Rating: 
Summary: I WANT TO GO BACK IN TIME!!
Review: This movie is excellent! I love it! As a primitive buff who loves a good caveman story, Quest for Fire leaves the others standing! Actually, the primal lusts that this movie brought out in me has me actually wishing I was living 80,000 years ago. Can you imagine the adventure? Clean air and water, no over-crowded cities, no, punching a time-clock, no IRS, no nothing but pure and unadultrated freedom to come and go as you will, albeit, only the strong survive! Considering how ignorant the majority of humanity is, I often wonder HOW we ever got OUT of the stone age!! This film is a must for anyone who truly has a lust for adventure and primitive skills.
Rating:
Summary: Prehistoric Adventure -- Hauntingly Realistic
Review: How did early humans live and survive as a species through daily struggles, eventually populating the Earth? -- Anthony Burgess created a primitve language especially for this film, along with an ape-like body language "invented" by Desmond Morris. The engaging story of an ancient tribe on a determined search for fire, a flame to replace their extinguished source. It becomes obvious that these "Neanderthals" have not yet mastered starting a fire.In an epic journey, it becomes clear to the viewer just what it took to arrive where we are today. From common domestic problems to "bringing home the bacon", it's all very familiar! This is a one-of-a-kind cinema treat, don't miss it!*****
Rating:
Summary: One Of The Greatest Ever
Review: One of the greatest films ever made. A breathtaking stunning epic. The DVD experience makes the film even better. Priceless commentaries from Ron Perlman, Rae Dawn, the producer, and the director. There are also 15 galleries with director's commentary!
The DVD also includes the original featurette narrated by Orson Welles. Great widescreen anamorphic digital transfer from the film print. The ratio is 2.35:1 so if you have a widescreen TV or monitor you can really enjoy the full effect without the large letterbox bars.
Rating:
Summary: This is why they make DVD's
Review: I would give this movie three and a half stars maybe four stars because it is excellent, although the historicity in it is pretty fragile now it was up to date twenty years ago. I give the DVD five because this is truly a DVD par excellance. The commentaries alone are worth buying this DVD. The movie itself is not at all politically correct, which I appreciate, too often we wish to impose modern morals and social behaviour on the ancient world, as one sees in Clan of the Cave Bear. Not here, this film tackles clanwars, cannibalism, rape, sexuality, and even alcoholism. The one thing that did surprise me was that apparently the main characters, the Ulum tribe, were not supposed to be neanderthals, even though (based on modern understanding of neanderthals) their social behaviour was very much like the neanderthals' and was totally unlike archaic homo sapiens. However, this movie functions very well in familliarizing modern man with the totally alien world of our ancient ancestors. Now for the DVD special features. The special features are what really set this DVD apart. Through the director commentary, and also a commentary with the exec. producer and a couple actors one really gets a sense of what a harrowing project this film was to make for all involved. From shooting in the remotest wilderness, to training animals, to working under the harshest conditions imageinable from neckdeep in frozen water in Canada to barefoot on 140 degree rocks in the middle of Africa, this movie must have been as hard to act through as life must have been for our ancient ancestors. Ron Perlman, in part of his commentary mentions that he still feels the frostbite he got while shooting this movie every time it gets cold. The special features really are brilliant and they will give you a much deeper appreciation of the movie you are watching.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Film
Review: Quest for Fire is a film that will not only alter one's perception of modern human behavior but also show the dawn of what we call human civilization. This movie portrays man distilled to his original raw instincts, many of which in today's ultra modern society would be denounced as barbaric and foreign. It is hard to fathom that 8,000 years ago our predecessors had pretty much the same cognitive ability as modern humans do. It is simply the continual growth of technology and civilization that separates us from the characters in Quest for Fire. After knowing this morsel of knowledge, it was apparent that this movie not only defines life in the ancient world but also paints vividly shocking portrait of who we really are. Simply put, watching this film is quite humbling. The film climaxes when the main character discovers that man can create fire. This moment is quite inspirational and thought provoking simply because it is more important than man discovering the atom or the structure of DNA. That is, man is now capable of changing his environment instead of being controlled by it. In essence, the progress of humanity is a long and detailed history. In order to understand who we really are we must learn from where we came. Quest for Fire delivers a wonderful image of where we once were and who we are now.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterful Prehistoric Fantasy
Review: It is very clear that this film is not to depict what we actually know about primative man... and it was the directors intention to counter "science fiction of the future" with this masterpiece of "science fiction of the past". The acting, mannerisms, cinematography, music, and scope of this production is lush and yet frightening. It is a work of cinematic art... just incredible to watch and experience. I bought this DVD remembering how much I enjoyed the VHS many years ago and I was astounded at the beauty and clarity of this DVD transfer. The magnificent Phillipe Sarde score performed by the London Symphony alone make this a wonderful addition to any videophile's library. I think this is the PERFECT movie to play just before watching "2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY".... a perfect double feature.
Rating:
Summary: Letting go of an old flame
Review: 'Quest for Fire' is a bold and ambitious attempt to convey man's survival instincts during the prehistoric era. The plot is straightforward - a prehistoric tribe is attacked and in the chaos they lose the source that is vital for their survival. Unable to create fire, a trio sets out to find it from another source and thus begins the quest. On the journey, a subplot develops as one of the men falls in love with a woman from an 'advanced tribe'. It is her tribe that teaches him how to create fire. Since there is no English language or subtitles - the audience experiences heightened cues not only to convey the narrative but also to give them a sense of displacement. For instance, there is a highly pitched 'tribal tongue' we don't understand, dramatic body language, threatening landscape, harsh film score, and of course plenty of grunting and groaning. I don't think there is a great need to enter huge anthropological debates since anthropology is never static and never bound to a set of absolute conclusions. Furthermore, this film was made at a certain time, informed by specific people with specific anthropological arguments. Finally, 'Quest for Fire' was made with limited and specific resources that can only represent a fictionalized world. It is important to remember that film is not real. Instead one should attempt to engage with the film, on a different level, that is - to have some kind of understanding of who we were and the challenges we had to face. Indeed many instincts have not changed, such as the need to desire and be desired, the need for leadership skills and the ability to adapt, and the importance of storytelling to amuse and educate others. This particular story has a resonance that will leave you with a sense of awe and inspiration not only for its cinematic qualities but for its humanistic ones as well. 'Quest for Fire' is one of the best portals for a prehistoric experience thus far.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterful Prehistoric Fantasy
Review: It is very clear that this film is not to depict what we actually know about primative man... and it was the directors intention to counter "science fiction of the future" with this masterpiece of "science fiction of the past". The acting, mannerisms, cinematography, music, and scope of this production is lush and yet frightening. It is a work of cinematic art... just incredible to watch and experience. I bought this DVD remembering how much I enjoyed the VHS many years ago and I was astounded at the beauty and clarity of this DVD transfer. The magnificent Phillipe Sarde score performed by the London Symphony alone make this a wonderful addition to any videophile's library. I think this is the PERFECT movie to play just before watching "2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY".... a perfect double feature.
Rating:
Summary: Life with the cave men.
Review: "Quest for Fire" is set 80,000 years ago, at the dawn of man. A tribe's fire is extinguished, so they send three of their bravest warriors to find another source of fire and bring it back. Along the way they have many adventures with cannibal tribes, lions, mammoths, bears, and must brave the elements. Along the way they find a female, which it takes little time to get attached to her. There is no dialog or even subtitles. Only grunts that almost sound like words ("OME! or "NO"). most of plot points depends on broad body language, much like mimes. The violence is not graceful; it is savage and brutal, with clubs, stones, rapes and animal maulings. This is possably what life was like in the stone age before man figured out how to make fire. This is not for children, but it is interesting for adults.
Rating: 
Summary: Gritty and Realistic
Review: Excellent movie showing you how fragile life was in prehistoric times! A small group of cavemen are on a quest to discover fire (obtain it form another clan/tribe). Along the way they must fight wildlife, cannibals, warring tribes and others! Very realistic and with a few moments of good humor! Much more authentic then many caveman movies where everyone is dressed in clean furs and well fed! A must see!
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