The Bear (1988)

An orphan bear cub hooks up with an adult male as they try to dodge human hunters.

Director:

Jean-Jacques Annaud

Writers:

James Oliver Curwood (novel), Gérard Brach (screenplay)

Stars:

Tchéky Karyo, Bart the Bear, Youk the Bear

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 5 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Bart the Bear	...	The Kodiak Bear
Youk the Bear	...	The Bear Cub
Tchéky Karyo	...	Tom
Jack Wallace	...	Bill
André Lacombe	...	Le chasseur aux chiens

Storyline

The director of Quest for Fire (1981) creates yet another film in nature with almost no human dialogue in this picturesque story of an orphaned bear cub who is adopted by an adult male bear and must avoid hunters. Bart the Bear stars in this anthropomorphic fantasy.

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Plot Keywords:

19th century | year 1885 | bear | 1880s | survival | 

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Taglines:

He's an orphan... at the start of a journey. A journey to survive.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Family

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Brach and Annaud decided to set the film in the late 19th century to create a perception of true wilderness, especially for the human characters.

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Goofs

The rock that kills the mother bear is noticeably smaller than the boulder that rests atop the dead bear.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Bill: [examining bear tracks] That's a huge male; bet he's more'n fifteen hundred pounds.

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Connections

Referenced in La revanche du primate (2004)

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Soundtracks

End Title Theme
Music adapted from "June: Barcarolle"
by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (uncredited), from "The Seasons"
Played by Orchestra

User Reviews

Possibly The Best 'Animal Film' Ever

Almost 20 years later, this remains the best of "animal" movies I've ever seen - where there is little dialog and animals dominate the screen. The amazing photography with the bears, the stunning cinematography overall and the great landscape (British Columbia) all make this a visual treat. Even better, it's an interesting story and has remained that with each of the viewings I've had of this film since discovering it in the mid '90s.

It's a solid adventure story, and the little bear in here is lovable. The "bad guys" (the hunters) aren't really all that bad, either. The bears' performances are fascinating, simply amazing. It must have taken incredible patience to film this movie.

Outside of a couple of "damns," there is no profanity and, I would think, is a great film for any age person to see. Highly recommended.

Details

Country:

France USA

Language:

English French

Release Date:

27 October 1989 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Bear

Filming Locations:

Austria

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,676,530, 29 October 1989

Gross USA:

$31,753,898

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$31,753,898

Company Credits

Production Co:

Price, Renn Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min 89 min (uncut) 85 min (theatrical)

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby Stereo (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1