MovieChat Forums > Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984) Discussion > I'd have to agree.

I'd have to agree.

posted 20 years ago by davidtorrance2003
18 replies | jump to latest

I'd have to agree that Greystoke is a very good film.
Music,Cinematography,Costumes & Makeup,Art Direction and the attention to historical detail has to be commended.

I've had this film on VHS for years and I recently imported the Region 1 DVD.
When I first played the DVD,particularly the pre-credits sequence.I noticed that a title card showing "Scotland Ten Months Earlier" was missing.

The DVD is a version that contains "Footage Not Originally Shown In North American Theatres".I was curious as to what footage was cut from the film's original theatrical exhibition in the US?.As the VHS copy I have has the same footage bar the title card.

I also noticed that the theatrical trailer contains a deleted clip that isn't present on the film.

The film's Director "Hugh Hudson" has made a very good film that's been massively overlooked.
Maybe after 20 years it may be re-evaluated due to the advent of DVD.

[–] The_Magical_Negro 20 years ago

davidtorrance2003, glad to see I'm not the only person who appreciates this film. This movie actually inspired me to read some Edgar Rice Burroughs original books years later. I was shocked at how intelligently Tarzan was portrayed because I had been so used to seeing all of those awful Johnny Weismuller flicks. Rick Baker's work with creating the ape costumes was awesome. I guess it shouldn't have been a surprise given he is the greatest costume/makeup technician working in the movie business. Hugh Hudson actually said he was offered the chance to make a sequel in the commentary for this film. Sure wish he could have done another one................

I'm not terribly certain about the footage that was cut from the US release, I think it could have been some of the scenes with child/teenage Tarzan playing around in the nude with the apes................

He's not black............He's a negro.

[–] le_hawk24 20 years ago

I agree, one of my all-time favorites, my father took me too see it when i was 10, and fell in love with the story.

I still cry when Tarzan's grandfather goes down the stairs. So emotional.

As said before, Rick Baker is a marvel. And Lambert's casting was brilliant!

8/10.

[–] filmbuff-63 20 years ago

The previously deleted scenes are when Tarzan and D'Arnot arrive at "civilization" where they enter the saloon and get a room. The people in the saloon give them a look that insinuates they think Big T and Heavy D are homosexual. It's not much, but omitted from the theatrical version.
Doesn't the saloon burn down too? That wasn't in the theater either.

I shall owe thee an answer for that...

[–] The_Magical_Negro 20 years ago

Yes, filmbuff-63. All of those scenes you mentioned (Including the saloon burning) are in the film for the DVD release..............

"I think a man does what he can, until his destiny is revealed." --Nathan Algren, The Last Samurai

[–] le_hawk24 20 years ago

Amazing movie, it really plays on your emotions. So sad, but very enlightening as well.

As mentioned before, When the father falls down the stairs, i cry everytime as well. So sad.

A brilliant movie, should be in the top fifty easily. Christopher Lambert is an amazing actor.

"WAKE UP, TIME TO DIE"
"DID YOU GET YOUR PRECIOUS PHOTOS"

[–] garybatmanbusey 19 years ago

one of the best movies ive ever had the pleasure of seeing. I never get bored of this film.

[–] Cinema_Love 19 years ago

One of my favorites too!!

The cast, the plot, the music, everything is perfect in this movie! 1980s was really a good decade for Christophe Lambert!

[–] Tplj1919 19 years ago

I just saw this on amc, and I enjoyrf it alot.
As I watched it I noticed some other people in my family came in and started to watch it too.

[–] klc-16 16 years ago

I think you are imagining things. The looks they give each other is explained later - they suspect that they are escaped convicts...duh!

[–] marginal_pen 19 years ago

To my mind this is by far the best Tarzan film ever made, period. I just wish they released the full theatrical version on DVD. According to IMDB info the film's length is 144 min. and the DVD version is 137 min. long. So there is 7 min. of footage cut out, which is really too bad. Given that DVD is 20th anniversary edition, they could have (via seamless branching) put both original director's cut and US theatrical exhibition, because I doubt they will be releasing a new edition any time soon. I wonder if there is a site somewhere out there that details the differences bewteen the two versions.

[–] the dude-30 18 years ago

"I wonder if there is a site somewhere out there that details the differences bewteen the two versions."

There is. It's called IMDb. Look on the "alternate versions" link, guys! I fully researched and provided this info, like 6 years ago! The DVD has the Extended version; the Theatrical cut was shorter. However, there were some minor omissions from the DVD: 1) The captions for the prologue and 2) Ian Holm's closing narration. Otherwise, it's the same as the 1992 video release.

[–] simonkevnorris 16 years ago

It's an excellent movie and one that I watch every now and then. I replaced my VHS copies with a R1 DVD and replaced that with a R2 DVD a while ago when it was finally released on R2.

An excellent take on what it is to be 'civilized'.

[–] d.lodewijks 16 years ago

If you're in the UK (or elsewhere in Europe), the difference in length is likely due to you watching a PAL DVD. Movies are played back with their speed increased by 1/24, to the transfer from 24 fps to 25 fps. A difference of 7 minutes sounds just about right for a movie of this length.

[–] YGoodwriter 15 years ago

I'm afraid I can't agree. This film missed the mark. True, it captured the beginning and the final scenes of ERB's novel but otherwise it lacks the whole middle section of the ERB novel. The adventure and romance of Tarzan and Jane in the jungle just isn't here. It expands the start and finish, leaving no room for the middle. Its a Book-End of a good movie. Nice start, nice finish. But where's center.

It reminds me of that Marx Borthers scene where Groucho is dictating a letter to Zeppo, and Zeppo eliminates everything from the letter except the 'Greetings' and the 'truly yours'. Groucho shouts, "You've eliminated the body of the letter!"

Thats what this film does. Theres a nice "Greetings gentlemen" (the beginning with Tarzan's origins) and a nice "Truly yours" (He returns to the jungle without Jane.) But in between it omits the body of the letter.

[–] Shalmai 15 years ago

I faintly recall reading an abridged version of the novel when I was in 7th grade, and while watching this movie some parts came back to me, and I would agree the beginning and end remained fairly true to the novel.

That being said, the middle part - Tarzan meeting Jane, living at Greystoke - was the best part of the movie, in my opinion. Some of the ape costumes freaked me out (yes, it was the '80s, but they gave me the shudders) and subtitles for the apes would have been really helpful (someone mentioned earlier that they have been omitted from the DVD? That's a shame). The bond between Tarzan (Johnnie) and Jane was really nicely portrayed, and a moment that stuck out to me was the brief kiss they shared in the garden maze.

And, if I am remembering correctly, Tarzan doesn't stay with Jane in the end of the novel. Even if that's true, I'm still a sucker for love stories, and Tarzan leaving Jane at the end of the movie made me like it just a little bit less.

Other than the lack of subtitles and the - once again, in my opinion - depressing ending, this was, overall, a good film. 7/10

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[–] anast999 8 years ago

i was adout 10 years old whene i first saw the movie.I ll never forget the scream of tarzan.Until that day i ve only heard the other scream of the actor you was i very known sweamer ,i dont remember his name. My God..... what an experience....and when he carries the plack panther and droop him in the other apes.... Great film...top 30