User reviews

I caught this in Boston back in 1981. They played it in the biggest cinema they had in 70mm and in stereo sound. I had only the slightest idea of what it was about but it sounded interesting. When I realized it was a caveman movie I almost left, but the beautiful wide screen cinematography kept me in my seat. Slowly it worked on me and by the end I was mesmerized.

There's not really much of a plot--the caveman discover fire and different sexual positions--and there's no dialogue that we could understand but it didn't matter. The whole cast was excellent--especially Ron Perelman and Rae Dawn Chong (who had guts to do this). Their whole performances had to be done using some foreign language and body movement but they pulled it off. I heard Anthony Burgess was called in to develop the language used and coach the cast in how to use it. The cinematography is just breath-taking and the prehistoric animals look realistic all the way. I can't exactly say why I loved this movie but I did.

20th Century Fox deserves credit for actually acquiring the film and releasing it. Naturally it bombed badly here in the US but it seems I'm not the only one who likes it--when I mention it to friends I just get a blank look back. I haven't seen it since 1981 but it's never left me. Try to see it on a big screen TV. I give it an 8.

Ignore the idiotic negative comments of the naysayers. This is a great film. It boldly creates a world unlike any we've seen before, with dedicated actors going well beyond the call of duty in portraying a life and death struggle for survival under the most harrowing conditions imaginable.

Featuring Claude Agostini's splendid wide-screen cinematography of remote, rainswept landscapes and a rich score by Phillipe Sarde, this movie will take you on a compelling journey that, if nothing else, will clarify the routine creature comforts of our civilized world in a manner more direct than anything you might have previously experienced in a theater.

Jean-Jacques Annaud and collaborators tell their tale with dramatic simplicity and virtually no dialogue, but the points made are powerful. Humanity survives, and will prevail despite our weaknesses and faults. Overall, a remarkable, life-affirming work.

This is an extremely overlooked film many people should learn about. First, it tells you a very complex story without a single line of dialog successfully.

Second, the story is universal: Every civilization on earth can pick up this film and understand it, because it goes to the most basic, primitive issues of a species (mainly, survival). Third, it makes the beginning of man interesting. Fourth, it reminds us we were once as savage as any other animal on earth.

Fifth, it's like no other movie you've seen before. That one I can guarantee you.

I recall when this film was released. If memory serves, the hype concerned the efforts to turn an elephant into a mastodon using make-up and an actress running around nude. In other words, the film in my mind fell into the 'One Million Year BC' category and I ignored it.

Later, I learned who Annaud was and admired 'The Name of the Rose' for its direction, its translation of a difficult book and its effort at realism. Finally, I rented 'Quest for Fire' on DVD and saw it on the big home screen. (In fact, I watched it several months ago and I'm commenting now because it remains in my mind.)

Experts can quibble about the realism. But for me, this film makes an intelligent and credible effort to present a world of 80,000 years ago. In this, it raises good questions about who we are as a species. Human genetic code has not changed in that time and any one of the beings portrayed would be perfectly capable of using a computer as I'm doing now. Nonetheless, they lived in a world without numbers, without prices, without trade, without written language and without means to create fire. Everyone alive today had an ancestor who survived those conditions. 'Quest for Fire' is a must-see for anyone curious about the human condition.

A peaceful tribe of prehistoric humans, unable to create fire, loose their only source of flame due to another tribe's attack. Three of the tribe leave their home to search for a new source of fire to bring back to their people before the cold climate can take its toll. Their journey brings them not only into contact with other tribes of prehistoric humans at different stages of evolution but also advances their own humanity, as well as teaching them to be "prometheuses" in their own right.

An absolutely fascinating film. Those who are partial to history and anthropology will especially enjoy this. An honest, un-PC look at the origins of the species and the development of humanity through loss, tragedy, hardship, hostile elements and the beginnings of laughter, morality, community service, leadership, friendship and of course, love. A wondrous feat of body language performances as there is no truly discernible language/dialogue spoken. This is a well done, well made film all around.

For those into scenery gazing the beauty of the locations (Canada, Iceland, Kenya, Scotland) alone are worth a rental fee.

Ron Perlman is one of the three male leads/would be prometheuses. Watch the body language! Someone did research! A difficult and impressive (first movie) performance.

Definitely worth a buy (the DVD has two commentaries, one with the director Jean-Jacques Annaud, one with producer Michael Gruskoff, Rae Dawn Chong and Ron Perlman).

Many of my friends laugh at me when I mention this movie. I don't know what makes so many of them hate it so.. Perhaps the lack of understandable dialogue? Too much like thinking to understand what is going on? Whatever it is, I am one of the few I know who feel this is a very underrated movie.. I know it is not accurate from a scientific perspective... The time line is all messed up.. but so what? I sat there in the theater just thinking.. "suppose live in our distant past WAS something like this movie. Fire=Life=Fire. Along comes a superior tribe and I realize that I could summon the flames at MY WILL. How powerful I would feel.. Almost G-d like! The photography is lush and there is a tinge of humor when the backward tribe learns to laugh. I enjoyed the story and the acting... everything. Rent it! See it twice if you must. Just maybe... we ARE looking back at ourselves.

"Quest for Fire" (1981 - 100 minutes), under Jean-Jacques Annaud direction and written by Gérard Brach, was based on the book of J. H. Rosny. The movie develops a travel in time showing one of the biggest conquest of human kind: the domain of fire. It's a 80 thousand years ago beautiful drama. The Ulan tribe lives nearby a natural source of fire. When the fire went out, three members of the tribe have to search for a new flame. After several days of walking and having to face many dangerous situations like wild animals, down temperatures and even cannibal tribes, they found the Ivakas, a more evolved human group that had already discovered how to "make" fire. With locations in Kenya, Scotland, Island and Canada, the movie was based on scientific knowledge, showing convincing habitats and characters. The preparation work of the actors body language was done by the Anthropologist Desmond Morris and Anthony Burgess took care of the "talking" of these human ancestors. Almost an Anthropology documentary, this excellent movie shows at the end a scene that suggests the "discovery of love" between male and female. Absolutely unforgettable.

It's probably the best and most accurate prehistoric men movie ever made as I write this (barring any PBS or Discovery channel documentaries). As accurate as anything prehistoric can be since anthropologists are probably even worse than historians about agreeing on theories. Whatever is the truth, it felt believable for that period. I thought at first it might devolve into cheap cavemen antics and the "costumes" for the second tribe seen seemed really lame but the movie grew a lot on me. It's actually a movie about the transition from ape to man condensed into a relatively short time for one tribe. It's actually more philosophical and emotional than one might initially think. What makes us humans instead of animals? Everything was filmed on outside locations with real animals (sometimes modified to look prehistoric) and it shows in the scope and authenticity. It felt strangely grim, uncomfortable and disorienting to me, which when I think about it, is probably how those tribesmen going on the quest must have felt.

They even had a famous linguist/author, Anthony Burgess, invent a language for the ape men to communicate. There aren't even any subtitles. It was made so anyone in the world can see this and understand which is a feat in itself. The beautiful musical score certainly helped counteract the lack of intelligible words by conveying the drama of the times. The performances were very good and convincing especially the one by Rae Dawn Chong (strange female covered in gray "makeup") who had the guts to be mostly naked throughout the film. Look also for Ron Perlman in his first role. From the commentaries, the actors really suffered a lot during shooting for the sake of authenticity (such as walking barefoot all the time). The story was simple but well told and meaningful. It felt a bit long at times for me so be sure you're up for it before starting your journey.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Jean Jacques Annaud's "Quest for Fire" caught me by surprise. I have always been enthralled by movies that take place in prehistoric times, but I never expected this movie to be filmed with such consistency. This film captures an innocent adventure, in which three men (Naoh, Amoukar,& Gaw) are selected by the tribe to recapture their snuffed out fire. The journey brings them into many trials of existence, which we modern beings very seldom come in contact with. At points, there scenes that capture a sense of humor that is so basic to our modern way of thinking, but for these characters they are just discovering such things like the concept of laugher. At other points of the film, these brave men encounter situations that show the true brutal world of the survival of the fittest. The manner in which these characters search for fire gives the viewer a true love for the characters courage and heroic nature. For if they do not succeed, it is surely the end of their tribe and for them. The fire holds the key to survival with its warmth, cooking function, and most of all its ability to ward off stalking predators. Fire is power for beings at this point in time. Just as knowledge is for modern human beings.

This film succeeds in it's proportions,direction, settings, music, great special effects,and acting. The acting especially is something to take notice of, since there is no recognizable language spoken. The preparation for such a role as this these is amazing in its own right. "Quest for Fire" will lead you into the reality of what once was and capture the essence of the human spirit.

This movie presents an interesting piece of speculation about the life of prehistoric humans and sub-humans, and the possible interactions between them. I suppose credit has to go first to the makeup department, who made a pretty convincing set of these creatures. The story is interesting and well-acted, especially considering that the cast was working with the significant limitation of not speaking a word of English (or any other known human language) in the whole movie. As might be expected, given the context, the story is violent (and, at times, even brutal.) Somewhat surprisingly, there is also a more gentle touch included, especially contributed by the character played by Rae Dawn Chong - belonging to a tribe more advanced than the primary tribe of the movie, who introduces the lead tribe to more advanced human traits such as laughter and affection, if not love.

The presence of the various tribes was one of the weaknesses here as well, though. As best as I could make out, there seem to be three different humanoid species represented. What I know about human evolution is essentially what I remember from high school biology, but from the makeup the tribes appeared to be australopithecine (the ape men at the beginning of the movie), neanderthal (the primary tribe of the movie) and cro-magnon, essentially modern humans. The problem is that, from what I remember of those high school biology classes, I'm not sure those three species ever co-existed. I'm not sure that any three humanoid species ever co-existed in the same time and place. So that represented a bit of a muddle to me. The mammoths portrayed also lacked authenticity to me. I thought they looked exactly like what they were - elephants with makeup on.

Still, this is a good movie, if a bit fanciful and even with the possibility of inaccuracies. Although probably not made with this intention, I appreciated that the movie offered a good glimpse at the cause of conflict even in today's world. The tribes fought each other because they all wanted fire. Today's world generally assumes that conflict is about ideological or religious differences, which is nonsense. People fight because one side has what the other wants. The story also flows pretty well, and at 1:40 it's pretty easy watching. 7/10

I saw this film (on VHS rental) so long ago I might have been in it. My (ex) wife & friends thought it was stupid - "What's going on? Nobody's saying anything". I found it mesmerising and have been looking for it ever since (car boot sales, Ebay etc).

OK, if you've two adjacent brain cells, you'll spot the anachronisms and the cheap effects, but credit where it's due for originality and balls - to the director and the backers.

If you're sick of hype and tripe, find it. If you're hooked intravenously to Hollywood pap (as 99.999% of the world's population seem to be) then give it a miss.

Just my 2p.

OK, well, even attempting to make this into a movie was innovative, especially at that time. I read the novel that this was based on, many years ago, and liked it a lot. To the best of my recollection, Ika and her tribe never appeared in it, so the filmmakers added that bit. The cinematography was beautiful, and the Scottish locations helped get across the cold of Ice Age Europe. The struggle to survive really came across as well. The special animal effects, were much remarked on at the time, but look rather cheesy now. However, I kind of like that. You really had to work at it back in the day, unlike now, when the computer will put anything at all onto your film. Ron Perlman looked seriously simian, and you have to give him credit, since he doesn't look that way normally. And this was the breakout role for Rae Dawn Chong, who also nailed her very odd role. Worth checking out.

Okay, there haven't been many cave man flicks and they were all bad except for Quest For Fire. Yes, the mammoths looked a bit like Mr. Snuffolopogus and some of the makeup jobs could've been done better but it's still a great movie.

The story line was captivating and the characters were well-developed. Even though there were no subtitles, I could still understand everything that was being said because of the way the movie was put together.

This flick has it all: Action, adventure, comedy, and romance. I loved it.

One of the elements of this film I liked the most was the realistic depiction of the diversity of anthropoid types that existed in those times. This was executed beautifully and skillfully in the depiction of several diverse tribal groups, explaining the well deserved Oscar for makeup.

When Naoh finds the love of his life in one of these other tribes, it is because there is an element of compatibility both between the cultures and the two individuals supporting the attraction they share. Some of the other groups depicted don't do as well in the tribal intercourse and cultural sharing department, as they tend to eat the individuals from other tribes that they encounter.

Another elements of realism that scores big with me was that there are attacks by wild animals as well as by anthropoids. I also liked the language used by the main tribe, there was a suggestion that the language was evolving right before us as the travelers, having been sent on a quest for fire, returned with quite a bit more to talk about.

This is one of my favorite movies, possibly the most favorite.

Raw and at times brutal, this story follows three primitive warriors who make a cross-country journey in search of that most precious of natural elements ... fire. In prehistoric times, having fire meant survival from the cold and protection from predators.

In this film, facial gestures, hand movements, general body language and mannerisms of the characters are all consistent with conclusions about early man, as a result of thorough anthropological research. In lieu of modern language the film's dialogue consists of some 350 invented words and sounds, also based on research. In addition, an important part of the film is attention to detail in costumes and makeup, for which the film won several awards. All of these technical cinematic elements combine to create a reasonably accurate visual and audio impression of mankind as it existed some 80,000 years ago.

As you would expect, the film is shot entirely in rugged, remote locations, resulting in landscapes that are stunningly beautiful. Background music is generally low-key and ethereal, like what you might hear in a sci-fi film. There's lots of flute sounds, which reinforce the simplicity of the time period.

For all its technical achievements, this film's main weakness may be the screenplay. When you take away the artifacts of modern life, you're very limited in the kind of story you can tell. And that clearly is the case here, with a plot that drones on with a monotony and repetition that can be tedious, and at times difficult for some viewers.

Although the story's entertainment value may be marginal, "Quest For Fire", with its low tech cinematic style, is interesting not only for its technical elements but also for its over arching theme of modern human's continuity with prehistoric man, based on the element of fire.

It's a good thing I saw this before I saw the BBC series Walking with Caveman, otherwise I might have thought less of this movie. But then I remember that this was made twenty years earlier. In fact the age of the film doesn't mean much, Both are entertaining. This one is fiction rather than fact, and it incorporates some decent scientific accuracy, as well as some VERY primitive, but clever humor, and some cute creature effects for the amazing beasts which shared Ice Age Europe with us a hundred thousand years ago.

The great thing about movies like Quest for Fire is the way they can be universally appreciated. There is no classifiable language, it can be enjoyed equally in all countries. People are saying the same thing about WALL-E, but this is actually a better example. After all regardless of Nation, creed, and color, we all evolved from the same creatures.

We follow the semi-epic journey of Neanderthal trio which has been sent by their clan to bring back the gift of fire, after the clan has been kicked out of their massive cave home by the clan of another species. The three of them have to hurry before their brothers and sister freeze to death. Along the way they find a skinny little Homo Sapien girl (that's our species), she is a long way from home and she urges them to help her get back to her people. Reluctantly they do. However, things to do turn out to be so bad when, they discover that these people know how to make fire.

In truth we will never fully know how our ancestors lived, but the fossil remains we have discovered are numerous and can give us a descent understanding. Today, twenty years later, we know twice as much. It is now believed that Neaderthals did not have dark hair, but red hair. I doubt that the majority of people who watch quest for fire will care about science and anthropology, but I think the film is more interesting if you do care. Otherwise you are liable to see quest for fire as old hat, long been replaced by modern movie magic.

What I love about this film is the very plausible portrayal of the development of human traits in prehistoric man. The story centers around a tribe that has not yet learned to start a fire. They have to steal fire from other tribes, or find it in nature. So much of their efforts are centered on keeping a fire constantly nurtured, and if their fire goes out, the entire tribe suffers the elements. However, this is not a simple caveman flick. The filmmakers portray the development of human attributes such as humor and laughing, connection between males and females beyond the pure sexual, language development, story telling, cross-pollination of ideas between tribes of different levels of advancement, and at the end, the awakening of a sense of the transcendent. I find the film to be a compelling drama even after 25 years, and it does not seem at all dated. If you have even the slightest interest in early man, this film is a must-see.

A strange and compelling film about prehistoric man, filmed nearly entirely without dialogue.

It's so lacking in any of the traditional elements that would normally make a film a commercial success that you have to admire its chutzpah if you admire nothing else about it.

Fortunately, it's also excellently made, and feels incredibly authentic, thanks to expert camera-work and production design, and quite amazing makeup effects.

The only recognizable actor in the film is Rae-Dawn Chong, but under all that makeup, even she's hard to spot (just look for the woman).

Grade: A-

I saw this film on the big screen when I was a pre-teen. I recently saw it again and was reminded what a great movie this is.

You don't need to know the languages to understand what is going on. (The characters from different tribes don't know the other languages and they often act out what they need.) This is a movie about the primal fight to survive and how even though they are forced to travel to find a new fire, their experiences expand their horizons in ways they could never have anticipated. If their own fire hadn't gone out they would never have met the cannibals or the clay people, who ultimately hold the key to their survival.

At its core, this is a movie about how although we may look different and have different customs we are all human and what we can learn from each other is irreplaceable.

80,000 years ago, man's survival depended on fire. Prehistoric man knew how to conserve the fire offered by the causalities of nature: lightning and volcanic eruptions. But they didn't know how to create it artificially. This fire, so banal for us, was the cause of cruel rivalry. In these wild times, fire guaranteed the survival of the species. It served man to protect himself from the terrible cold of the ice ages, keep away wild animals and cook meat. The hordes were organized around the clear beneficial power of it. Those who possessed it, possessed life. During that time, one tribe wants to take this property from another, but during a fight the fire goes out. Primitive tribes clash in desperate struggle for survival. Three warriors (Everett McGill, Ron Perlman, Nameer El-Kadi) from the tribe decide to undertake a long journey in search of it after they lose theirs fending off an attack. A Great Adventure!. The future began 80,000 years ago!. The most extraordinary film of our generation !. In the tradition of 'Star Wars' and 'Raiders of the Lost Ark'!. The Future Began-80,000 Years Ago!.

An attractive saga of the Ulam tribe's search for a way to light their fire, being colorfully shot on location in Canada, Scotland and Kenya. A Science Fantasy Adventure movie about primitive men in which three men undertake their dangerous quest; along the way, they encounter and battle various animals and tribesmen in order to survive. Fourteen years ago, "2001: A Space Odysey" was the astounding epic that aroused a generation, telling them where they might be headed. Now, 20th Century Fox presents a science fantasy adventure that will arouse the audience, telling where we might have begun. An enjoyable and violent story sans the usual dialogue thing. A primeval experience set 80,000 years ago with a special language they speak was developed by Anthony Burguess, while the primitive movements were Desmond 'The Naked Ape' Morris. Ron Perlman went on to become the Beast in TVs 'Beauty and the Beast' and Rae Dawn Chong as a primitive babe, is the daughter of Tommy Chong of the comic duo Cheech and Chong, and she starred the successful 'Commando'. The film is decent enough, but not a sufficient one to justify 100 minutes of making love scenes, grunts, hand-waving in the service of an otherwise unremarkable story.

The picture contains eye-catching credits: script by Gerard Brach (Polanski's regular co-writer); evocative cinematography by Claude Agostini; transcendental, subjugating score by Philippe Sarde; body language, gestures by Desmond Morris and special languages created by Anthony Burguess. The motion picture was compellingly directed by Jean Jacques Annaud. This is a good French filmmaker who has got a lot of hits and a few flops. As he directed "Quest of fire ," Hothead" , "Victory in Chantant" , "The Bear" , "The Lover" , "The Name of the Rose" ," Enemy at the Gates" , "Two Brothers" , among others. Rating 6.5/10 . Better than average. Well worth watching if you have a weakness for exotic scenary and some curiosity about the everyday life of prehistorical humankind, then you will probably take some mild pleasure in this saga.

My Rating : 9/10

World of 80,000 years ago. That in itself is a fascinating premise. What would it have been like? Watch this to satiate your prehistoric curiosities.

To set the record straight, this is a great film. Don't listen to the negative comments. Splendid wide-screen cinematography of remote, rainswept landscapes. Cavemen and women. Lions. Deers. Wolves. Woolly mammoths.

Those fascinated with history and anthropology will especially enjoy this dawn-of-man-and-origin-of-species drama. Shown here is loss, tragedy, hardship, hostile elements and the beginnings of laughter, morality, community service, leadership, friendship and of course, love. The fire holds the key to survival with its warmth, cooking function, and most of all its ability to ward off stalking predators. Fire is power for beings at this point in time. Just as knowledge is for modern human beings. 'Quest for Fire' will lead you into the reality of what once was and capture the essence of the human spirit. It reminds us we were once as savage as any other animal on earth. A Truly Remarkable Film. Highly Recommended.

If you can get past the fact that

a) different types of early hominids all exist at the same time, and that b) a pack of hobbling neanderthals/homo sapiens(?) manage to wander across nearly all types of terrain in an astonishing short time frame (and still find back to their tribe which is _still_ for some absurd reason standing in the same small patch of land in the swamp whence they had left...),

then I guess it's a passable, even engaging, movie.

The wildly varying outdoor shots are beautiful but of course totally out-of-place.

When they chose to film in multiple (and likely very expensive) outdoor locations probably meant that they could only afford to show exactly two saber-toothed tigers and a pack of mammoths...

Only the two most recognized animals that everyone will expect to see in a "Stone Age" film? Pathetic.

I thought the story itself is/was powerful. Primarily the constant changes in the scenery was distracting as were smaller or bigger absurdities throughout the movie.

I'd personally been very cautious about portraying sexual behavior in such a way. Tribes are bound to have a pecking order, particularly when it comes to mating. Such a casual way of raping at will would probably have been a big no-no: that "right" is reserved for a chief or chiefs and would in effect require their consent or facing their (=basically the whole tribe's) wrath. Punishment by death springs to my mind without much effort...

I dunno. Painting "cave men" as walking penises just runs against the common logic. When it comes to your own tribe - that is. When you are out and about, it's always a different story. Even still.

I can't help but feel that gratuitous sex scenes and most of the times bare female body of a leading lady were planted for the interest of an average guy (Annaud, including). Men who trashed the film apart from previous reasons, seem to indicate that the target was met.

But seriously, if you can sharpen your choice of weapon, you certainly can come up with a rudimentary defense system for your own (not to mention your tribe's) protection (other than just a lone watchman).

Frankly, the film is just too damn inaccurate for its own good.