Ravenous (1999)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Antonia Bird

Writer (WGA):

Ted Griffin (written by)

Release Date:

19 MÁRCIUS 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Survival is the only option.

Plot:

Captain John Boyd's promotion stations him at a fort where a rescued man tells a disturbing tale of cannibalism.

Plot Keywords:

Fort | Mexican American War | Cannibalism | Chaplain | Cave

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Guy Pearce	...	Capt. John Boyd
Robert Carlyle	...	Col. Ives / F.W. Colqhoun
David Arquette	...	Pvt. Cleaves
Jeremy Davies	...	Pvt. Toffler
Jeffrey Jones	...	Col. Hart
John Spencer	...	Gen. Slauson
Stephen Spinella	...	Knox
Neal McDonough	...	Pvt. Reich
Joseph Runningfox	...	George (as Joseph Running Fox)
Bill Brochtrup	...	Lindus
Sheila Tousey	...	Martha
Fernando Becerril	...	Mexican Commander
Gabriel Berthier	...	Mexican Commander
Pedro Altamirano	...	Mexican Commander
Joseph Boyle	...	U.S. Blonde Soldier

MPAA:

Rated R for considerable gore and strong violence.

Runtime:

101 min

Country:

Czech Republic | UK | USA

Language:

English | Italian | Spanish | Washoe

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Finland:K-16 (2000) (cut) (video rating) | Finland:K-18 (1999) (uncut) | Finland:K-18 (2001) (uncut) (DVD rating) | Canada:16+ (Quebec) | Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia) | Canada:R (Manitoba/Ontario) | Iceland:16 | South Korea:18 | New Zealand:R18 | Argentina:18 | Australia:MA | France:-12 | Germany:18 (nf) | Ireland:18 | Japan:PG-12 | Norway:18 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/18 | Singapore:PG | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R | Philippines:R-18

Filming Locations:

Barrandov Studios, Krizeneckeho namesti, Prague, Czech Republic

Company:

ETIC Films

Trivia:

The unusual sound in the music track when Martha is shown looking out awaiting the men's arrival is a traditional women's chant for such occasions, performed by 'Milton Quiltman Sahme''s wife.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The surname of German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche is misspelled at the beginning of the film as "Nietzche".

Quotes:

Colonel Hart: A little too much bourbon in his bourbon.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Blood Pact: The Making of 'Blade II' (2002) (V)

A story to chill the bones...

I love cinema. I mean, I truly LOVE cinema but sometimes you have the face the fact that it can be a pretty hypocrite business from time to time. Especially since the last ten years, everybody complains that there aren't any good horror movies being made. Only uninspired Scream clones and rip-off's. But that is a lie !! There are good and original thriller being made but they just don't get many attention because they are "politically incorrect". Ravenous is a perfect example of this. Made in 1999 and it stars a few familiar faces but it went straight to video in my country and I never saw it advertised. That's a real shame because movies like this prove that there are still young directors active who're creative and talented. It's up to the fans to discover movies like this and ignore the overload of mainstream slashers.

Ravenous has a very solid plot. simple but effective and supported by terrific acting performances. It shows a few of the darkest aspects of the human mind and, personally, I'm really intrigued by that. Subjects like Cannibalism and ancient Indian mythes are fascinating and when they're placed in a historical setting ( Mexican-American was of 1850 ) it even becomes better. This results in Ravenous being a very atmospheric and tense movie experience that you won't forget easily. The tension is built up slowly ( a bit too slow at first ) and the atmosphere of the cold and lonely Sierra Nevada is being portrayed very well. Guy Pierce is a great choice to play Captain John Boyd. His character is a cowardly figure with a complete lack of authority. He has to go through a battle himself and he's very messed up. The shows is obviously stolen by Robert Carlyle who is used to working with director Antonia Bird. His character is demonic and - duh - ravenous. A terrific performance and Carlyle manages to play his character with a lot of black humor and satanic charisma. David Arquette's role is pretty useless but it was great to see Jeffrey Jones again. Jones is a very decent actor and - even though he's frequently cast by Tim Burton - he's often overlooked and ignored. Ravenous is beautifully shot and some of the effects and make-up is pretty gruesome and explicit. But it isn't just mindless gore and violence so no complaints there. In fact, no complaints at all....Ravenous is a breath-taking movie from beginning till end and a must for anyone who believes that the genre of horror is dead.