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That Ghost kid was always a cut-up

It doesn't help that the film never gets very close to any of its characters—including Russell Means (The Last of the Mohicans) as a sort of wise mentor to Ghost, and Moon Bloodgood (Eight Below) as Ghost's love interest—or that the performances are somewhat stilted, or that the handful of special effects are pretty lame, or that the film looks unnaturally grim from beginning to end. Apocalypto celebrated nature in all its wondrous, vicious beauty, and 300 was unapologetically synthetic from beginning to end, but Pathfinder tries to have it both ways: it was shot mostly on location, with natural trees and beaches, but all the footage has gone through a digital process that drains the scenery of its color—and even with all that digital manipulation, the occasional CGI effect still stands out for its tackiness!

It's a shame, because the film has the basic ingredients of a decent myth. The clash of cultures, Ghost's struggle to figure out who he is, and similar themes all could have been interesting to explore. But no matter how primal these themes are, you still need a certain level of craft to pull it off, and you still have to create human beings who can make these themes matter. Apocalypto and 300 were animated by ideas, however crudely expressed, but Pathfinder, alas, has nothing to say.

Talk About It

1. Ghost, as a Viking raised by Native Americans, struggles to find a sense of self. Where do you find your sense of self? Is it in ancestry? Community? Upbringing? Personal choices? Which factors matter most to you?
2. How important is it to have a sense of self in order to help other people? What do you make of the advice that the elder Pathfinder gives to Ghost? How have people helped you find your path? How have you helped others to find theirs?
3. Starfire tells Ghost that Love and Hate are like "two wolves fighting in every man's heart," and she says the wolf that wins is "the one you feed the most." Do you agree? Is it possible to love and hate at the same time? How do we feed these wolves?

The Family Corner

Pathfinder is rated R for strong brutal violence throughout, including various forms of dismemberment, throat slashings, eyeball gouging, impaling, drowning, and at least one brief and quickly thwarted rape attempt (no nudity is shown). A Native American shaman speaks of a "prophecy" and performs a healing ritual on a wounded man.

Photos © Copyright 20th Century Fox

© Peter T. Chattaway subject to licensing agreement with Christianity Today International. All rights reserved. Click for reprint information.

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