Quest for Fire

Original title: La guerre du feu

1981
AA
1h 40m

IMDb RATING

7.3/10

25K

YOUR RATING

Ron Perlman, Rae Dawn Chong, Nicholas Kadi, and Everett McGill in Quest for Fire (1981)

This story takes place in prehistoric time when three tribesmen search for a new fire source.

Play trailer1:06

2 Videos

69 Photos

Quest Survival Adventure Drama

This story takes place in prehistoric time when three tribesmen search for a new fire source.This story takes place in prehistoric time when three tribesmen search for a new fire source.This story takes place in prehistoric time when three tribesmen search for a new fire source.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.3/10

25K

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Won 1 Oscar
- 11 wins & 8 nominations total

Videos2

Photos69

+ 62

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
Both Ron Perlman and Everett McGill suffered frostbite; luckily they were able to heal completely. Despite the working conditions, they both enjoyed making the film.

Goofs
The movie is set 80,000 years ago, and appears to show the one tribe has made pottery. Fragments of ancient pottery found in southern China date back to only 20,000 years, making them the world's oldest known pottery. However, the vessel shown is actually a dried hollow gourd.

Quotes
[first lines]
Title Card: 80,000 years ago, man's survival in a vast uncharted land depended on the possession of fire. / For those early humans, fire was an object of great mystery, since no one had mastered its creation. Fire had to be stolen from nature, it had to be kept alive - sheltered from wind and rain, guarded from rival tribes. / Fire was a symbol of power and a means of survival. The tribe who possessed fire, possessed life.

Alternate versions
All UK versions are cut by 8 secs and are missing a shot of a wolf on fire.

Connections
Featured in À propos de 'La guerre du feu' (1981)

User reviews123

Review

Featured review

9/10

Very underrated.. one of my top 20 Favorites.

Many of my friends laugh at me when I mention this movie. I don't know what makes so many of them hate it so.. Perhaps the lack of understandable dialogue? Too much like thinking to understand what is going on? Whatever it is, I am one of the few I know who feel this is a very underrated movie.. I know it is not accurate from a scientific perspective... The time line is all messed up.. but so what? I sat there in the theater just thinking.. "suppose live in our distant past WAS something like this movie. Fire=Life=Fire. Along comes a superior tribe and I realize that I could summon the flames at MY WILL. How powerful I would feel.. Almost G-d like! The photography is lush and there is a tinge of humor when the backward tribe learns to laugh. I enjoyed the story and the acting... everything. Rent it! See it twice if you must. Just maybe... we ARE looking back at ourselves.