Le ciel et la boue (1961)

In September, 1959, six Europeans leave Cook's Bay on the southern coast of Dutch New Guinea, now West Papua or Irian Jaya, to trek north to the far side of the island. The journey (450 ... See full summary »

Director:

Pierre-Dominique Gaisseau

Writer:

Pierre-Dominique Gaisseau

Stars:

Gerard Delloye, Tony Saulnier, Herve de Maigret

Won 1 Oscar. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Gerard Delloye	...	Himself
Tony Saulnier	...	Himself
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Herve de Maigret	...	Himself
William Dexter	...	Narrator (English version) (as William Peacock)
Jan Sneep	...	Himself

Storyline

In September, 1959, six Europeans leave Cook's Bay on the southern coast of Dutch New Guinea, now West Papua or Irian Jaya, to trek north to the far side of the island. The journey (450 miles, as a crow flies) across unmapped territory took seven months; three Muyu porters died. Near both coasts, the expedition met villagers who invited them to observe rituals and live with them. In the interior, all villagers kept them at bay, and they depended on air lifts from Hollandia for food and supplies. They climbed above 10,000 feet, built 14 bridges, and fought leeches and malaria. The narrator focuses on describing Stone Age savages, headhunters, and cannibals.

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Plot Keywords:

ritual | stone age | cannibal | headhunter | cannibalism | 

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Taglines:

Men of the Space Age Meet Men of the Stone Age-Incredible-But True...IT EXISTS TODAY!

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Country:

France Liechtenstein

Language:

French

Release Date:

19 June 1962 (USA)

Also Known As:

Sky Above and Mud Beneath

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ardennes Films, Michael Arthur Films, Société Parisienne de Cinéma (SPC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Max, der Taschendieb (1962)

User Reviews

Help is only a radio away...

When I was growing up I imagined adventurers to be fearless daredevils who travelled into unknown lands by themselves. Boy was I wrong. Apparently the only people who could afford to travel in the older days were rich society men who you can bet would never carry anything by themselves. This documentary was the academy award in 1960, but when viewed by today's standards looks like it is full of a bunch of whimps. The "adventurers" never lift a finger themselves and when any sort of danger arrives they radio for help. Having supplies airlifted to you at the drop of a dime isn't very impressive if you ask me.