GREYSTOKE, LEGEND OF TARZAN, LORD OF THE APES. Directed by Hugh Hudson; written by P.H. Vazak and Michael Austin; produced by Hugh Hudson and Stanley S. Canter. Starring Christopher Lambert, Ian Holm, Ralph Richardson and Andie MacDowell. Rated PG (some violence).
More reviews by —
TITLE:
RATING:
There has been a lot of experimentation with a venerable sub-category of adventure movies lately. I'm referring, of course, to Tarzan movies. First we saw Bo Derek's softcore porn version. And now, in a completely different class, Greystoke. Neither has much in common with the Johnny Weissmuller varieties that I grew up with. Tarzan, the Ape Man was probably (I didn't see it, having SOME standards) worse than these, and Greystoke is most definitely better.
It opens at a palatial estate in Scotland, where Tarzan's parents are departing for some sort of foreign service in Africa. Later shipwrecked, they build a "Swiss Family Robinson"-type house in the jungle, hoping for rescue. But they are both killed soon after their son is born. A mother ape who has recently lost her own child rescues the baby.
The first third or so of Greystoke follows the child to manhood and is the most interesting and unusual part of the movie. The ape colony is only partly authentic—certain key characters are played by actors in ape suits. But these humans fit in fairly well with their simian companions. And Lambert, as the adult Tarzan, is exceptionally convincing.
He is eventually found by an explorer (Holm), who gradually teaches him to talk and to realize that he is human. They end up back at the family castle, where Tarzan comes to feel the conflict between his genes and his upbringing most keenly. (I should be referring to the main character as John, since he isn't called Tarzan at all in Greystoke. But old habits die hard.)
The "civilized" parts of the movie aren't as enjoyable as the jungle scenes (in spite of a delightful performance by Richardson as John's grandfather). Part of the reason is John's growing discomfort with a society in which he cannot feel at home. But another problem is that some of the scenes seem weighted down with all these impressive Edwardian furnishings. Of course, the world of Greystoke is oppressive in ways that the jungle is not. But knowing that this is the point doesn't make watching this section any easier.
Moviegoers would expect a class act from the director of Chariots of Fire, and however unexpected a follow-up Greystoke is, Hudson delivers. The performances are first-rate and the location scenery, both in Scotland and in Cameroon, is gorgeous.
They might also expect something a little off-beat, and not for all tastes, as well. Again, Greystoke fits the bill. Tarzan movie fans, for instance, might find the action a bit restrained. Although there is a lot of excitement, a fair amount of blood and gore, and a real sense of the jungle. Others may feel John's various family ties are a little over-sentimentalized. But I was quite moved by the deaths of John's "foster parents" as well as his grandfather.
There are also a few plot improbabilities which detract somewhat from the realism most of the movie displays. Most important is the fact that John encounters his ape father, of all "people," in a zoological institute. This sequence is one of the most important and moving in the movie, but it was undercut by a feeling of strained coincidence. Overall, though, Greystoke is visually stunning, intellectually interesting and extremely well-acted. Not bad for a Tarzan movie.
May 2, 1984