Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 0024543068464
Format: Closed-captioned
Label: 20th Century Fox
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: 20th Century Fox
Region Code: 1
Release Date: 2003-03-04
Running Time: 100
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Theatrical Release Date: 1981

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Spotlight customer reviews:

Customer Rating:

Summary: Quest for Fire
Comment: I had seen this movie years ago - funny how age changes us. It wasn't as "dramatic" as I remember it when I was younger, but still a decent movie.

Customer Rating:

Summary: A "Classic" in all meanings of the word
Comment: Quest for Fire was released in 1981 after 5 years of painstaking research and development by Jean Jaques Annaud until then known as a commercially successful director in France. This movie with its wonderfully authentic settings, acting, staging costumes etc loooks as good today as when it was first released compared to the bloated CG of 10000 Bc and the like it feels real and the wide-screen release and sound now available on DVD makes it wonderfully immersive.

Customer Rating:

Summary: I love cavemen
Comment: I saw this movie years ago and I could'nt get it off my mind. There is no language in this film and there are no sub-titles either. Note the ratings..

Customer Rating:

Summary: Fire from nothing! What a concept!
Comment: "Quest For Fire" STILL reigns supreme as the definitive example of Prehistoric Man. I do not count "2001, A Space Oddyssey"s first scenes, because that film does not deal solely with prehistory. Unlike other Hollywood productions, which portray Early Man possessing advanced traits like language, with advanced concepts such as the expression of love and hate (the biggest farce being "Clan of The Cave Bear"),or the ability to remain absolutely clean and spotless without regular bathing (let's not forget the perfectly coiffured hairdo's, a la "1 Million Years B.C."), "Quest For Fire"'s Three principle protagonists are as rough as they come! These protohumans possess a convincing sense of curiosity and wonder at the world around them.
The heirarchy of their "tribe" is clear-cut, and it seems they came above the necessity for battling for leadership (there are a few really scary big guys, but they do not occupy the top spots in the tribe). The concept of procreation is still a ways away, and language is in it's rudimentary stages (at least for a while).

While "Quest" has it's own faults, it does not require the level of "suspension of disbelief" all the other films of this type do. Fire is considered a gift and absolute necessity for the tribe's well-being, as is seen when it is lost. They go from "stand-up" humans (excuse the pun) to cringing fearful animals. Sending out the poor slob who killed it in the first place, along with two reluctant companions (what did we do to deserve this?) the three trek cross country to find it. Split second decision making and imaginitive escape and evasion techniques are paramount for survival, and these three are pretty good at it.
When fire is first found, it is in the possession of a tribe of early Cannibals, as the three find out accidentally. From here we are witness to the first example of tactical warfare (merely distraction, but it took thought to come up with it). The poor slob who lost the fire in the first place gets a taste of castration by one of the cannibals.OUCH! I don't want to know what it tasted like! While on their return to their own tribe, a survivor of the Cannibals turns up. This waif-like creature is strange, because it keeps making noise, and just can't seem to shut up. The three allow her presence, when they see that she is not a threat. She DOES however, show the three, the concept of humor, which goes essentially unnoticed (man, this is a rough audience, hmmm?)
Our little "Chatty-Cathy" attempts to get the three to follow her to her tribe, but the "Quest" takes precedence, and she is forced to go it alone. The poor slob who lost the fire in the first place just can't seem to live without her (for reasons that are made clear in the film), and turns away to follow her. Since his two companions are too fearful to go it alone, they also reluctantly follow, as well.
"Chatty Cathy"'s tribe seems to be the next step in the evolutionary ladder, and we see how she became so blabby! The poor slob now has to "do" the females of the tribe who can't find mates. He finds out first-hand, what happens when one gets too much of a good thing! When the slob is first shown how to "create" fire from thin air, the absolute wonder and amazement shown makes one jealous, as it would be wonderful to experience them like that for the first time, again!!

Jean-Jacques Annaud spent a great deal of time and effort to make this film as believable as possible. I believe he succeeded (or at the very least, did not "endow" the actors with concepts too advanced to BE believed). Scenes for the film were shot on just about every continent, and much care was taken to create the prehistoric fauna portrayed in the film as well.
"Quest For Fire" is still the only "true" representation of prehistoric man in cinematic history! Easily five stars!

Customer Rating:

Summary: Quest for Fire
Comment: It was good to see the movie after all these years. I remembered it as being funny, and it still held up. My friends have borrowed it since, and all liked it.

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Editorial Reviews:

Quest for Fire is so detailed in its depiction of prehistoric man that it might have been made by time-traveling filmmakers. Instead it's a bold and timeless experiment by visionary director Jean-Jacques Annaud (The Bear), inviting scientific debate while presenting a fascinating, imaginary glimpse of humankind some 80,000 years ago. Using diverse locations in Kenya, Scotland, and Canada, Annaud tells the purely visual story of five tribes (some more advanced than others) who depend on fire for survival. They "steal" fire from nature, but the actual creation of fire remains elusive, lending profound mystery and majesty to the film's climactic, real-time display of fire-making ingenuity. Employing primitive language created by novelist Anthony Burgess and body language choreographed by anthropologist Desmond Morris, a unique ensemble of actors push the envelope of their profession, succeeding where they easily could've failed. They're carnal, violent, funny, curious, and intelligent; through them, and through the eons, we can recognize ourselves. --Jeff Shannon