Map of the Human Heart

R

1993

1 hr. 46 min.

Romance

List

78%

23 Reviews

Tomatometer

81%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

In an Arctic village in 1931, British mapmaker Walter Russell (Patrick Bergin) selects 12-year-old Eskimo Avik (Robert Joamie) as his guide. When the boy contracts tuberculosis, Walter flies him to a Montreal hospital, where Avik meets Albertine (Annie Galipeau) and is infatuated. A decade later, a grown Avik (Jason Scott Lee) encounters Albertine (Anne Parillaud) again in London, where he's serving as a British combat pilot. Despite her relationship with Walter, she and Avik begin an affair.

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Audience Member

What a wonderful find. The best scenes are with the kid versions of the protagonist and his love interest. The ending is something of a left-field choice, but I understand why the director went in that direction. Overall, a really satisfying and unconventional romantic drama.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

Audience Member

One of the best romantic films of the year.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Strangely, i wasn't affected by the story nor performance of the lead actors nor the music of the movie! I'm not quite sure about this tragic tale of half-breeds being always below the white man.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Life is a map of death

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Don't watch if you're a John Cusack fan because he's barely in the flick. But it has the best portrayal of the bombing of Dresden in World War II I've ever seen. Other than that it is a tragic love story of sorts. The movie stars Jason Scott Lee who was also working Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story at the same time.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

"Map of the Human Heart" es un estupendo romance situado durante la segunda guerra mundial y contado desde el punto de vista de un eskimal. La cinta inicia con el encuentro con un explorador inglés durante su infancia, quién lo llevará a conocer al amor de su vida en un hospital (ella y él son pacientes). El reparto da muy buenas actuaciones y su director Vincent Ward crea estupendas composiciones (sin duda merece de una edición especial en bluray). Esta es una joya, no muy conocida, de los noventas.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

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Vincent Ward

Director

Jason Scott Lee

Avik

Anne Parillaud

Albertine

Patrick Bergin

Walter Russell

Robert Joamie

Young Avik

Annie Galipeau

Young Albertine

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Anthony Lane

New Yorker

This private epic by the New Zealand director Vincent Ward moves across continents, languages, and elements - from pack ice to hellfire and back again.

Dec 21, 2020

Full Review

Janet Maslin

New York Times

Even by Mr. Ward's own high standards in the area of idiosyncrasy, this is a daringly peculiar tale.

Rated: 3/5

May 20, 2003

Full Review

James Berardinelli

ReelViews

Despite its historical surrounding and a few stabs at thematic depth, Map of the Human Heart has all the flavor and plot complexity of a Harlequin romance.

Rated: 2/4

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Brian D. Johnson

Maclean's Magazine

Mixing up actors and locations from all over the map, the film seems strained by the demands of international coproduction.

Oct 11, 2019

Full Review

Quentin Curtis

Independent on Sunday

New Zealander Vincent Ward's Map of the Human Heart spans half the century and most of the world, from 1931 to 1966, the Arctic to England, telling an unlikely story with visionary verve.

Nov 29, 2017

Full Review

Chuck O'Leary

FulvueDrive-in.com

Rated: 2/5

May 7, 2007

Full Review

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Synopsis

In an Arctic village in 1931, British mapmaker Walter Russell (Patrick Bergin) selects 12-year-old Eskimo Avik (Robert Joamie) as his guide. When the boy contracts tuberculosis, Walter flies him to a Montreal hospital, where Avik meets Albertine (Annie Galipeau) and is infatuated. A decade later, a grown Avik (Jason Scott Lee) encounters Albertine (Anne Parillaud) again in London, where he's serving as a British combat pilot. Despite her relationship with Walter, she and Avik begin an affair.

Director: Vincent Ward
Rating: R
Genre: Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 23, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.4M

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