Quest for Fire (1981)
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Quest for Fire Movie Review
Quest for Fire is a 1981 Canadian historical adventure film directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud. It is such an interesting and mostly very successful experiment.
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“Fire was a symbol of power and a means of survival.
The tribe who possessed fire, possessed life“
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It is set in Paleolithic Europe around 80.000 years ago and it follows the titular quest for fire as well as the early interactions between different human tribes. It is a very interesting, fascinating story that is actually surprisingly realistic in its portrayal of early human populations.
The movie is basically a silent film with a score and sound effects and sometimes rare words spoken, but mostly we just follow the actions and interactions of different tribes and their most important struggle which is the knowledge and control of fire. The movie is a wonderful and high-spirited prehistoric adventure that can also be pretty powerful and emotionally resonant at times.
The character development is actually very strong here, especially for a wordless picture. The main trio is very well portrayed and the girl they come across is not only incredibly important, but also a highly likable and fun character who brought both knowledge and laughter to the group.
Yes, the film showcases the early usage of fire as well as the various methods of obtaining and containing it. It also showcases the different tools as well as arts developed during this period. The most fascinating aspect of the film is seeing how different all of the tribes were back then as some were basically dumb cavemen whereas others had quite advanced societies with even tools, clothes and rituals.
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Sex is the most fascinating thing in Quest of Fire. Certainly today’s politically correct idiotic minds will proclaim the film sexist and that it supports rape, but in actuality the opposite is the case. The humans back then were so primitive that there wasn’t a social construct and definition of rape as sex just happened when the males wanted it.
However, the film shows us the arrival of love and certainly the first scene in which the two protagonists do not have sex but definitely make love is simply incredible to witness. There we witness the beginning of romantic relationships, love and mutual understanding which is even more important for modern society than science and knowledge. The film portrayed that beautifully and very subtly and I admired the director a lot for it.
Another interesting thing about Quest for Fire is its humor. Certainly some of the humor was too immature and silly, but for the most part the film made me smile and even laugh and it is a wonderful showcase of how important and even crucial laughter was for the future of humanity. I loved the emphasis on that. While the world is certainly brutal and unforgiving and most especially in prehistoric times, the world can also be wonderful and funny which this film gives us.
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Quest for Fire is technically terrific. The cinematography is wonderful and the film is perfectly shot and with some wonderful imagery at display too. Some of the effects felt dated, but mostly the film looks timeless and realistic. Everything that happens to them with some exceptions (the bear scene felt unrealistic) is plausible and it could have very well happened back then. The attention to detail is overwhelming in recreating this time period and for the most part the film is truthful and immensely observant. The direction from Jean-Jacques Annaud is also terrific.
Quest for Fire is a wonderful prehistoric adventure which is beautifully shot, superbly directed by Jean-Jacque Annaud and for the most part very plausible and grounded in reality. Its attention to detail is admirable and it succeeds as this fascinating, mostly wordless and largely very successful experiment. But in the end, the film’s highest accomplishment is actually its very important, subtle and ultimately moving portrayal of the arrival of knowledge, love and laughter as humanity’s most essential tools.
