If there must be a character to embody what adventure genre is all about, the most likely candidate is Tarzan. Protagonist of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ popular novels owes much of his popularity to countless silver screen incarnations that date back to silent film era. Among them the most ambitious is the one portrayed in Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, 1984 film directed by Hugh Hudson.
Script by Michael Austin and Robert Towne (credited under pseudonym P. H. Vazak) is based on Tarzan of the Apes, the first novel in the series, and can be described as something today known as the “origin story”. Plot begins in 1885 British country estate where powerful and rich Earl of Greystoke (played by Ralph Richardson) sees his son and heir John Clayton (played by Paul Geoffrey) departing for Africa with his pregnant wife Alice (played by Cheryl Campbell). Couple survives shipwreck and is forced to take shelter in jungle at West African coast. There Alice dies after giving birth to a boy and her husband is killed by apes. One of the female members of apes’ pack (played by Ailsa Berk) has lost her baby and decides to adopt surviving human infant. The boy is raised by apes and grows up to be formidable young man (played by Christopher Lambert) and pack’s leader. Years later he stumbles into Philippe d’Arnot (played by Ian Holm), gravely wounded Belgian explorer and the only survivor of the expedition which was massacred by natives. He saves his life and gradually nurses him back to health while d’Arnot teaches him to speak and, later, discovers that he is actually surviving Claytons’ child. D’Arnot convinces his friend that he is human and that he must go to civilisation and reconnect with his biological family. His grandfather, now half-senile, is delighted to see a grandson while the heir catches attention of Jane Porter (played by Andie MacDowell), young American woman and Lord Greystoke’s ward. Young Clayton tries to adapt to new way of life, but the series of tragic accidents makes him want to return to jungle.
Made three years after Tarzan, the Ape Man, commercially successful but dreadfully silly film which had used Tarzan story as an excuse to show Bo Derek naked, Greystoke represented very conscious and serious effort to go in completely different direction. Script was originally written by one of the most celebrated figures of New Hollywood, direction was given to Hudson who had recently made “Oscar”-winning Chariots of Fire and the impressive budget reflected itself in the epic character of the film, elevated by John Alcott’s brilliant cinematography and John Scott’s music soundtrack which had effectively used motives of Sir Edward Elgar. But the most impressive use of the budget was due to authors’ desire to show Burroughs’ story about boy raised by apes in the most realistic way possible. Instead of chimpanzees, the apes were portrayed as whole new species with their own basic language and recreated with combination of Rick Baker’s special effects and actors in apes’ suits. The result is exciting and believable story but it, sadly, takes part only in first part of the film.
In the second part the audience is deprived of any trace of exotic adventure and sense of wonder and instead forced to watch period drama which is, in its essence, condemnation of British imperialism and class system. Hudson shows very little subtlety in delivering such message and introduces rather unnecessary character of Tarzan’s romantic rival (played by James Fox) who disappears quickly after being portrayed as sadistic bully. The audience, however, would probably pay less attention to film’s implicit politics and more to its generally tone, which is unusually dark and depressive for Tarzan films and is maintained until the finale, which lacks any sort of happy ending. French actor Christopher Lambert, on the other hand, delivers goods in very challenging role of a man torn between two worlds and Greystoke helped launch his Hollywood career. Ian Holm is very effective as Tarzan’s friend and mentor, while veteran actor Ralph Richardson delivers role which is particularly moving considering that he died shortly afterwards. Andie MacDowell (which, inexplicably, had to have her voice dubbed by Glenn Close), on the other hand, provides nothing but pretty face and lacks serious chemistry with Lambert. Greystoke is flawed, but mostly well-made film which could provide entertainment for the audience, although not necessarily for the fans of Tarzan.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
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