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Film In By DOUG BELL Film Critic Jean-Jacques Annaud's Quest for Fire is a unique movie, intriguing and entertaining. It is being hyped as the flip side of Star Wars ? a "science fantasy" adventure occurring milleniums in the past rather than the future. I seriously doubt that Quest for Fire will achieve the popularity of the George Lucas film; Naoh's grunts and shrieks will never thrill the kiddies like R2D2's beeps andsqueeks. Basically, Quest for Fire is an excursion in anthropology as entertainment. Based on the novel by J.H. Rosny Sr., the story holds that prehistoric man developed in relation to his ability to master that basic substance: fire. Those that had fire had hope that life could improve; those that didn't Definii 1 rL.Z_"_ 1 >^p8H' Director Jean-Jacques Grab Tho< Outdoor Fill | teati Rock n' Roll The Blues The Hills I O Friday, 8:00 or Po*?b(< by St I II itrigues remained more animal than man. But the world was young; only an elite few knew how to make fire I JnHerstnnHahlv ?. , ? ? v , the existing flames were considered priceless. Bloody (and I mean bloody) battles were waged to capture t^ese flames and great precautions were taken to prevent them from going out. The film focuses on one of these tribes, the Ulam. While retreating from a savage battle, one of the clumsier iM:U J 1.1 ri u iLTCMiieu uuuses me name in a swamp. Immediately, a trio of the sharpest warriors, led by Naoh (Everett McGill), is dispatched to find and bring back a flame in order for life to resume anew. Most of the narrative records the journey, which is, in effect, a violent travelogue (shot in Canada and Scotland) chock full of lions, bears, mammoths and ig The i I The reason I prehistoric man say what is esse concludes Jean-J his recent direc rambling speakc extended film pr< semester, before Fire, I talked wit others involved successes and th< thp nrnHnr>Hnn r?f K Quest for Fire V\ fantasy adventure ?l \ important to the 5 Annaud and a,df cur by the people beh: >c Coolers! ms Are Here! iring: High School ?Brothers lj r nave eyes April 23 J . f 1 Field A ' jn f || udtnt AcHvitiw fm 55SirioC?e 9 feature Viewer cannibals. The symbology underlying all of this is obvious: fire (light) is good while darkness is evil. This folktale-like simplicity is actually more reminiscent of the Western that the science fiction fantasy. In many Westerns, the woman is the primary agent in the civilization process: she brings order and knowledge to a savage community. In Quest for Fire, Ika (Rae Dawn Chong) serves the same purpose, teaching the menfolk valuable lessons in firemaking and lovemaking. The film observes its own code of authenticity. Anthony Burgess (author of A Clockwork Orange) created new languages for the various tribes and Desmond Morris devised the blunt but expressive gestures. In fact, the film is so meticulously correct in Jrtique UNVAUGHAN tertainmcnt Editor wanted to do a film about was because I wanted to ntial in man is emotion," acques Annaud, describing j torial effort in Quest for ai conclusion, however, is nnaud, an eloquent and ?r whose passion for his )ject is quickly apparent to nterviews earlier this the release of Quest for h the French director and in the movie about the ; hardships experienced in the film. L!11 1 _ n r is onieu as a "science e" ? a description which is viewer's acceptance of the iption which is recognized ind Quest. BSfil 1 s |9 U.S.C. I.D. M provided by m Bi . .^:-x''>;:':'^:V &mmm 'O'^-.y Ron Perlman, Eve three courageous war terms of acting and landscapes that the overblown orchestral score (performed by the London Symphony, no less) seems suspiciously wrong. If any one factor betrays the goal of the film, it is the score. Quest for Fire "It's complete entertainmei Executive Producer Michael < really feel it's a western, fashioned theme where a marauders come into town, place, and the three good guys things right again." Annaud and the principal a< view the film quite so simply, bi Gruskoff's basic premise that Q should not be viewed as purel documentary. Certainly the film is not a bre adventure; Annaud, 38, wor "baby" for three years, and a | research and knowledgeable nroviried hv srrppnu/rifpr-linoi , -./ ? &* Burgess and behavioral theori Morris, as the pair creat( plementary vocabulary o language and gestures. Not English is spoken in Quest for audience usually relates qui primitive Homo sapiens. These aspects, along wit! superb choice of settings, lend ( factual foundation ? while tl obvious Romanticism erases ar see the film as absolute historic; Jt?viaiuiiuv IV V C Id IIIC b|. IflHiffJIIlfJiWll PRING S! presei RHUU Special Pr< Rnrlu/aicar r%( ( L/UU VWlifVI VI V Intramural/Recreal Bell Camp, and Student April I 12 noon required, Bell Camp memfc U.S.C., leaving Russell Ho Prizes by Beverages availab Food available by uegrass Concert by Bill Ha i. i ^ INO UX This event made possible b h|b||-" KaMBSBI srett McGill and Nameer riors in 'Quest for Fire.' contains a great deal of violence (not to mention bad manners), but most of it is ilPPPSSarv nnl morol\; m J y "v "*V4 VV gratuitous. Annaud's directorial gifts are questionable. H i s primates are well-meaning it," insisted mankind," An Gruskoff. "I just make love just an old According to bunch of audience's frie ravage the role as one of go out to set virtually impos enure concept, ctors do not "It's hard fo it agree with have very, vei uestfor Fire character. I lo^ y factual or York native e\\ Perlman is tezy effort at unknown actor ked on his leading roles. ?reat deal of that he and the input was in the sense oi list Anthony spent three hou 1st Desmond of a day's filn 3d a com- took two hours I f guttural All of the ac a word of hardships of ] Fire, yet the make-up was it ckly to the "Myfeetwei up or badly cu h Annaud's "tenderfoot" }uest its own Nameer El-K? le director's it could be call ly attempt to pain: "You I at irum. tninking ? you >ecificity of and it's a very 1 PORTFES ii ted by Dgrams Committee, Columbia, 9^1 tional Sports Office, ^ : Government Association 17, 1982 i until ... iers allowed. Free if usino ti ? - - n ? use on the half hour or $2. Budweiser n ?le by the Golden Spur |P McQ's Sub Shop S Deli rrell and The Virginians, 7 :i .1 All 1 MCIS Allowed y Student Activities Fee* El-Kadi star as the savages possessing only manufactured brands of humor and dignity. Artistically speaking, Quest for Fire is far from profound: its J ? A*-? uewy-eyeu optimism is too naive. But it is an intriguing piece of filmmaking. naud asserted. "We cannot without caring about it." Ron Perlman, who wins the ndship in a rather humorous the three warriors, it was isible to avoid caring for the especially his character, r me to see it objectively. I y strong feelings about this /e him," the personable New alained. one of the four relatively s who were selected for the He laughingly commented others will remain unknown f physical recognition: each irs being made up at the start ning, and the "characters" to remove. tors solemnly described the making the film, of which i__ - * lereiy one oraeai. *e either frozen up or burning t," related the self-confessed Perlman. His colleague, adi, explained the positive (if led that) side of the physical become primitive in your say 'I am cold! or I am hot!' real thing." T II I I m K i 3 J m I m \ aiis^viiauuii mm 00 per car. Eg 00 pm Eg nut I