The Clan of the Cave Bear (1986)

Note Générale:

4,8/10   

Réalisateur:

Michael Chapman

Scénaristes:

Jean M. Auel (novel)
John Sayles (writer)

Date de sortie:

17 janvier 1986 (USA)

Genre:

Aventure | Drame | Fantasy

Accroche:

At the dawn of mankind, a woman led the way.

Intrigue:

A young Cro-Magnons woman is raised by Neanderthals.

Plot Keywords:

Neanderthal | Cave Bear | Survival | Cro Magnon | Spirits

Récompenses:

Nominated for Oscar.

Avis des utilisateurs:

Out now on "budget" DVD, fun to watch after all these years.

Ensemble

Daryl Hannah	...	Ayla
Pamela Reed	...	Iza
James Remar	...	Creb
Thomas G. Waites	...	Broud
John Doolittle	...	Brun
Curtis Armstrong	...	Goov
Martin Doyle	...	Grod
Tony Montanaro	...	Zoug
Mike Muscat	...	Dorv
John Wardlow	...	Droog
Keith Wardlow	...	Crug
Barbara Duncan	...	Uka
Gloria Lee	...	Oga
Janne Mortil	...	Ovra
Lycia Naff	...	Uba

Durée:

98 min

Pays:

USA

Langue:

Anglais

Couleur:

Couleur (Technicolor)

Rapport de forme:

2,20 : 1

Son:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Classification:

Iceland:14 | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:11 | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:12 | Australia:M | UK:15 (video rating)

Lieux de tournage:

Cathedral Grove, MacMillan Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada

Société:

Decade

Anecdotes:

A planned back-to-back sequel never made it into production.

Guillemet:

[last lines]
Narrator: Ayla walked with the Cave Bear. She had spoken out for Creb because she loved him. The sign had finally come. She understood the vision. Durc was of the Clan, and one day he would be their leader. She must find her own people. She must walk alone. Everything she had lived through had prepared her for this journey - and she was not afraid. For the first time Ayla felt the strength of her own spirit.

Connexions:

Référencé sur "A Different World: Those Who Can't... Tutor (#1.4)" (1987)

Bande son:

HEROINE

Out now on "budget" DVD, fun to watch after all these years.

The popularity of DVD has exploded the past couple of years like no new entertainment technology before. We are seeing more and more older films released on DVD for a pittance, like this one, "Clan of the Cave Bear", which I purchased for under $6US. There isn't much sound in this film, but the images, all shot in British Columbia, come through really well.

The setting in time is prehistoric, during the brief overlap of the Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon humans. Ayla (Daryl Hannah), a very blonde Cro-Magnon, was orphaned as a small girl, wounded, and found by the dark-haired Cave Bear Clan of Neanderthals. Against the wishes of the leader, she is taken in and nursed back to health by the medicine woman. As she grows up we see that she is innately smarter than her adopted family, learns things quickly, begins to innovate. The Neanderthals are portrayed as if they had perhaps an IQ of 80, while Ayla certainly has an IQ of 120 to 140.

This causes difficulties for her, because the women are totally subserviant, and one of them showing smarts or initiative is punished. A woman who even touches a hunting weapon is sentenced to die. But when Ayla does to defend a tribesman, she is only exiled in the winter and, if she survives, allowed to come back. She does, but finally realizes her "spirit" is different, and leaves to look for her own kind. After she fights and defeats the young "alpha male", who earlier had raped her thus giving her a child.

Some critics scoff at the primative community portrayed here, but it in fact is very accurate. In the DVD commentary we learn that much of the design for this film came from watching a few crude videotapes that were actually made by the Cro-Magnons during that prehistoric period and were discovered, well-preserved, in far northern sub-freezing caves in the 1960s. Not surprisingly, they were in the Beta format.

The whole film is about acceptance of someone different and of change. This is a common theme in many many films over the years, and is closely related to the popular "Pleasantville" of 1998. What makes this one different and enjoyable is the setting in time, the depiction of community values of these prehistoric peoples. I rate it highly overall.