|accessdate=12 July 2021}}</ref>

===Box office===
''Map of the Human Heart'' grossed A$539,000 at the box office in Australia;<ref>[http://film.vic.gov.au/resources/documents/AA4_Aust_Box_office_report.pdf "Film Victoria – Australian Films at the Australian Box Office."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218045303/http://film.vic.gov.au/resources/documents/AA4_Aust_Box_office_report.pdf|date=18 February 2011}} ''Film Victoria''. Retrieved: 23 December 2015.</ref> £251,167 in the United Kingdom;<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Screen International]]|date=14 January 1994|page=50|title=UK films and co-productions}}</ref> US$2,806,881 in the United States and Canada and $5 million worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl1986233857/weekend/|title=Map of the Human Heart|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|publisher=[[IMDb]]|accessdate=12 July 2021}}</ref><ref name=ww/>

===Accolades===
''Map of the Human Heart'' was screened out of competition at the [[1992 Cannes Film Festival]].<ref name=cannes/> The film was nominated for the 1993 Australian Film Institute Awards where the film won as Best Film, and Vincent Ward as Best Director and Robert Joamie won in the category of Young Actor. ''Map of the Human Heart'' was also nominated for Best Original Music Score, Best Achievement in Sound, Editing and Cinematography categories. The film was also a winner in the 1993 Tokyo International Film Festival where Vincent Ward won the Best Artistic Contribution Award, and Robert Joamie along with Anne Parillaud won Special Mention for a Talent of the Future award. Further, Vincent Ward was nominated in the Tokyo Grand Prix. Jason Scott Lee was also nominated in the 1994 Chicago Film Critics Association Awards for Most Promising Actor.

==See also==
*[[Cinema of Australia]]
*[[Cinema of the UK]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*Pym, John, ed. "Map of the Human Heart." ''Time Out Film Guide''. London: Time Out Guides Limited, 2004. {{ISBN|978-0-14101-354-1}}.

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090520022602/http://colsearch.nfsa.afc.gov.au/nfsa/search/display/display.w3p;adv=yes;group=;groupequals=;holdingType=;page=0;parentid=;query=Number%3A276480;querytype=;rec=0;resCount=10 ''Map of the Human Heart'' at the National Film and Sound Archive]
*{{IMDb title|0104812}}
*[http://vincentwardfilms.com/films/map-of-the-human-heart/synopsis/ ''Map of the Human Heart'' at Vincent Ward Films]
*[http://www.ozmovies.com.au/movie/map-of-the-human-heart ''Map of the Human Heart''] at Oz Movies
{{Vincent Ward}}

[[Category:Australian drama films]]
[[Category:British aviation films]]
[[Category:British drama films]]
[[Category:Canadian aviation films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Vincent Ward]]
[[Category:Films produced by Tim Bevan]]
[[Category:Films set in Canada]]
[[Category:Films shot in Nunavut]]
[[Category:PolyGram Filmed Entertainment films]]
[[Category:Working Title Films films]]
[[Category:Australian World War II films]]
[[Category:British World War II films]]
[[Category:Canadian World War II films]]
[[Category:English-language Canadian films]]
[[Category:1993 drama films]]
[[Category:Films about Inuit in Canada]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:1990s Canadian films]]
[[Category:1990s British films]]
[[Category:Works about the bombing of Dresden]]