Never Cry Wolf (film) - Plot

Plot

A young, naive biologist named Tyler (Smith) is assigned by the government to travel to the isolated Canadian arctic wilderness and study why the area's caribou population is declining, believed due to indiscriminate wolf-pack attacks. Tyler receives a baptism of fire into bush life with a trip by bush plane piloted by an odd, adventurous bush pilot named Rosie (Dennehy). After landing at the destination, Rosie leaves Tyler and his gear in the middle of a subzero Arctic nowhere. Unsure of where to start, Tyler's indecision quickly imperils him until he's rescued by a travelling Inuit named Ootek (Ittimangnaq), who builds a shelter for him.

Alone, Tyler's days are divided between research and mere personal survival, while nights are fraught with anxiety-born nightmares of wolf attacks upon him. He soon encounters two wolves—which he names George and Angeline, who have pups—and discovers they seem as curious of him as he is of them, slowly dispelling their mutual fears. He and the wolves both begin social exchanges, even urine-marking their territories, producing trust and respect between them.

A person of procedure, Tyler soon discovers the simple, blunt arctic is indifferent to his sense of order: weather extremes, ranging from cold snow to warmer heavy rains, compromise his shelter, his paperwork duties, his research. Complicating matters further are an invasive horde of arctic mice: they're everywhere, frustrating him and the wolves, yet the wolves seem to cope with the madness by eating the mice, which Tyler emulates in his own bizarre way to see if an animal can survive on mice alone.

Another Inuit named Mike (Jorah) encounters Tyler, sent by Ootek for companionship. Mike knows English and Inuit, translating between Ootek and Tyler. Tyler's descriptions of his new lifestyle receive lengthy responses from Ootek, which Mike coyly translates as "Good idea!" Ootek, the elder, is content and curious, while Mike seems not only more reserved but unhappy with the Inuit way of life, confessing to Tyler his own social apprehensions, including that of his deteriorating teeth. Tyler soon discovers that Mike is a wolf hunter, killing for pelts. Also, Tyler demonstrates a trick he's learned to Mike and Ootek: by playing certain notes on his bassoon, Tyler can give a fair imitation of a wolf howl, calling other wolves in.

Fall nears, and Tyler hears that the caribou are migrating south, which will provide an opportunity for him to study the concept his superiors want to confirm; however, it also provides another bonding occasion between Tyler and the wolves as he helps drive caribou towards the pack, which soon takes a caribou down. Having gained the wolves' trust, Tyler takes a bone and samples the marrow, discovering the dead caribou to be diseased; it confirms the wolves, true to Inuit lore, are not the perceived ruthless, savage killers but rather Nature's instrument for keeping the caribou strong.

Tyler encounters Rosie nearby with two hunter-guests, making plans to commercially exploit the area's resources. Rosie's lot has improved, having moved up to a nicer Pilatus Porter turboprop bush plane on floats. Rosie insists on flying out Tyler, who defiantly refuses; Rosie then offers to extract Tyler from his research campsite in two days, the time it will take him to hike back. Tyler is alarmed at the realization that Rosie has already been to his camp.

Tyler returns to the base to find things very still. He ventures into the wolves' territory and goes into their den, only to find the pups cowering in fear. Rosie's plane approaches outside. Believing that Rosie killed George and Angeline, Tyler goes out, angrily shouting at Rosie to leave. Rosie continues his approach until Tyler starts firing his shotgun at him. Rosie grimaces, then takes off.

Tyler goes to his camp to find Mike resting, preparing for his final hike home. Mike's nervous demeanor causes Tyler to suspect the truth: it was Mike, not Rosie, who shot the wolves. Without saying it directly, Mike confirms Tyler's suspicions, revealing he has new dentures (and several other luxuries of the modern world), saying "This thing that's happening is bigger than you. It's a question of how you survive it. Survival of the fittest." He leaves, hiking for home.

Some time later, Tyler goes to a high point at the base and plays the wolf call on his bassoon, bringing in other wolves in George and Angeline's pack. The pups are quickly absorbed into the pack, and will live to fight another day. Tyler reflects sadly on his time here, and how he may have helped bring the modern world to this place. The narration implies that Tyler will eventually return to civilization and recover from his experiences here. Ootek has returned, and he and Tyler break camp and trek across the fall tundra, enjoying each others' company, along with the words of an Inuit song:

"I think over again my small adventures, my fears.
Those small ones that seemed so big.
For all the vital things I had to get and to reach.
And yet there is only one great thing, the only thing:
To live to see the great day that dawns
and the light that fills the world."