Quest For Fire Review

MPAA Rating: R
Released: 1981

Quest for Fire is a critic's nightmare, because it's one of those arthouse films that can be a perfect 10 for one person and a 1 star disaster for another. One thing is for certain – this early 80's graphic depiction of prehistoric man stirred up no shortage of controversy upon its release… controversy that continues to this day.

Directed by Frenchman Jean Jacques-Annaud, Quest for Fire just shouts "independent, pompous, highbrow arthouse film!" from its very first moments. Of course that's not necessarily a bad thing since many people consider such films intellectually stimulating. At the risk of sounding like a heathen, I'll admit up front that I usually don't watch movies to spark the brain cells… I have plenty of books to serve that purpose. I watch movies to be entertained first and foremost, and if the movie can serve that purpose while also being smart then I'm all for it.

There's no doubt Jacques-Annaud was striving for authenticity in his depiction of early man. Although the plot centers around a foursome of peaceful Neanderthals in search for fire after a savage tribe pillaged their camp and stole theirs, it's hard to call this an actual movie. Quest for Fire does show the many tribulations the foursome faces as they traverse perilous terrain, dangerous predators and hostile tribes, but it's almost like you're watching a mock documentary on the Discovery channel rather than a movie.

So let's cover the divisive elements that cause people to either love or hate this film, shall we?

Previously I mentioned that the French director was aiming for authenticity, and his depiction of prehistoric man shows humans as being little more than apes incapable of communicating through verbal language. Expect to be subjected to nothing more than a bunch of grunting and body language. Some viewers love this aspect of the movie and find it to be mentally stimulating. It's well done, I'll grant the director that, and I would normally agree if that were my type of thing. But it's not, so strike one for me.

Quest for Fire is also by no means a children's film. It explores dark subjects such as rape and cannibalism, and it doesn't pull punches when it comes to depicting graphic violence, sex and nudity. In fact you can expect to see Rae Dawn Chong, who plays Ika, naked throughout most of the film. Some would find the above both mentally AND visually stimulating. It wasn't a plus or a minus for me – I can handle graphic violence and substantial nudity just fine provided it works with the film.

Finally we're left with the premise itself. I admire a man who strives for accuracy and authenticity, but somehow Jacques-Annaud's film struck me as being a bit arrogant and pretentious. Quest for Fire appears carries the air of being an authority on exactly how prehistoric man behaved, but with little to no proof of man's state or existence during prehistoric times there's quite a bit of debate within the scientific community as to just how accurate this Frenchman's film truly is.

If you believe in the Darwin theory that suggests all life started as an amoeba and gradually changed to many species and that man was somehow derived from an ape, you will probably find a lot to enjoy about this film. If you reject Darwinism, Quest for Fire might be a bit hard for you to swallow.

No review would be complete without covering the acting, and I must admit every actor in this film did a commendable job. Special recognition must be given to the four leads: Ron Perlman, Everett McGill, Rae Dawn Chong and Nicholas Kadi. Each of them masterfully played their roles as prehistoric humans, and regardless of whether their roles were scientifically accurate they put out perfect performances.

The film's overall quality also cannot be denied. The landscapes that provide the backdrop for this film were perfectly chosen – in fact this film was shot on location in Scotland, Iceland, Canada and Kenya. Putting aside all personal feelings, I don't think anyone can deny the passion and quality that was put into Quest for Fire by both the director and the actors. It is an impressive work.

But alas, even with as much artistic merit as Quest for Fire possessed, it still wasn't for me. I didn't find it terribly entertaining as a movie nor did I find it factually accurate enough for me to accept as a documentary. The commentary provided by the director, Perlman and Chong on the DVD did actually capture my interest in parts of it, though. The actors truly went through hell when they created this movie. Nature was the foremost of their enemies, for creating a movie in frigid regions and ice cold waters sans much (or any in Chong's role) clothing takes true grit or a degree of insanity. Chances are you'll find the commentary interesting too regardless of your view on the actual merits of the film.

So in the end I can recommend this movie for anyone who wishes to experience an arthouse film that provides a sincere look at Darwinism and prehistoric man's battle for survival. It would also work well for guys that want to quench their thirst for naked women while disguising it within an artsy, documentary-style film… perfect for cases where the mother, girlfriend or significant other happens to walk in and see what's playing on the television. Okay… okay… I jest about the latter part.

In the end I really cannot give Quest for Fire a definitive rating. It's a very well done film, so ultimately it will come down to whether this is your type of movie or not. If it is, you'll probably rate it a 9 or a 10. If it isn't your type, the score will probably be much lower.

Don't take my rating as an insult to the film or its quality… it's purely my score based on my personal enjoyment of both the film and the director's commentary (the commentary raised my rating by a star or two). I tried to be fair to the source material throughout this review, so if it sounds like it's something that may appeal to you I encourage you to give it a shot. Had my beliefs or mind worked differently, I may well have rated it a 10 instead.

Movie rating: 5 stars

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