Quest for Fire Reaction Paper
Janin B. Garga Sociology Sir Banny
BSCS – 4A1
Quest for fire
Reaction paper
Quest For Fire, adapted to screen by Gérard Brach and directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud is a movie that makes an effort in presenting life as it was in 80.000 BCE, Paleolithic Europe. This attempt is done without using any of the modern languages but rather sounds and body movement. The costumes, make-up and the scenery add quite a lot to the realistic ways of this movie. As the storyline proceeds with three men trying to regain the fire their tribe lost, the audience is bombarded with information regarding the period. The difference in evolution, traditions, knowledge and lifestyles are all, very plainly and without emphasis, presented to the spectator in the natural occurrence of events. The environmental aspects like predators and obstructions such as mud-fills and lakes are very accurately put into the “normal life” frame, hence accentuating the difference of then from now. In the following paragraphs I will attempt in examining how well these aspects of the film were presented.
The movie starts at this one tribe who have somehow found a small flame and have kept it safe and burning-as life equals fire. Yet when they are attacked by another tribe, they drop the flame into water at an attempt to escape. During the attack, we see people getting hurt or dying. One very
significant event was, in my opinion, the reaction of others to the death of their tribesmen. One particular example that remains with me is that of a male who expresses sadness and despair after the death of a female, who, we can conclude, was probably his partner. This suggests coupling in the tribe and in general the Homo species and adds to the vast variety of information this screenplay gives.
After the attack, three men are chosen to go and search for a new fire source. As this decision is being made, 2 men are seen fighting for a position to lead the excursion. This is done by only
BSCS – 4A1
Quest for fire
Reaction paper
Quest For Fire, adapted to screen by Gérard Brach and directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud is a movie that makes an effort in presenting life as it was in 80.000 BCE, Paleolithic Europe. This attempt is done without using any of the modern languages but rather sounds and body movement. The costumes, make-up and the scenery add quite a lot to the realistic ways of this movie. As the storyline proceeds with three men trying to regain the fire their tribe lost, the audience is bombarded with information regarding the period. The difference in evolution, traditions, knowledge and lifestyles are all, very plainly and without emphasis, presented to the spectator in the natural occurrence of events. The environmental aspects like predators and obstructions such as mud-fills and lakes are very accurately put into the “normal life” frame, hence accentuating the difference of then from now. In the following paragraphs I will attempt in examining how well these aspects of the film were presented.
The movie starts at this one tribe who have somehow found a small flame and have kept it safe and burning-as life equals fire. Yet when they are attacked by another tribe, they drop the flame into water at an attempt to escape. During the attack, we see people getting hurt or dying. One very
significant event was, in my opinion, the reaction of others to the death of their tribesmen. One particular example that remains with me is that of a male who expresses sadness and despair after the death of a female, who, we can conclude, was probably his partner. This suggests coupling in the tribe and in general the Homo species and adds to the vast variety of information this screenplay gives.
After the attack, three men are chosen to go and search for a new fire source. As this decision is being made, 2 men are seen fighting for a position to lead the excursion. This is done by only