Written and directed by Jessie Ray Short, Short retraces her great-granduncle’s (Edouard Beaupré [1881–1904], also known as the “Willow Bunch Giant” and one of the tallest men in recorded history) journey from his hometown in Saskatchewan to his tragic death at the St. Louis World’s Fair, and his bizarre posthumous voyage.
Edouard Beaupré was over eight feet tall, that’s certainly something you don’t see every day, and something that in his time would have been a genuine spectacle. That of course comes with advantages and disadvantages, people who are seen as different to the social norm still face obstacles today, let alone over a hundred years ago. Moon Noonk Edouard explores both sides of that, how he used his height to earn money for his family, but also how that work took a serious toll.
There is also a larger story at work, the story of what happened to Beaupré after his death, and the almost unbelievable details of the heinous actions by uncaring, greedy people. When it arrives at that portion of the story, Moon Noonk Edouard becomes much stronger but up until then, it simply feels like a family history. It spends a lot of time moving as if it’s walking through a family album, and that’s a very niche story to tell, and doesn’t have a great deal of wider appeal. It feels too specifically focused, and made more for the family, than viewers.
It does still have a touching, sincere story to tell but with it coming in at thirty-five minutes, it didn’t really have enough to sustain it. There is the occasional artistic touch by Jessie Ray Short to portray how this story is told through her eyes as she tries to transport herself back to her great-granduncle’s time and try to understand his perspective. However, they’re few and far between, and feel as though Short didn’t fully commit to making them a part of true part of Moon Noonk Edouard so they stand out rather than blend into the style.
There is ultimately an interesting story to be found within Moon Noonk Edouard, one of struggle, mistreatment and a lack of empathy towards people who are different, but it takes too long to get there. The short feels a lot like it’s made specifically for the family, rather than necessarily for a wider audience, it’s a very personal film and ends up focusing too far inwards. It does have sincere emotion, and it’s touching at times, but for the most part, it’s too simple for it’s rather lengthy runtime.
FilmCarnage.com 