This film reflects its international pedigree. Canadian films are wonderful when viewed in their "language" and film syntax, kind of a cross between French & English & Australian films in caprice, intelligence, plot development, and subjects. American movie goers and film watchers (and Reviewers here) find something missing or too over-the-top in Canadian projects, wherever they're financed. "Snow Walker" was good but not "Hollywood." "Battle of the Brave" was good; not exactly Hollywood. "Map of the Human Heart;" very, very good in its own vernacular. Very good - and moving and thought-provoking, and so on ..."Map..." has a love scene that could have come from the mind & imagination of Spielberg. Though not long or overly explicit, it may be one of the most unique and remarkable and perfectly contextual in all of film. Beautiful. Watch and see, near, or in, the 3rd Act.Annie Galipeau is young here, and good, and presages her role in "Grey Owl" with Pierce Brosnan.Thanks MIRAMAX for putting money into risky, off-the-worn-sprocket-hole projects.

I absolutely adore this film and was overjoyed when it eventually became available on DVD. But was rather disappointed that they have never released a directors cut, I remember when it first came out there was a 4-5 hour version show at the Venice or Berlin film festival, I still have the cutting of a review from the screening and the writer was totally blown away by it and commented that it deserved to be released uncut. But back then as we know now people weren't prepared to sit in a cinema for that long, but now with the advent of DVD and everyone basically wanting a cinema at home with large plasma and 5.1 sound, its great that you are now getting the choice to see these gems as they were originally envisioned, its a real shame as i personally feel that this was a highlight of everyone involved in this movie, and is wards best movie, you also can tell when watching it that there is a lot of stuff missing, especially in the cuts from scene to scene. I don't think that a couple of deleted scenes was enough on the DVD, and the score is totally amazing,why no isolated track, try and get a hold of it if you can, it took me nearly 11 years to get my hands on it, eventually gave up hope of ever finding it and by pure chance found it in a second hand store in a tiny village called Comrie in Scotland, it was fate i think,paid 10p for it on cd, its by Gabriel Yared and is amazing.Anyway buy it on DVD its worth it and i cant ever see them releasing it uncut unfortunately, unless they ever release a vincent ward box set, now that would be worth buying. Anyone know of any other version available then please post comment.

There is probably a great book behind this movie, because the epic sweep of the story is interesting, ranging from the 1920s in the Canadian north, through World War II, to a return to the north in the 1960s. However, the characters are so underdeveloped, the script so disjointed, and the motivations so vague that it is difficult to comprehend what they were trying to achieve in this film. Consequently, I can't recommend it. I'm not sure what the other reviewer saw in this film, but this is not a great love story, it's not even a good attempt at a love story. As an attempt to present a slice of history it is also a disappointment, so shallow and unrealistic in its portrayal of events like the Dresden bombing that you really don't understand the horror. It's almost as if the firebombing was done just because one British officer was dumped by a German girl before the war,

This is an engrossing love story and adventure, told in flashback. The film does not resort to lurid melodrama, to recycled storylines, but seems to grow organically and unpredictably. The imagery of the film resonates long afterwards. We experience the horrors of war and the exhilaration of reunited lovers, and the film's final scene is truly haunting and heartbreaking. A remarkable achievement.