The roots of heaven

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Movie
German title The roots of heaven
Original title The Roots of Heaven
Country of production United States
original language English
Publishing year 1958
length 121 minutes
Age rating FSK 6
Rod
Director John Huston
script Romain Gary
Patrick Leigh Fermor
production Darryl F. Zanuck
Robert Jacks
music Malcolm Arnold
camera Oswald Morris
cut Russell Lloyd
occupation
synchronization

The Roots of Heaven (Original title: The Roots of Heaven ) is an American feature film from 1958 by John Huston . The script was written by Romain Gary and Patrick Leigh Fermor . It is based on the 1956 novel "Les racines du ciel" by Romain Gary. The leading roles are cast with Trevor Howard , Juliette Gréco and Errol Flynn . The work was first shown in cinemas on October 15, 1958 in the United States. In the Federal Republic of Germany you could see the film from December 19, 1958 on the screen.

action

French Equatorial Africa in the 1950s. The fanatical animal rights activist Morel uses all his might to save the elephants from extinction. He petitioned the local authorities, the Franciscans of the mission station in Fort Lamy and the governor , hoping they would assist him in his application to pass a law to protect elephants. However, this is not the case. For the time being, he has only two individuals with him: Johnny Forsythe, who has been expelled from the British Army, and the nightclub singer Minna. Morel only began to regain hope when he was described by an American radio reporter on a program as "modern Robin Hood ".

The governor doesn't believe in the animal rights activist. He considers him to be an agent of the Waitari, who was raised in Europe. He leads an underground movement in the colony , which is fighting for the independence of equatorial Africa by all means. Now the governor sends his confidante Saint Denis to Morel's camp in the mountains. This should persuade the animal rights activist to give up his "campaign". Then he will be safely escorted to the border. When Saint Denis found the man he was looking for, he met the Danish scientist Peer Qvist, the young African Yussef, someone who pretended to be a "baron", Waitari and a few other natives who spent most of their lives behind bars to have. Morel admits that Waitari is helping him in his endeavor to protect the elephants; however, he has nothing in common with Waitari's underground movement. He just wanted to have his manifesto presented to the upcoming "Congo Conference on the Conservation of African Wildlife". Therefore, he rejects the governor's offer.

Morel and his people pay a visit to the head of the local press. Shortly afterwards, his manifesto appeared on the front page. On the same day, Morel and his followers penetrate the house of the influential Orsini, who is currently holding a festival and is considered the head of the poachers. While some guard the exits, Morel reads his manifesto to the horrified Orsini and his guests. Then the group leaves the villa. Waitari left before that. Three of his men steal Morel's only truck because the animal rights activist concealed in an interview with a journalist that he was supported by Waitari.

When Morel and his remaining heap reached Lake Kuru on foot, a large herd of elephants was just waiting there. Suddenly a sports plane crashes nearby. Only one inmate can save himself with multiple broken ribs: the American photo reporter Abe Fields. Glad to face Morel, he joins his group.

Waitari intends to kill the elephant herd with the support of Habib and De Fries in order to finance his resistance movement with the proceeds from the tusks. As the group approaches the herd, Morel opens fire. During the fight, Forsythe and the baron fall. Morel himself and the rest of his people are captured by Waitari. It was only when the photojournalist promised the rebel that he would publish a positive article about his efforts that Morel and his people were released. On the way to the camp, Fields' condition worsens, and Minna becomes seriously ill too. In the first village, they learn that the governor has sent his troops to them.

In Biondi, Morel wants to take the American and Minna to the hospital. When they arrive in town, the idealist is in for a great surprise: the soldiers pay him their tribute . Even if Morel is now tired and exhausted, he is returning to the jungle with his friends.

Production notes

The exterior shots were taken at the original locations in what was then the colony of French Equatorial Africa (today: Chad ), the interior shots in the Boulogne-Billancourt studios in France. The buildings were created by the British production designer Stephen B. Grimes . The costumes were designed by Rosine Delamare .

synchronization

role actor Dubbing voice
Morel Trevor Howard Arnold Marquis
Minna Juliette Gréco Hannelore Schroth
Forsythe Errol Flynn Wolfgang Lukschy
Abe Fields Eddie Albert Clemens Hasse
Habib Grégoire Aslan Curt Ackermann
Saint Denis Paul Lukas Siegfried Schürenberg
governor André Luguet Hans Hessling
Sedgewick Orson Welles Ernst Wilhelm Borchert
Waitari Edric Connor Eduard Wandrey
Orsini Herbert Lom Claus Miedel
Peer Qvist Friedrich Ledebur Walter Süssenguth
Haas Maurice Cannon Alfred Haase
Farque Francis De Wolff Paul Wagner
adjutant Alain Saury Herbert Stass
DeVries Marc Doelnitz Otto Czarski
Schoelscher Pierre Dudan Heinz Giese
N'Dolo Roscoe Stallworth Franz Nicklisch

criticism

Der Spiegel published a negative review of the film. In its 1/1959 issue, the magazine's critic said that Romain Gary (from whom the award-winning literary original was also created) "crushed his novel into a film script by hand". The unusual characters of the original have become "boring movie heroes". The “melancholy joke of the dialogues” had dissolved into “tract smoke”, and wide-screen Africa offered no surprises. The Lexicon of International Films , on the other hand, has a predominantly positive opinion . It draws the following conclusion: “Adventure routinist Huston presents prominent actors, brilliant landscape shots and an extremely dramatic plot - but without being able to bring a clear line into the problem-laden story. What distinguishes the film pleasantly from the usual genre spectacles is the director's loving look at his characters, who are portrayed as tragic idealists. "

literature

Program for the film: Illustrierte Film-Bühne , Vereinigte Verlagsgesellschaft Franke & Co. KG, Munich, number 4609

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ NEW IN GERMANY: The Roots of Heaven (USA). In: Der Spiegel . No. 1 , 1959 ( online ).
  2. ^ Lexicon of international films, rororo-Taschenbuch Nr. 6322 (1988), p. 4367