Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes
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Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes is a 1984 film directed by Hugh Hudson and based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' novel Tarzan of the Apes. It features Sir Ralph Richardson, Ian Holm, James Fox, Christopher Lambert, Andie MacDowell and Cheryl Campbell. Christopher Lambert plays the part of Tarzan, and Andie MacDowell plays the part of Jane.
In a departure from most previous Tarzan films, Greystoke returned to Burroughs' original source material for its plot, updating the novel's story in the light of 1980s sensibilities and science. It also utilized a number of corrective ideas first put forth by science fiction author Philip José Farmer in his mock-biography Tarzan Alive, most notably Farmer's explanation of how the speech-deprived ape man was later able to acquire language by showing Tarzan to be a natural mimic.
Greystoke definitively laid to rest the film portrayal of Tarzan as the simpleton established by Johnny Weissmuller's rendition of the 1930s, reasserting the ape man's original status as an articulate and intelligent human being. However, the film also portrayed his adaptation to civilization as a failure, and his return to the wild as a matter of necessity rather than choice.
[edit] Trivia
- Ralph Richardson, who played the Sixth Earl of Greystoke, died shortly after filming ended, and he received a posthumous Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
- Andie MacDowell proved unable to provide a suitable English accent for her character. Her dialog was dubbed in post-production by Glenn Close.
[edit] External links
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de:Greystoke – Die Legende von Tarzan, Herr der Affen es:Greystoke: la leyenda de Tarzán fr:Greystoke, la légende de Tarzan
