Man in the Wilderness (1971)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Richard C. Sarafian

Writer:

Jack DeWitt (writer)

Release Date:

19 December 1971 (Sweden)

Genre:

Adventure | Western

Tagline:

He was left for dead. He would not forget.

Plot:

In the early 1800's, a group of fur trappers and Indian traders are returning with their goods to civilisation...

Plot Keywords:

Bear Attack | Expedition | Revenge | Bear | Trapper

Cast

Richard Harris	...	Zachary Bass
John Huston	...	Captain Filmore Henry
Prunella Ransome	...	Grace Bass, Zachary's Wife
Percy Herbert	...	Fogarty
Dennis Waterman	...	Lowrie, Assistant Hunter
Henry Wilcoxon	...	Indian Chief
Sheila Raynor	...	Grace's Mother
Norman Rossington	...	Ferris the Surgeon
James Doohan	...	Benoit
Bryan Marshall	...	Potts
Ben Carruthers	...	Longbow
Robert Russell	...	Smith
John Bindon	...	Coulter
Bruce M. Fischer	...	Wiser
Dean Selmier	...	Russell

Runtime:

104 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) | Iceland:16 | Singapore:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | USA:GP (original rating) | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Almería, Andalucía, Spain

Company:

Limbridge

Trivia:

On the possibles list for Grace were Jennifer Daniel and 'Suzzane Neve'. Sharon Gurney was offered the role.

Goofs:

Factual errors: There is a closeup (two, possibly) of the younger of the two men who were left with Zach Bass. They are hiding from the Indians, before Bass is left for dead. He is looking down the barrel of his flintlock musket (or rifle) and there is no flint in the cock, which would make it impossible for the arm to fire.

Quotes:

Ferris: You'd take the pennies off your dead mother's eyes.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Scream Bloody Murder (1973/I)

Savage Compassion

Savage and unrelenting, but, compassionate and immensely rewarding tale of a fur trapper, near-fatally mauled by a bear, surviving to exact revenge upon those who left him for dead. A distant and withdrawn character, Zachary Bass (Harris), who through a series of ordeals, recalls both the tumultuous and neglected events in his life that he is now compelled to resurrect. His quest is both a harrowing and moving experience, with a sincere, thoughtful performance by the late Richard Harris.

"Man in the Wilderness" boasts breathtaking scenery, a memorable score, and supporting performances played with conviction, particularly by John Huston and Percy Herbert. While it might draw parallels with Harris' "Horse" trilogy, this role is a more complex characterisation, developed without the benefit of dialogue, but through actions, expressions and emotions.

I've read reviews of this film that claim that the movie is uninvolving and gratuitously violent, but nothing, in my opinion, could be further from the truth. If ever there was a character with whom you could empathise, and follow to a poignant (and satisfying) conclusion, Zachary Bass is that character. A metaphoric journey from his own personal "wilderness" to a state of self consciousness in both his existence, and purpose. If ever there was a movie that could depict the challenges that he would face, and intertwine them with the complex motivations for his desire to survive, "Man in the Wilderness" is that movie. A rare gem.