Product: La Guerre du feu (1982)
Rating: 4.0
A uniquely entertaining film
This is a great watch- gripping, humorous, touching, and totally unique. Taking place as it does in the prehistoric past, let's just say that this isn't a dialogue-driven film, and the fact that the film is as engaging as it is while relying on non-verbal narrative testifies to the talent of film maker Jean-Jacques Annaud. Ron Perlman is about the only recognizable actor (and he's been the biggest hit with the French since Jerry Lewis, apparently, because you can find him in several French productions)although Rae Dawn Chong (thespian daughter of Tommy Chong of "Cheech and Chong" fame) is a notable name to look for when the credits roll. The scenery is absolutely incredible and is worthy of David Lean or Stanley Kubric (the movie was filmed on location all over the globe). I have to caution people though not to take the pre-historical content too seriously, or rather, seriously at all. There is precious little anthropological accuracy in this film despite the consultation of Desmond Morris ("The Naked Ape"). Just consider, for example, a hominid society that has fewer words in their language than a Chimpanzee call system. This is ABL (a technical anthropological acronym that stands for "Aint bloody likely"). Considering also that Homo erectus used fire about 1.2 million years ago, you'd think that an anatomically modern Homo sapiens would have mastered the concept by then. As another reviewer stated, the anthropological accuracy isn't the point of this film, so enjoy it for the great story that it is, but if you want a realistic picture of life in the Upper Paleolithic, well, this film falls somewhere on the continuum between "The Flinstones" and "Caveman."