Les dieux sont tombés sur la tête (1980)
"The Gods Must Be Crazy" (original title)

A comic allegory about a traveling Bushman who encounters modern civilization and its stranger aspects, including a clumsy scientist and a band of revolutionaries.

Director:

Jamie Uys

Writer:

Jamie Uys

Stars:

N!xau, Marius Weyers, Sandra Prinsloo

3 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Marius Weyers	...	Andrew Steyn
Sandra Prinsloo	...	Kate Thompson
N!xau	...	Xi
Louw Verwey	...	Sam Boga
Michael Thys	...	Mpudi
Nic de Jager	...	Jack Hind
Fanyana H. Sidumo	...	Card 1
Joe Seakatsie	...	Card 2
Brian O'Shaughnessy	...	Mr. Thompson
Ken Gampu	...	President
Paddy O'Byrne	...	Narrator (voice)

Storyline

A Sho in the Kalahari desert encounters technology for the first time--in the shape of a Coke bottle. He takes it back to his people, and they use it for many tasks. The people start to fight over it, so he decides to return it to the God--where he thinks it came from. Meanwhile, we are introduced to a school teacher assigned to a small village, a despotic revolutionary, and a clumsy biologist.

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Plot Keywords:

kalahari | bottle | desert | bushman | mock execution | 

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Taglines:

At last, a comedy everyone can laugh with!

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Genres:

Action | Comedy

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Details

Country:

Botswana South Africa

Language:

English Afrikaans Ungwatsi

Release Date:

19 January 1983 (France)

Also Known As:

Les dieux sont tombés sur la tête

Filming Locations:

South Africa

Box Office

Gross:

$51,200,000 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

CAT Films, Mimosa Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film was world's biggest foreign box office hit during its release.

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Goofs

When the Jeep is in the river and Andrew looks for something to hook the winch cable onto, he comes to the end of the cable, takes 3 steps back, and somehow gets enough cable to throw the end around a branch about 40 feet above his head.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: It looks like a paradise, but it is in fact the most treacherous desert in the world... the Kalahari. After the short rainy season, there are many waterholes, and even rivers. But after a few weeks, the water sinks away into the deep Kalahari sand, the waterholes dry up, and the rivers stop flowing. The grass fades to a beautiful blond colour that offers excellent grazing. But for the next nine months there will be no water to drink, so most of the animals move away, leaving the ...

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Connections

References La fièvre du samedi soir (1977)

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Soundtracks

Song of the Shepherd
(uncredited) [UK release print]
Music by Jack Trombey
De Wolfe Music Ltd

User Reviews

Lots of laughs, honest joy.

I don't know that I've ever seen a movie that had such innocent joy - I'm not sure if any other movie I've seen had any innocent joy, for that matter.

Perhaps what true joy I've seen in movies is civilized and therefore self-conscious.

Anyway, you can look at the crazy civilized world through the eyes of these innocents and have joy about it instead of cynicism. Can ordinary pain relievers do that?

The premise is how one empty Coke bottle in the garden of Eden could corrupt it. They do a totally believable job of it, too.

Lots of laughs, kids loved it. I saw it in the theaters in the mid-80's and am glad I saw it again. You'll like it. It will lighten your heart.