Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: "Quest For Fire" (1981)

This is topic "Quest For Fire" (1981) in forum The Afterlife at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=12;t=000134

Posted by Aaron Mehocic (Member # 15) on 04-14-2003, 11:17 AM:

Has anybody ever seen this film and if so could somebody write a quick review. I understand it was directed by Jean Jacque Annaud and marketed in French. I've also heard that the dialog is exclusively "caveman speak" (I other words, basically just bable written for the film itself). IMDB says the film is "beautiful", but I can not find a video store within 25 a mile radius that has any clue what I'm talking about. As strange as it sounds I'd love to see this film. I've always had this weird attraction to prehistoric human history and the migration of paleoindian to the Americas (though I realize thats not exactly the plot of the film).
Thanks

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 04-14-2003, 12:18 PM:

Aaron,

I saw "QUEST FOR FIRE" during it's first run at the Waikiki #2 (Twins) in Honolulu in a blow up 70mm print in 1982 and yes, it was beautiful and so was Rae Dawn Chong in a natural state. [Smile]

A special language for the film by Anthony Burges was created and also body language movements by Desmond Morris. A DVD of the film was recently released by Fox but I have not seen it and have no plans add this to my collection.

-Claude

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 04-14-2003, 10:41 PM:

In one scene, the main caveman character gets stuck in some quicksand and is about to drown in the mud. All he can do is say "haugh!" repeatedly. Some cavemen in a rival tribe are chunking rocks at him, a couple of which bonk him on the head.

I'm not sure why I found that oddly funny. Does that make me a bad person?

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 04-15-2003, 06:12 PM:

If anyone is interested in "QUEST FOR FIRE" on DVD. You can purchase it for less than $10.00 if you have a Costco store in your area. I just saw it at ours this morning. It comes with Dolby 5.1 sound, commentary by the director and Rae Dawn Chong plus the original theatrical trailer.

-Claude

Posted by Harry Robinson (Member # 265) on 04-29-2003, 10:21 PM:

Okay you guys, you got me. This is one of my favorite movies. First of all, Bobby, the scene is supposed to be funny, as is much of the film. In fact sections of it border on slapstick. One great scene is where Ron Pearlman's character wants to pick up all the bananas at once and he keeps dropping them. It reminds me of when I try to get my socks out of the dryer.

An interesting side bar to this movie is the way the Coen brothers played on it in O Brother Where Art Thou?
In O Brother there are three protagonists who set forth on an odyessic adventure in search of treasure. The Lead stooge is Ulysses Everett McGill, and he is accompanied by a tall goofy guy and a short goofier guy. In Quest for Fire the lead stooge was played by Canadian actor Everett McGill, and he was accompanied by tall and short goofy companions.

It's been many years since I've seen this film, but this week I am going to have the opportunity to see an original 35mm print. If I pick up any more parallels to O Brother I'll list them here.