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Man of Aran
The Aran Islands lie off Western Ireland. All three are small—wastes of rock—without trees—without soil. In winter storms they are almost smothered by the sea, which, because of the peculiar shelving of the coast, piles up into one of the most gigantic seas ever witnessed by man.
This unique book is at once vivid autobiography and the dramatic story behind Robert Flaherty's magnificent film "Man of Aran," produced in 1934. It is an epic saga of the heroic struggle of the Aran Islanders in an elemental environment.
Pat Mullen was one of the actors in the film; but his part was more than that of acting. He was the intermediary between the producer and the islanders, who made the film possible; and much of its spirit is derived from Mullen's own character.
There are the experiences and the philosophy of the islanders themselves, and finally the impact of the dynamic Robert Flaherty upon their isolation in the Atlantic seas. It is an epic story sparkling with true Celtic humor.
"You say we are primitive. We are. Just primitive men and women left behind by what you call progress. But we are happy. It is not the happiness of ignorance, for we are our own masters. Our work on this film is the first we have done for any man. The only master we have ever known is the sea."
— "Tiger" King , Robert Flaherty's "man of Aran"
This unique book is at once vivid autobiography and the dramatic story behind Robert Flaherty's magnificent film "Man of Aran," produced in 1934. It is an epic saga of the heroic struggle of the Aran Islanders in an elemental environment.
Pat Mullen was one of the actors in the film; but his part was more than that of acting. He was the intermediary between the producer and the islanders, who made the film possible; and much of its spirit is derived from Mullen's own character.
There are the experiences and the philosophy of the islanders themselves, and finally the impact of the dynamic Robert Flaherty upon their isolation in the Atlantic seas. It is an epic story sparkling with true Celtic humor.
"You say we are primitive. We are. Just primitive men and women left behind by what you call progress. But we are happy. It is not the happiness of ignorance, for we are our own masters. Our work on this film is the first we have done for any man. The only master we have ever known is the sea."
— "Tiger" King , Robert Flaherty's "man of Aran"
286 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1970
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 10, 2018
It's best to see Robert Flaherty's film "Man Of Aran" before reading this. It's available on YouTube. Flaherty also directed "Nanook Of The North". The book chronicles the making of the film. Aran is an island off the Irish coast with very little vegetation. The small population subsides on seaweed/kelp farming. The riveting scenes in the film depicting treacherous shark hunting are even more exciting in the book. It's a great time capsule of Irish life in the 1920's.
April 2, 2019
This was about the making of the documentary film "Man of Aran." Of interest, although the long passages about the many, many takes of boats and sharks and danger put me to sleep nearly as well as the film itself has. Written in 1934.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews