The Naked Prey (1965) Reviews

• The Naked Prey as pure cinema

  sfoxly2006-05-17

  The Naked Prey is one of my favorite adventure movies. It is pure visual cinema. By that I mean the film can be shown anywhere in the world to any age audience without translations or sub-titles. Everyone viewing the action will understand everything that is happening on the screen whether they understand the languages or not. Like the movie Zulu, the antagonists are African tribesmen, but in both films, I never had the sense the natives were evil villains. Rather, the story is about the clash between two alien cultures, a life-or-death struggle that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Like Psycho, The Naked Prey should be taught in every film class around the world. It is perfect and pure just the way it is.

• Superb film.

  andre6452001-06-05

  The Naked Prey is on my short list of the best films of all time. After a very few minutes, the viewer will sit on the edge of his seat for a full hour where there is virtually no dialogue. When this movie was first released 35 years ago, I drove 30 miles across town to find and see it. It was worth the trip. Years later, watching it on TV, they omitted (so as not offend the viewers' sensibilities) what was one of the most effective moments in relieving the tension in an action film I have ever seen - the burp! The next time it was shown, I had to watch and was pleased to see it was back in. Watch for it, and you will know what I mean. All of the comments by naysayers about racism should be ignored. If anything, it is one of the most anti-racist films ever made, much credit to Cornel Wilde who made, directed and starred in the film with outstanding achievement in all three areas. Previously known for his role as Fredric Chopin in "An Affair to Remember", this was also one of my favourite films. As "the prey" Wilde shows the battle not only of man against man, but man against nature in the fight for survival and in a triumphal moment at the end he salutes his pursuers who, in mutual respect, return his salute. What more egalitarian gesture can one ask for in a pursuit and a fight to the death? Recommended for all adults but for those with a weak stomach.

• I dont think this is a racist film

  rabbitfist2001-04-07

  A lot of comments hear say that this movie is obviously racist. I think this an nervous knee jerk reaction. It definitely dose not put a phony PC spin on colonial Africa but that doesn't mean it is racist. Certainly the racism of the safari leader who refuses to respect the tribe with a gift is portrayed and is most likely accurate. It should be noted that the rest of the movie is a direct result of this racist white mans ignorant arrogance and that the hero knows better and tries to warn him. It is improbable that one man, out of his element, could over come his pursuers who must know the terrain better and have more experience hunting and fighting with spears, however I think this is not an attempt to portray the white man as superior but a convention of action movies (heroes can always dodge bullets). The idea that this movie portrays all Africans as savages is based on the assumption that the pursuers are representative of ALL Africans which is a bit racist in itself. They are a particular tribe. Africa is a big continent full of many different nations and tribes. There are other Africans present including those in the safari party, who are not shown to be savages. There are also two other tribes depicted towards the end. One is the village that the man comes upon. These people wear dyed clothing and seem to have a more advanced, structured, and less violently primal, society. The white mans life is saved by a child from this more peaceful tribe. They are attacked by another tribe, obviously working for colonial slave traders, who wear more modern clothing and have guns. This really happened. Some Africans at war with other Africans would sell their conquered foes to the white slave traders. When will people learn that portraying racism in all its ugliness and complexity is not equivalent to being a racist. The man who plays the hero was also the director. he is a white man and the story is told from his perspective but not exclusively. Part of the films context is that of cultures colliding, both European with African, and African with African. Another important point to this movie is that this is an educated, civilized man who is (literally) stripped of all the trappings of his civilization and thrust into the primal, and universal, struggle of shear survival. Im no expert on Africa but from what little I have read about its history, the movie, while a simple tale in itself, did not seem to over simplify its portrayal of Africa. I suspect that, quite far from being racist, the makers of this film probably had a respect for African culture. I could be wrong, but I doubt it. Over all I found it to be well acted. Even though the film makers did not have had a big Hollywood budget and may have used some stock wild life footage, it seemed to blend seamlessly. As far as the chicken chasing scene, I liked how comic it was. In reality a starving man, desperately chasing a chicken around with a spear would probably look pitifully comical and I believe the irony is intentional. I recommend this film. I found it to be very original but if forced to describe it I would say its a mixture of Nicolas Roeg's Walkabout (though not as pretentious) and Conrad's Heart of Darkness.

• A Nice Change

  dlipstein2007-11-06

  Naked Prey is a member of the small number of films that reduce dialogue and fully utilize the visual medium to tell a tale. These movies frequently use natural settings and indigenous animals to express the apathy of the world to the struggles of an individual who is in crisis mode. The cinematography is engaging and the story is compelling. Other films that aim for and achieve this rarified level of accomplishment are Quest for Fire (1981) and The Night of the Hunter (1955, the only movie directed by Charles Laughton, an academy award winning actor). Naked Prey successfully achieves the often contradictory goals of simultaneously entertaining and providing an intelligent forum for discussion. It's a nice change, for a change.

• Just watching it made me sweat..........I drank 3 litres of water when the credits were rolling

  Freddy_Levit2004-11-04

  Here is a magnificent example of a film that can generate an atmosphere of survivalist instinct so well, that water is the only thing that comes to mind after viewing. Set aside its riveting plot and direction by a new-to-film-making olympic champion Cornel Wilde, and what you have is one of the most atmospheric films of all time! You really feel like your there, on a survivalist run from Tribal African Predators with only 10 seconds in front of the nearest warrior. There is that consistent feel of stamina and nostalgia, but there is always that sense of comfort in knowing that the main actor is the Olympic champion runner (also director) and that he has a great chance to make it out alive. What surprises me most is that this film has hardly dated and the themes the film explores regarding humanity and life still apply today. An adventure film of lightning power that may teach us a lesson or two - different country, different customs.......no need to be prejudiced (A quote from 'The Man Who Would Be King' - another stellar Adventure escapist masterpiece). Dialogue in the film comes close to NIL, but like in a Clint Eastwood movie, you read the emotions through the eyes and the facial expressions . The plot is very simple and straight forward and you come to understand the African Tribe - it is a film where no side is right, but survival is a human instinct! What I found most striking about this film was the cinematography and the stock footage. It gave a sense of natural beauty, yet a sense of emptiness and isolation - and as we are going on our journey with our protagonist, we feel inevitably alone (that nobody can help you but yourself) and this is why this movie stands high above many. It projects difficulty of the situation to perfection in showing the heat of the region, the thirst and hunger that arises from scarce vegetation and wildlife and you cannot help but be drawn into our protagonists struggle for hydration. No orchestral score was provided in the background either - our complete sense of civilization has been taken from us and we are treated to the unfamiliar tribal drum rhythm. Towards the end, you feel frantic for the protagonist and it is only when he starts singing the English song that you feel the sanity is still there in such a harsh circumstance. It is impossible to take your eyes off the screen throughout the running time of this masterly crafted gem of a film. It is when you see the British headquarters at the end that you sigh with relieve after such a long, excruciating journey. The actors did a marvelous job. Especially the leader of the tribal warriors. There was a real sense of humanity that came upon him when he waved off our protagonist at the end of the film and there was a real understanding on his face - a great performance! This film is rare and out of print. One of those great films that deserves so much more recognition than it received upon its release - especially when compared to the box-office drawing Hollywood masterpieces of mediocrity that dominate our cinema screens today. I can only say that this is a must have in a film collection. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys adventure thrillers, because this is one of the best, and those who have seen it know what I am talking about. For a rarely equaled atmospheric masterwork such as "The Naked Prey", go no further. A forgotten 'classic' in its genre.