The Savage Innocents (1960)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Nicholas Ray

Writers:

Hans Ruesch (adaptation) &
Franco Solinas (adaptation) ...

Release Date:

15 February 1961 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Crime | Drama

Tagline:

A moving story of the clash between the primitive Polar world and modern civilisation. [Video]

Plot:

An Eskimo who has had little contact with white men goes to a trading post where he accidentally kills a missionary and finds himself being pursued by the police. |

Plot Keywords:

Eskimo | Ice | On The Run | Weather | Investigator

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Anthony Quinn	...	Inuk
Yoko Tani	...	Asiak
Carlo Giustini	...	Second Trooper
Peter O'Toole	...	First Trooper
Marie Yang	...	Powtee
Marco Guglielmi	...	Missionary
Kaida Horiuchi	...	Imina
Lee Montague	...	Ittimargnek
Andy Ho	...	Anarvik
Anna May Wong	...	Hiko
Yvonne Shima	...	Lulik
Anthony Chinn	...	Kiddok
Francis De Wolff	...	Trading Post Proprietor
Michael Chow	...	Undik
Ed Devereaux	...	Pilot

Also Known As:

Les dents du diable (France)
Ombre bianche (Italy)
Top of the World (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

France | Italy | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

UK:12 (re-rating) (2005) | UK:A (original rating) | Iceland:L | West Germany:16 (f) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:15

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company:

Gray Film-Pathé

Trivia:

It was seeing this film, as an upcoming singer/songwriter, that inspired the young Bob Dylan to write the song "The Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo)."

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Permanent Vacation (1980)

Soundtrack:

Iceberg

one of the best

I saw and heard Anthony Quinn in a television interview about his autobiography which had just been published. He said that there were only three films out of the many that he had made in his life that he was truly proud of. The Savage Innocents was one of the three. (Guess what the other two were. Right! Zorba and La Strada.) This estimation puts this movie in with some very select company. And this film deserves it.

It is NOT a documentary. There is a story here, an exciting story, at times edge of your seat--or maybe I should say, a number of stories, all interesting, all moving. The photography, sound, scenery, acting, all were excellent.

What struck me most, out of a long list, was the way the point of view of these Inuit people was gotten across. For instance, the missionary butts his head into the igloo and says, "God be with you." Quinn looks puzzled, glances at his wife and says, "No, there's nobody here but us." When the missionary goes on preaching at them, trying to convert them to the "true" faith, Quinn whispers to his wife, "I think he needs to laugh with a woman. Make yourself beautiful." In other words, the guy needs to get laid. The Freudian insight implied by these simple remarks is staggering. And this is only a small sample.

Perhaps the fate of this movie had a lot to do with the advertising. The picture at the top of this page suggests that this is a "savage" movie. It isn't. The title itself is unfortunate.

Yes, when oh when will we get to see this movie again? When will the savage and not-so-innocent moguls deign to put this beautiful film onto DVD?