MovieChat Forums > Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984) Discussion > Best Tarzan movie ever............... .

Best Tarzan movie ever............... .

posted 20 years ago by The_Magical_Negro
31 replies | jump to latest

................Which isn't really saying a whole lot but it's the truth. Can't believe nobody is at this board. The movie just came out on DVD a couple weeks ago. This movie is probably the closest there will ever be to a straight adaptation from the original Tarzan novels. Christopher Lambert did a good job acting out Tarzan's feral nature and his inner struggle between being wild and civilized as he is introduced to British high society as Lord Greystoke.

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

[–] gue_gg_ila 20 years ago

Is it like the book?At the end he doesn't keep jane?...Oh then I got to see it!

Ella vende besos en un burdel, mientras él se gradúa en el UCLA

[–] michael-ward-2 16 years ago

It is nothing like the book. Though your description of the ending accurately reflects both movie and book. In the movie the reason is different and the rest of the second half has absolutely no resemblence to the book what-so-ever.

So don't see it just because you expect the book on film.

[–] synicaladam 20 years ago

Indeed, I just commented on this movie on Christopher Lambert's thread. It's a great movie, and tones in the movie are represented physically by camera shots, and color tones presented in the movie. and your right, its amazing there hasn't been more people who have seen this, or responded to this movie.

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[–] katsimixas 20 years ago

There was a time when people used to watch films about the cruelty of men and other various issues about human nature. Good films. Tarzan was one of these films (the mission with de niro is another one that comes to mind). And by god, tarzan is a masterpiece comparing to all the rubbish we are watching today. It was a film with a PLOT, REALISM and TRULY good acting. I am really happy that there are some people out there, who still watch these films and enjoy them as much as i do.

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[–] The_Magical_Negro 20 years ago

I'm glad to see more people have been posting here since I first started this topic. So nice to see more people who feel the same as I do about this film. This film is just one of those underappreciated, rare gems of cinema and it's probably the closest a Tarzan film has ever come to faithfully adapting the original Tarzan of the Apes novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs for the silver screen. I'm so glad to finally have this movie on DVD. Christopher Lambert, Ian Holm, Sir Ralph Richardson and even Andie MacDowell all give such memorable performances. Hugh Hudson deserves a lot of credit for great directing as well. The DVD commentary with him and the producer of the film is very insightful..............

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

[–] eriknieminen 20 years ago

the film itself is alright at best, but I'm still waiting for a TRUE approach to the tarzan character, not these stupid hollywood versions....

[–] G-Com 20 years ago

"Greystoke" is more true to Burroughs' vision than the others, which are mediocre to outright awful.

[–] esenada 20 years ago

This is a superb movie. Everything works so well. The cast and acting are perfect. The music score is beautiful and the locations are stunning. It just all comes together. A truly underappreciated masterpiece.

[–] paint_kitty 20 years ago

I have to agree this is an awesome film. Saw it at the cinema when it was released (as a young 'un) and just watched it againlast night.

However I disagree that it was a godd adaptation. I think this film was as far from the novels as possible, the Weismuller and Gordon Scott movies are much closer to the orginal books in terms of feel and story. This was simply a great film that took the basic concept of the story and added a realism that just isn't there in the novels (rip-roaring adventure romps that they are).

To my mnd this is one of the few movies that (in some respects, not all) beats the source material. Gritty, realistic and true to the times it's set in.

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[–] eriknieminen 19 years ago

I'm still waiting for a truly SAVAGE Tarzan film. To make it truly Tarzan, it would have to be BRUTAL.

[–] haafket 19 years ago

"firstly, if Tarzan had been raised exclusively by apes, why didn't he have a beard? He'd never even seen a razor until he met Ian Holm's character, yet he has no more than a few day's growth"

Some people doesn't grow any more facial and body hair than that. If they start to shave however their hair starts to grow longer and longer. But, as lcmprist said he found the knife in the book. Look instead on Robinson Crusoe, he had a big beard after living on the island for a while but Friday grew none at all.

[–] liscarkat-2 13 years ago

In answer to haafket, after observing African natives, Tarzan realized he was more like them than like the hairy apes, and learned to shave by observing them. He shaved his face with the knife that had been his father's.

[–] michael-ward-2 16 years ago

This film is nothing like Burrough novels.

[–] michael-ward-2 16 years ago

Agreed. The original story would work so well on film that it's a shame no ones ever done a faithful adaption.

[–] michael-ward-2 16 years ago

I'm glad to see more people have been posting here since I first started this topic. So nice to see more people who feel the same as I do about this film. This film is just one of those underappreciated, rare gems of cinema and it's probably the closest a Tarzan film has ever come to faithfully adapting the original Tarzan of the Apes novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs for the silver screen. I'm so glad to finally have this movie on DVD. Christopher Lambert, Ian Holm, Sir Ralph Richardson and even Andie MacDowell all give such memorable performances. Hugh Hudson deserves a lot of credit for great directing as well. The DVD commentary with him and the producer of the film is very insightful..............

Have you read Tarzan of the Apes?

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[–] monkey-man 19 years ago

I agree with you that this movie is the best Tarzan movie ever.

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] Eve_French 18 years ago

This is the only good Tarzan movie. A true classic in every sense of the word. The scene where young Tarzan tried to save that dying ape brought tears to my eyes.

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[–] Camelot_2000 16 years ago

It sure is the most intelligent adaptation of the Tarzan story ever, especially the severe contrast of Tarzan's primitive life with the apes to his intro into the prim and proper uppercrust society of the English aristocrats. Ralph Richardson as the Earl of Greystoke gives an excellent performance as the patriarch happy to have his 'son' back, most notably the scene where he and Tarzan are at a dignified dinner party and he copies Tarzan's act of lifting up the soup bowl to eat.

They survived the impossible...by doing the unthinkable.

[–] YGoodwriter 15 years ago

I didn't like it. Like so many other modern attempts to put realism into fantasy ("King Arthur" with Cilve Owen and "Robin Hood" with Kevin Kostner, for example) all the magic is sapped out of it and gone. We're left with something realisitic but grim and unengaging.

Tarzan is, essentially, a fantasy, just as much as Conan or the Hobbit. Making it so grimly realistic drains the spirit out of it.

Also, since they eliminated all the action sequences, and allowed very little time for the romance (Jane doesn't come in until more than halfway through the film) theres really nothing memorable left in this movie. Realism is fine. But I want the magic back.

[–] Movie_Piranha_1979 14 years ago

Completely agree! For me this is the best Tarzan film ever!

Prostitute: What the *beep* are you doing?
Johnny: I'm gonna kill a bunch of people.

[–] garybatmanbusey 14 years ago

its also one of my fave films ever...the score alone makes it amazing.

"she's the tear that hangs inside my soul forever."

[–] red_rackham_77 13 years ago

It is the best for me but Tarzan didn't speak alot, when asked a question or just small moments. Most of the time he was silent or made his ape noises which were Lambert's best performances.