Map of the Human Heart
| Map of the Human Heart | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Vincent Ward |
| Produced by |
Tim Bevan Vincent Ward |
| Screenplay by | Louis Nowra |
| Story by | Vincent Ward |
| Starring |
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| Music by | Gabriel Yared |
| Cinematography | Eduardo Serra |
| Edited by | John Scott Frans Vandenburg |
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Production
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| Distributed by | Miramax Films |
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Release date
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Running time
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109 minutes |
| Country | Australia United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $2,806,881 |
Map of the Human Heart (also called Carte du Tendre and La Carte du Tendre ) is a 1993 film by New Zealand 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.
Map of the Human Heart, set mostly before and during the Second World War, centres on the life of Avik, a Canadian Inuit boy. The film stars Robert Joamie and Jason Scott Lee as both 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 Québécois nun. John Cusack also has a small but important role as the mapmaker to whom Avik relates his incredible tale.
In 1931, in the Arctic-Canadian settlement of Nunataaq, Avik (Robert Joamie) lives under the watchful eye of his grandmother (Jayko Pitseolak). 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 girl and 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 the 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 in a 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, sends Avik and his crew on a suicide mission of which Avik is the lone survivor. During his missions, he also participates in the firebombing of Dresden.
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