★ 7 / 10
God Made The World! Man in the Wilderness
John Chard
God Made The World! Man in the Wilderness is directed by Richard C. Sarafian and written by Jack DeWitt. It stars Richard Harris, John Huston, Prunella…
God Made The World!
Man in the Wilderness is directed by Richard C. Sarafian and written by Jack DeWitt. It stars Richard Harris, John Huston, Prunella Ransome, Percy Herbert, Henry Wilcoxon, Norman Rossington and Dennis Waterman. Music is by Johnny Harris and cinematography by Gerry Fisher.
"1820. The Captain Henry Expedition has completed two years of fur trapping in the unexplored Northwest territory. Determined to reach the Missouri River before the winter snows, the trappers and their boat, towed by 22 mules, struggled through the wilderness. Once on the Missouri they could sail south to the trading posts and sell their precious cargo. What occurred on this expedition is historically true."
He was left for dead. He would not forget.
Essentially, Man in the Wilderness is the redemptive tale of Zachary Bass (Harris). Left for dead by his unfeeling Captain (Huston) after being savaged by a grizzly bear, Bass survives the wilds of nature and the threat of man with revenge firmly on his mind. But as he recuperates and adjusts to the spiritualisation that the surrounds brings him, he looks back at his life and beliefs.
It is undeniably a very slow picture, with dialogue appropriately in short supply, but the atmosphere created is perfect for the unfolding events. Strikingly the film also has a surreal quality that really cloaks the story with considerable impact, where deft touches of imagery land firmly in the conscious. The makers slot in some "bloody" moments, backed with tension, such as the well constructed sequences involving the bear attack and a time when Bass has to scare away two snarling wolves so he "also" can feast off of a stricken Bison. The presence of Indian attacks is handled with care by the director, and in fact helps the finale get away with the expected outcome. While strong moments such as two separate incidents involving rabbits really show the makers to have the best of intentions to tell a valid and interesting story. Especially when it's scenes of just Bass and nature at war.
Narratively, however, it is a bit hit and miss. The pertinent question of faith and the use of flashbacks are an uneasy alliance, mostly because the former drapes the film in predictability, and the latter takes you out of the whole "man in the wilderness" struggle that Bass is luring us into. It renders the film far from flawless which is a shame because it has much to recommend a viewing. The Almería, Andalucía location is used to good effect to pass as the Northwest of America, where quite often Gerry Fisher's photography neatly shifts between beauty and the harshness of mother nature. Harris could do this type of role in his sleep, he isn't asked to stretch himself but still leaves a very favourable impression. Huston is up to scratch, but again he doesn't have to do much, while everybody else are giving performances that any other working actor of the time could have given.
A movie of rewards and frustrations for sure, and it's no Jeremiah Johnson, but this is definitely worth a spin for anyone interested in the "Man Vs Nature" sub-genre of period films. 7/10
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★ 7 / 10
Fascinating outdoors and Richard Harris fighting enemies and wildlife
ma-cortes
The movie narrates how Richard Harris is attacked by a bear and is abandoned by his mates who are carrying a boat with furs to civilization . The misfit group…
The movie narrates how Richard Harris is attacked by a bear and is abandoned by his mates who are carrying a boat with furs to civilization . The misfit group is commanded by the paranoid John Huston and they are pursued by Indians . Harris survives and will face down lots of risks , dangers and adventures and he then sets off in pursuit his previous colleagues , trying to execute his revenge .In the picture there is western action , thrills , tension , spectacular struggles and riveting landscapes . The movie belongs to the Western sub-genre that had been made during the 70s as central theme 'the fight of a man against natural environment' , such as : ¨Jeremiah Johnson (by Sidney Pollack)¨, ¨The man called horse (by Eliott Silverstein and also starred by Richard Harris)¨ and ¨Return of a man called Horse (Irwin Keshner)¨. Harris' character is based on actual mountain man Hugh Glass , one of the two men left behind to await Glass' death was a very young Jim Bridger . The highlights of the movie are the surrealist trip of the ship amongst the snowy land with a mast in cross-shape under an impressive musical background by Johnny Harris and the survival fight , facing off wolves , bear and Indians . Interpretation of actors is top notch , but especially John Huston is frankly well . The supporting cast is formed by important secondaries as the veteran Henry Wilcoxon (The Crusades) , James Dooham (Star Trek) , Percy Herbert (Tobruk) , Dennis Waterman (Sweeney) and Prunella Ramsome (Island of the damned) , among others .Gerry Fisher cinematography is awesome , like are marvelously reflected on the glimmer and breathtaking scenarios . Wonderful production design by Dennis Clark , being filmed on location in Almeria , Andalucia , Spain , where in the fifties and sixties had been shot a lot of Spaghetti/Paella Western . The picture was well produced by Sandy Howard and compellingly directed by Richard C. Sarafian . The flick will appeal to natural sets enthusiasts and Richard Harris fans . Rating: 6,5 . Good , worthwhile seeing.
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★ 7 / 10
Revenge
steven98664
Well I am putting this in after just watching the Revenant. I took another look at this film which scared the heck out of me as a kid. I can remember watching…
Well I am putting this in after just watching the Revenant. I took another look at this film which scared the heck out of me as a kid. I can remember watching this on television, weekend days at least 2x. It is a horrifying story, but keeps your attention. The persistence and human will portrayed are somehow inspiring. The weird old boat and hunting party that drag along add to the weirdness that makes this memorable. This story of Hugh Glass has been told many times, I guess. The fear of native Americans on the frontier drives this plot of this film too. Portrayals like this trained me how to think in ways.....which are very hard to overcome. Having spent a lot of time in the woods, seeing bears (black only) and having spent time in the woods in winter, this story is very hard to believe. I can't imagine trying to fight a grizzly. As we all know now, watching survival shows, just getting water that doesn't make you sick is a big deal. You could die from something small like that let alone mortal wounds, no proper clothing, knives and hunting implements. This film seems to focus on the psychological, but its the tools and skills that would allow someone to survive.
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70%
AUDIENCE
· 250 ratings
6.8/10
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