Genre: nature
drama
With: Youk
(the Bear Cub), Bart (the Kodiak Bear), Tchéky Karyo (Tom), Jack Wallace
(Bill), André Lacombe (the hunter with dogs)
Director: Jean-Jacques
Annaud
Screenplay: Gérard
Brach (based on James Oliver Curwood's novel)
Release: 1988
Studio: Price,
Renn Productions
Rating: PG
MBiS score: 8.1/10
They May Be Likeable on Screen But
They'll Never Be Teddy Bears
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Story-line: the
venue is British Columbia, the time, 1885. When its mother dies in an unfortunate
accident, a bear cub has to fend for itself in an unforgiving habitat and guard
against strange creatures that roam the forest on their hind legs and carry metal
rods that go boom!
Pluses: an
astute screenplay combining tragedy, suspense and genuinely touching moments,
awesome direction, extraordinary camera work by Philippe Rousselot (A RIVER
RUNS THROUGH IT), good acting from a smallish cast, outstanding special effects
and production values, beautiful music by Philippe Sarde and the London Symphony
Orchestra.
Minuses: be
on notice that one hunter's trick involves bear turd. The dream sequences, albeit
useful, seem a bit awkward and unrealistic.
Comments: THE BEAR stands apart from usual wildlife features in that it avoids corniness and doesn't hide the more brutal aspects of our natural world. Having seen François Truffaut's LA NUIT AMÉRICAINE – in which he comments on the use of animals in cinema – I was truly amazed by Jean-Jacques Annaud's technical feat; I don't even want to know how he achieved it all (although Animatronics were certainly used at some point). As for rating this remarkable nature project, I gave it an 8.6 for technical merit, photography and editing but a 7.6 for the story itself, considering the limits to what drama, comedy and nuance one can pull from Kodiaks and grizzlies... thus my score of 8.1, admittedly lower than most. Kudos to J.-J. Annaud and team for a strong and lovely movie that pays due respect to the animal kingdom.
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