Roar - The lions are loose
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Roar - The lions are loose |
| Original title | Roar |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1981 |
| length | 102 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 6 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Noel Marshall |
| script | Noel Marshall |
| production | Noel Marshall Tippi Hedren |
| music | Robert Hawk |
| camera | Jan de Bont |
| cut | Peter Hitchcock |
| occupation | |
| |
Roar is an American animal and adventure film from 1981, about the experiences of a researcher and his family with wild lions and other big cats.
action
The American naturalist Hank has devoted himself entirely to the study of wild big cats. In order to be able to pursue his studies better, he withdrew to the solitude of the African savannah and has been living there with his animals for three years. On the one hand, he managed to bring together all the big cats that exist in the world - that is, in addition to the African species such as lion and leopard, also tigers , jaguars and pumas - in one place where they live in harmony with one another; on the other hand, he himself is recognized as a pack member in all cats and lives in direct contact with the animals - without cages, fences or whips.
However, the idyll is somewhat mixed up when Hank's family announces a visit to the savannah. A misunderstanding about the arrival time causes Hank and his family to miss each other. While he is still on the way to the airport, his family is on the way to his ranch. As a result, Hank's wife Madeleine and his children are received not by him, but by a pack of lions, tigers and other cats.
Apparently not aware of how closely Hank lives with his animals, the frightened family tries by all means to get to safety from the supposedly dangerous animals and to hide from them in the most impossible places. The trusting cats, however, see all of this as just a fun game that the newcomers want to play with them. A number of bizarre and funny situations arise from this.
The situation is made even more complicated by a solitary lion who tries to be included in Hank's pack, but is not used to dealing with humans and is therefore really dangerous. In addition, a trigger-happy and greedy big game hunter has sworn revenge on the cats for having been slightly injured by a tiger during a visit.
background
The concept of the film was unique at the time it was made. Not only the bringing together and living together of practically all existing big cats in one place has never been done in this form. The open interaction between humans and animals can hardly be seen anywhere else to this extent and depth. This results in some spectacular scenes, and reveals a trust that one would normally not attribute to the dreaded big cats.
The film cost $ 17 million to produce, but this is mainly due to the long production time of five years (other sources say eleven). The cast was primarily by amateur actors - including Noel's sons John and Jerry - and unknown actors. The only exceptions here are Tippi Hedren and her daughter Melanie Griffith , who at the time were only at the beginning of their careers.
The production was not a good star. Due to the close contact with the animals, the actors repeatedly suffered serious injuries such as scratches and abrasions, bruises and even broken bones. Such situations did not arise through the animals 'aggression towards humans, but rather through the enormous powers of the big cats, for which the human body was not designed, coupled with the actors' initial inexperience in dealing with the animals. In addition, there were repeated setbacks such as fires, floods, accidents and a serious viral disease from which many of the cats died.
Since the film only grossed two million dollars at the box office, it is, despite its uniqueness, one of the biggest cinema flops of all time. Due to the familiar cast of the leading roles, some critics ironically said that this film was the most expensive home video of all time.
various
- All of the interaction between actors and animals is real. At the beginning of the film, the producers make it clear that the animals were used to humans, but not trained or otherwise controlled.
- Two years after the film's appearance, Tippi Hedren founded the Roar Foundation , an association to finance and maintain the Shambala Resort , which was built in 1973 and is intended to provide refuge for large cats born in captivity and abandoned. Hedren is still the president of the association and is committed to the welfare of her animals.
Quotes
- “With a lot of love you achieve everything with animals. If I want them to trust me, I have to follow their rules too. And they have to recognize me as one of their own. "
- “The animals should have their paradise with me. Enough other people are mean to them. "
- "Humans should not intervene in matters that are only a matter of nature."
- “Not just that he has lions! No, they also drink beer! "
Individual evidence
- ↑ Tim Dirks: Greatest Box-Office Bombs, Disasters and Flops: The Most Notable Examples . In: filmsite.org . Retrieved December 1, 2008.