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Ravenous

  • 19991999
  • RR
  • 1h 41m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
40K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Ravenous (1999)
Home Video Trailer from 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Play trailer0:31
3 Videos
99+ Photos
  • Adventure
  • Horror
  • Western

In a remote military outpost in the 19th century, Captain John Boyd and his regiment embark on a rescue mission which takes a dark turn when they are ambushed by a sadistic cannibal.In a remote military outpost in the 19th century, Captain John Boyd and his regiment embark on a rescue mission which takes a dark turn when they are ambushed by a sadistic cannibal.In a remote military outpost in the 19th century, Captain John Boyd and his regiment embark on a rescue mission which takes a dark turn when they are ambushed by a sadistic cannibal.

IMDb RATING
6.9/10
40K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Antonia Bird
  • Writer
    • Ted Griffin
  • Stars
    • Guy Pearce
    • Robert Carlyle
    • David Arquette
Top credits
  • Director
    • Antonia Bird
  • Writer
    • Ted Griffin
  • Stars
    • Guy Pearce
    • Robert Carlyle
    • David Arquette
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 339User reviews
    • 149Critic reviews
    • 46Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 6 nominations

    Videos3

    Ravenous
    Trailer 0:31
    Ravenous
    Ravenous
    Trailer 0:31
    Ravenous
    What to Watch After "I Am Not Okay With This"
    Clip 3:39
    What to Watch After "I Am Not Okay With This"

    Photos136

    Neal McDonough in Ravenous (1999)
    Robert Carlyle and Guy Pearce in Ravenous (1999)
    Robert Carlyle and Guy Pearce in Ravenous (1999)
    Robert Carlyle and Guy Pearce in Ravenous (1999)
    Colqhoun (Robert Carlyle) prepares to enjoy his next meal.
    Robert Carlyle in Ravenous (1999)
    Antonia Bird in Ravenous (1999)
    Ravenous (1999)
    quad movie poster 49 x 30
    Ravenous (1999)
    Robert Carlyle and Guy Pearce in Ravenous (1999)
    Guy Pearce in Ravenous (1999)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Guy Pearce
    Guy Pearce
    • Capt. John Boydas Capt. John Boyd
    Robert Carlyle
    Robert Carlyle
    • Col. Ivesas Col. Ives…
    David Arquette
    David Arquette
    • Pvt. Cleavesas Pvt. Cleaves
    Jeremy Davies
    Jeremy Davies
    • Pvt. Toffleras Pvt. Toffler
    Jeffrey Jones
    Jeffrey Jones
    • Col. Hartas Col. Hart
    John Spencer
    John Spencer
    • Gen. Slausonas Gen. Slauson
    Stephen Spinella
    Stephen Spinella
    • Knoxas Knox
    Neal McDonough
    Neal McDonough
    • Pvt. Reichas Pvt. Reich
    Joseph Runningfox
    Joseph Runningfox
    • Georgeas George
    • (as Joseph Running Fox)
    Bill Brochtrup
    Bill Brochtrup
    • Lindusas Lindus
    Sheila Tousey
    Sheila Tousey
    • Marthaas Martha
    Fernando Becerril
    Fernando Becerril
    • Mexican Commanderas Mexican Commander
    Gabriel Berthier
    • Mexican Commanderas Mexican Commander
    Pedro Altamirano
    • Mexican Commanderas Mexican Commander
    Joseph Boyle
    • U.S. Blonde Soldieras U.S. Blonde Soldier
    Damián Delgado
    Damián Delgado
    • Mexican Sentryas Mexican Sentry
    Fernando Manzano
    • Mexican Sentryas Mexican Sentry
    Alfredo Escobar
    • Soldieras Soldier
    • Director
      • Antonia Bird
    • Writer
      • Ted Griffin
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Captain John Boyd receives a promotion after defeating the enemy command in a battle of the Mexican-American War, but because the general realizes it was an act of cowardice that got him there, he is given a backhanded promotion to Fort Spencer, where he is third in command. The others at the fort are two Indians, George and his sister, Martha, who came with the place, Chaplain Toffler, Reich, the soldier; Cleaves, a drugged-up cook; and Knox, who is frequently drunk. When a Scottish stranger named Colquhoun appears and recovers from frostbite almost instantly after being bathed, he tells a story about his party leader, Ives, eating members of the party to survive. As part of their duty, they must go up to the cave where this occurred to see if any have survived. Only Martha, Knox, and Cleaves stay behind. George warns that since Colquhoun admits to eating human flesh, he must be a Windigo, a ravenous cannibalistic creature. —Scott Hutchins <scottandrewh@home.com>
    • cannibalism
    • cannibal
    • homoeroticism
    • twirling one's mustache
    • mexican american war
    • 187 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • Survival is the only option.
    • Genres
      • Adventure
      • Horror
      • Western
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated R for considerable gore and strong violence
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      John Spencer's last film. Between its release and his death from a heart attack in December 2005, he eschewed any movie roles due to his full-time job playing Leo McGarry on The West Wing (1999).
    • Goofs
      The surname of Friedrich Nietzsche is misspelled at the beginning of the film as "Nietzche".
    • Quotes

      Colqhoun: I suppose I owe you gentlemen a story. We left in April. Six of us in all. Mr. MacCready and his wife, from Ireland. Mr. Janus, from Virginia, I believe... with his servant, Jones. Myself - I'm from Scotland. And our guide... a military man, coincidently. Colonel Ives. A detestable man... and a most disastrous guide. He professed to know a new, shorter route through the Nevada's.

      [scoffs]

      Colqhoun: Quite a route that was. Longer than the known one... and impossible to travel. We worked... very, very hard. By the time of the first snowfall we were still a hundred miles from this place. That was November. Proceeding in the snow was futile. We took shelter in a cave; decided to wait until the storm had passed. But the storm did not pass. The trails soon became impassable... and we had run out of food. We ate the oxen... all the horses... even my own dog. And that lasted us about a month. After that we turned to out belts... shoes... any roots we could dig up but you know there's no real nourishment in those. We remained famished. The day that Jones died I was out collecting wood. He had expired from malnourishment. And when I returned, the others were cooking his legs for dinner. Would I have stopped it had I been there? I don't know. But I must say... when I stepped inside that cave... the smell of meat cooking... I thanked the Lord. I thanked the Lord. And then things got out of hand. I ate sparingly; others did not. The meat did not last us a week and we were soon hungry again only, this time our hunger was different. More... severe... savage. And Colonel Ives, particularly, could not be satisfied. Janus was the first to be killed. And then Mr. MacCready. That left Colonel Ives, MacCready's wife, and I alone and I knew in that company that my days were numbered. I'm ashamed to say that I acted in the most cowardly manner. It would have been nobler, I know to have stayed and protected Mrs. MacCready from Ives, but... I was weak. I fled. It was nothing less than pure providence that I arrived here.

    • Crazy credits
      The film begins with a famous quote by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900): "He that fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster." Nietzsche's surname is misspelled as 'Nietzche'. Shortly after, a comedic quote appears below Nietzsche's: "Eat Me" - Anonymous.
    • Alternate versions
      Finnish video version is cut by 58 seconds.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: True Crime/Ravenous/The King and I/Forces of Nature/The Harmonists (1999)

    User reviews339

    Review
    Top review
    "It's what's for dinner..."
    This is an exceedingly well-made film which, in its portrayal of cannabalism, suggests other themes as well: physical and moral courage and cowardice, exploitation of other people, the evils of carnivorousness...

    Taut-faced, moody Lt. John Boyd (Guy Pearce) turns yellow under fire in the Mexican War, but somehow manages to accidentally capture an enemy command post. He is rewarded with a medal, a promotion to Captain, and a transfer to a lonely outpost in the western Sierra Nevada range in California by a commanding officer who sees the cowardice behind the supposed heroism. There, a disheveled stranger (Robert Carlyle, doing his best Rasputin impersonation) stumbles into the post, telling a horrible tale of snowbound travellers in a wagon train feeding on each other when their food runs out. The affable C.O. (Jeffrey Jones, looking as seedy as you might expect an officer in a California outpost in the 1840's to look) decides to investigate, leading his small band of soldiers to a horrible destiny. Jeremy Davies, who played the nerdy corporal in "Saving Private Ryan" also appears, playing pretty much the same character.

    All the parts in this movie were excellent - all the performances were outstanding, the photography and editing were great, and the score was amazing. However, although I really enjoyed this movie, it didn't add up as be the great film it should have been. Much of the time, I felt as if I should have been really scared and nervous, but I found myself watching with some detachment, almost as if I were watching a ball game between two teams I wasn't really rooting for.

    I don't want the reader to think I didn't like this movie, though. It was really good. It just wasn't outstanding, that's all.

    I did like Sheila Tousey as Martha, the Native American woman who lived and worked at the outpost. She was really cute in a sort of Earth Mother kind of way.
    helpful•24
    12
    • Mike Sh.
    • May 18, 2001

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 19, 1999 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • Mexico
      • United States
      • Czech Republic
    • Languages
      • English
      • Italian
      • Spanish
      • Washoe
    • Also known as
      • Hung Dữ
    • Filming locations
      • Tatra Mountains, Slovakia
    • Production companies
      • ETIC Films
      • Engulf & Devour Productions Inc.
      • Fox 2000 Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $12,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $2,062,405
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $1,040,727
      • Mar 21, 1999
    • Gross worldwide
      • $2,062,405
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 41 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

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    Apr 21The Film Stage
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    Aug 21DailyDead

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