Greystoke - The Legend of Tarzan

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One of those legendary missed opportunities, Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes is a movie that should have been great but wound up the victim of conflicting egos and wrong-headed choices. Based on a screenplay by Robert Towne (who took his name off it when he wasn't allowed to direct) and directed by Hugh Hudson (riding high on the basis of Chariots of Fire), the film tried to rethink the Tarzan legend of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and boy, did it have to: By casting French-accented Christopher Lambert as Tarzan, the filmmakers had to transform his white-hunter mentor Ian Holm into a Frenchman to explain those inflections in Tarzan's monosyllabic speech. The film has some amazing jungle footage and a truly touching relationship between Tarzan and the apes--but it gets pretty silly when Tarzan gets to London and hooks up with Sir Ralph Richardson, as his grandfather. --Marshall Fine

Description

An infant raised to manhood among savage apes, living by his wits and the law of the jungle, returns to society to claim his inheritance of humanity and privilege. This collision of "wild" and "civilized" worlds is the extraordinary saga of Tarzan, chronicled in Edgar Rice Burroughs' popular book series. Starring: Christopher Lambert, Andie MacDowell, Ian Holm

Customer Reviews:

True to the books.......2007-08-13

As a kid, I used to read the Edgar Rice Burroughs TARZAN novels - and loved them! Of all the Tarzan movies I've seen, this one comes the closest to Burrough's vision of the character. It is tragic that so many people associate Tarzan with the much-parodied (and fabricated) "Me Tarzan, you Jane." This infamous line is not to be found in the books.

It may come as a surprise to many, but the Tarzan in the novels is HIGHLY intelligent, cunning, multi-lingual and has had much experience in what we call "civilization." He chooses to go back to the jungle, not because he is against civilization. Rather, he is simply bored with it.

In this movie, they do a good job of showing an English nobleman who was raised in the jungle attempting to adapt & fit into his "rightful place" in English / Scottish society. This sets this film apart from most any other Tarzan movie, and they give it a serious look.

The one issue I have with the film is with the casting of Christopher Lambert to play Tarzan / Lord Greystoke. Lambert is a fine actor, which is why I have mixed feelings about bringing this issue up. The problem is, in the books Tarzan is always described as being this large, hulking, very muscular guy. Lambert is simply not a big guy, and he's not particularly buffed up. On the upside, he does do a terrific job of portraying an English Lord who was raised in the jungle, and still has the jungle in his savage heart.

The lovely Andie McDowell is wonderful as a cultured, kind Jane who does her best to integrate the jungle man into his unfamiliar surroundings. Of course, Andie has always been one of my favorite actresses, so I'm pretty much a fan of anything she does!

This is a very different Tarzan movie than what most are accustomed to. If you're looking for a movie that all takes place in the jungles of Africa, this is not the one to get. It is a pyschological journey of a man who was literally raised by apes (in fact, the word Tarzan means "white ape") who is thrown into the midst of humankind & does not quite know how to respond. The film is also unique in that I don't believe "Tarzan" is ever mentioned; he is only known as John Clayton; Lord Greystoke. This is the truest form of Greystoke's story every told in cinema.

A classic---almost.......2007-06-13

When I first viewed this film, I was taken by the fabulous performance of the Tarzan character. The first 2/3 of the film is wonderful and the viewer can identify with the "human" qualities of the apes----just like the boy Tarzan did. But the last third of the movie is a bit too much, particularly the scenes at the British Museum. At that point the movie became too contrived and unbelievable. But the scenery and the acting are wonderful.

Tarzan at his best........2007-02-12

A very well done Tarzan remake! The stars were great, locations wonderful, and the story was added to by filling in details we had never seen before.

I Really Enjoyed This Version of Tarzan...Loved it!.......2006-12-31

This is the ONLY version that really gets you in touch with the human quality of Tarzan and his torture.

Christopher Lambert does an exceptionally good job in this remake. The parallel of a man raised in the wild who could adopt the manners of society but was not happy there versus the aristocracy he was born into as being the true animals was touching.

Loved it!

A great classic story based on history.......2006-10-30

This is the most accurate story ever told about Tarzan every made. A must have.

Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Belgium ]

Average customer rating:

Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Belgium ]
Director: Hugh Hudson
Manufacturer: Warner
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000KKW8DC

Product Description

Belgium released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: it WILL NOT play on standard US DVD player. You need multi-region PAL/NTSC DVD player to view it in USA/Canada. LANGUAGES: Italian (Mono), English (Dolby Digital 5.1), French (Dolby Digital 2.0), Arabic (Subtitles), Dutch (Subtitles), English (Subtitles), French (Subtitles), German (Subtitles), Italian (Subtitles), Portuguese (Subtitles), Romanian (Subtitles), Spanish (Subtitles), ANAMORPHIC WIDESCREEN (2.35:1), SYNOPSIS: A shipping disaster in the 19th Century has stranded a man and woman in the wilds of Africa. The lady is pregnant, and gives birth to a son in their tree house. Soon after, a family of apes stumble across the house and in the ensuing panic, both parents are killed. A female ape takes the tiny boy as a replacement for her own dead infant, and raises him as her son. Twenty years later, Captaine Phillippe D'Arnot discovers the man who thinks he is an ape. Evidence in the tree house leads him to believe that he is the direct descendant of the Earl of Greystoke, and thus takes it upon himself to return the man to civilization. SPECIAL FEATURES: Trailer(s), Interactive Menu, Commentary,

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