Quest for Fire

Director: Jean-Jacques Annaud Jean-Jacques Annaud

Overview

"Jean-Jacques Annaud's 1981 prehistoric adventure Quest for Fire comes to DVD in a widescreen edition from 20th Century Fox. The Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround soundtrack is in English with optional subtitles available in French and Spanish. English closed captions are accessible. Director Annaud provides one commentary track, while another track is provided by producer Michael Gruskoff and actors Rae Dawn Chong and Ron Perlman. Other special features include a featurette, theatrical trailer, and 15 video galleries with director's commentary. The video galleries focus on specific locations, inspirations, designs, and promotions."

Product Details

Release Date:	03/04/2003
UPC:	0024543068464
Original Release:	1981
Rating:	R
Source:	BUENA VISTA HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:40:00
Sales rank:	2,787

Special Features

Closed Caption;Audio commentaries by Jean-Jacques Annaud, Michael Gruskoff, Ron Perlman and Rae Dawn Chong; 15 video galleries with director's commentary; Theatrical trailer; Featurette

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Everett McGill	Naoh Ulam Tribe Member
Ron Perlman	Amoukar, Ulam tribe member
Naseer El-Kadi	Actor,Gaw, Ulam tribe member
Rae Dawn Chong	Ika Ivaka Tribe Member
Gary Schwartz	Rooka
Frank Olivier Bonnet	Aghoo
Jean-Michel Kindt	Actor
Kurt Schiegl	Faum
Brian Gill	Actor
Terry Fitt	Actor
Bibi Caspari	Actor
Peter Elliott	Mikr
Michelle Leduc	Actor
Robert Lavoie	Actor
Matt Birman	Actor
Christian Benard	Actor
Joy Boushel	Actor
Mary Lou Foy	Actor
Robert Gondek	Actor
Sylvie Guilbault	Actor
Steve Ramanuskas	Actor
Lydia Chaban	Actor
Dena Francis	Actor
Hélène Grégoire	Actor
Lloyd McKinnon	Actor
Georgette Rondeau	Actor
Rod Bennett	Actor
Jacques Demers	Actor
Michel Drouet	Actor
Michel Francoeur	Actor
Charles Gosselin	Actor
Bernard Kendall	Actor
Benoit Levesque	Actor
Joshua Melnick	Actor
Jean-Claude Meunier	Actor
Alex Quaglia	Actor
The Great Antonio	Actor
Jacques Caron	Actor
George Buza	Kzamm Tribe
Ellen Chenoweth	Actor
Karen Hazzard	Actor
Nameer El Kadi	Actor
Philippe Sarde	Composer

Technical Credits

Gérard Brach

Jean-Jacques Annaud	Director
Vera Belmont	Producer
Jacques Dorfmann	Producer
Michael Gruskoff	Executive Producer,Producer
Denis Heroux	Producer
John Kemeny	Producer
Martin Malivoire	Special Effects
Claude Hazanavicius	Sound Mixer,Sound/Sound Designer
Gérard Brach	Screenwriter
David Evans	Sound Editor
Austin Grimaldi	Sound/Sound Designer,Sound/Sound Designer
Martin Ashbee	Sound/Sound Designer
Don White	Sound/Sound Designer
Kenneth Heeley-Ray	Sound/Sound Designer,Sound Editor
Kevin Ward	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Since nearly every movie set in prehistoric times before Quest for Fire was either a special effects-driven action film (One Million B.C.), a dopey comedy (Caveman, released the same year as Quest), or a small segment in a larger story (2001: A Space Odyssey), this movie can claim the high ground pretty much to itself. Eschewing subtitles and narration; employing heavy hitters Anthony Burgess and Desmond Morris to come up with special languages, body language, and gestures; casting virtual unknowns; and throwing in R-rated violence and sex, Quest for Fire still manages to be pretty entertaining and very easy to follow. Not that we're talking about a sophisticated story line: the Ulam tribe loses their fire source, sends three of its men out to find some more, and they come back not only with a flame but with a companion who can help them create more just by rubbing two sticks together. The script, adapted from a novel by J. H. Rosny Sr., depicts a world of tribes that basically mistrust one another, only some are more aggressive about that mistrust than others. There are a number of arresting images, none more touching than watching one of the Ulam desperately blowing on the tribe's last ember, only to have it die out. Watching this film on widescreen DVD allows you to luxuriate in the scenic locations, although shooting in Scotland, Iceland, Canada, and then Kenya makes for some slightly disconcerting terrain and vegetation changes by the filmmakers.