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46-869: Jean-Jacques Annaud ( French: [ʒɑ̃ ʒak ano] ; born 1 October 1943) is a French film director, screenwriter and producer. He directed Quest for Fire (1981), The Name of the Rose (1986), The Bear (1988), The Lover (1992), Seven Years in Tibet (1997), Enemy at the Gates (2001), Black Gold (2011), and Wolf Totem (2015). Annaud has received numerous awards for his work, including five César Awards , one David di Donatello Award , and one National Academy of Cinema Award. Annaud's first film, Black and White in Color (1976), received an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film . Jean-Jacques Annaud

92-767: A Chinese literary phenomenon entirely shot in Inner Mongolia. The film won the People's Hundred Flowers Award and Golden Rooster in China and a dozen other trophies around the world. Annaud signed a petition in support of film director Roman Polanski in 2009, calling for his release after Polanski was arrested in Switzerland in relation to his 1977 charge for drugging and raping a 13-year-old girl. In 2018, Annaud directed Patrick Dempsey in his 10-part television adaptation of Joël Dicker 's best-seller The Truth about

138-565: A Movie for Philippe Sarde, Best Cinematography for Claude Agostini, and Best Sets for Brian Morris, winning those for Best Film and Best Director. In 1983 it won the Academy Award for Best Makeup . Also in 1983, it won in five categories in the Genie Awards . Two Brothers (2004 film) Two Brothers is a 2004 adventure drama film directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud . Starring Guy Pearce and Freddie Highmore , it tells

184-427: A News Stand, scaring people crossing a bridge, and eating much meat in a butcher's truck. McRory is determined to hunt the two tigers down. After Kumal shows Sangha how to jump through fire (which McRory and the villagers started in order to scare them and finally have them cornered together to have a perfect shot of them) to escape, McRory and Raoul eventually find them. Raoul asks Sangha to promise him to never return to

230-458: A big fan of McRory and all his exploits, but is not permitted to leave the country until all the formalities are completed within the three years sentencing. Nevertheless, McRory is permitted to stay at Eugene's home and is introduced to Eugene's wife, Mathilda who admires McRory and reads all his books as bedtime stories to their young son, Raoul. Meanwhile, Sangha remains in the jungle with his mother, but both are soon trapped by McRory as game for

276-494: A cage of the circus next to the cage of an old former tiger star named Caesar. In order to bring back the skin of the tigress for the prince, McRory makes a deal with Zerbino and Saladin to kill Caesar and skin him, thus, to pass off as the dead skinned tigress itself. Kumal is then replaced as the soon-to-be new star attraction of the circus in Caesar's cage with McRory's condition that the circus people take good care of him. However,

322-797: A retelling of the Battle of Stalingrad ( Enemy at the Gates , 2001), filmed in Germany. Soon after, Annaud flew to the ruins of the temples of Angkor and filmed Two Brothers (2004), shot in Cambodia, Thailand and France. He then set out to revive ancient Greece ( His Majesty Minor , 2007), shot entirely in Spain, then Arabia of the late 1930s, directing Antonio Banderas in Tunisia and Qatar in Black Gold (2011). In 2015, Annaud adapted Wolf Totem ,

368-500: A score of 88% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes based on 24 reviews for an average rating of 7.4/10. The website's critics consensus states, "Its characters can't do much more than grunt, but that doesn't keep Quest for Fire from offering a deeply resonant -- and surprisingly funny -- look at the beginning of the human race." On Metacritic , the film holds a weighted average score of 79 out of 100, based on 11 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Roger Ebert gave

414-466: A specific point in pre-history. This is reinforced by the response of the scientific community. In an essay for the journal American Anthropologist , Brown University linguistics professor Philip Lieberman described as "absurd" the mixture of different levels of advancement among different tribes living in close proximity. Lieberman pointed out that it "would be most unlikely 80,000 years ago" for humans to still be exhibiting apelike characteristics; at

460-455: A vain Khmer prince to hunt. The tigress is shot in the left ear and although she is appearing to be dead, she suddenly jumps up and runs off with a hole in her left ear after being awakened and startled by the flash of a camera. Sangha is then discovered by Raoul and becomes the child's friend. However, Bitzy, Raoul's mother's dog, a schipperke , is a constant nemesis to Sangha. Kumal remains in

506-585: A violent battle with the ape-like Wagabu , the Ulam become terrified when their fire is accidentally put out while seeking refuge in a marsh. Since the tribe does not know how to create fire themselves, the tribal elder decides to send three men, Naoh, Amoukar, and Gaw, on a quest to find fire. During their journey, the trio encounters several dangers, including the Kzamm , a tribe of more primitive-looking cannibals who possess fire. Naoh, Amoukar, and Gaw plan to steal

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552-635: A worldwide total of $ 62,174,008 by the end of its theatrical run against an estimated budget of €57,860,727, making it a box office success. Two Brothers opened in theaters in the United States by Universal Pictures by 25 June 2004. It was released on DVD and VHS on December 21. The film received generally positive reviews. It holds a score of 78% based on 113 reviews on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes , with an average rating of 6.6/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "A charming family-friendly movie with stunning cinematography." On Metacritic ,

598-475: Is afraid to fight. However, when they do finally recognize each other after a violent fight, they begin to play with each other like they used to in the past instead of fighting, which amuses the audience. The trainers see this and attempt to antagonize the tigers into fighting; resulting in Saladin hitting Kumal being suddenly attacked by Sangha, biting ferociously on his arm. Zerbino, with a gun in his hand, opens

644-457: Is subjected to several forms of humiliation by the Ivaka, including being forced to mate with the high-status women of the tribe, who are large and big-breasted. The petite Ika is excluded by her tribe, and when she attempts to lie near him later that night, she is chased away. The Ivaka show Naoh their advanced knowledge of fire-making with a hand drill . Gaw and Amoukar eventually find Naoh among

690-481: The Los Angeles Times wrote that she did not know how historically accurate the movie was, "But this is film making, not carbon dating, and it seems that every piece of magic and the skill of every craft has been used to free our imagination, to let it soar with the film to see what life may have been like 80,000 years ago." Pauline Kael of The New Yorker wrote, "It's almost impossible to guess what

736-778: The atlatl . The movie was filmed on location in the Scottish Highlands and Tsavo National Park and Lake Magadi in Kenya . The opening sequence was filmed at Cathedral Grove on Vancouver Island , British Columbia , Canada for the forest scenes, whereas the cave home was filmed at Greig's Caves on the Bruce Peninsula along the Niagara Escarpment near Lion's Head, Ontario . Some scenes involving mammoths were filmed in Iceland . Michael D. Moore

782-631: The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. His third film, 1981's Quest for Fire ( La Guerre du feu ), received two Césars for best film and best director. After Hothead (1979), a French-language film that became a cult classic in his homeland, he moved to Kenya, Scotland and Canada to shoot Quest for Fire , which brought him international recognition. He subsequently won a César – French National Award – for Best Film & for Best Director. He then directed Sean Connery in The Name of

828-532: The Cambodian village where McRory had been staying. The chief then sells Kumal to a circus owned by a cruel circus ringmaster named Zerbino, his wife (expected to have a baby soon), and his faithful sabre swallowing and fire breathing friend, Saladin who becomes Kumal’s nemesis, where he is to be the star attraction soon. McRory is soon released from prison by the French administrator, Eugene Normandin, due to being

874-875: The Harry Quebert Affair (2018); it was released in 22 countries and shot in Canada. Annaud is a member of the Institut de France and has received numerous distinctions: Film Award of the National French Academy, Knight of the National Order of Merit, Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, and the Charlemagne Medal for European Media ( Karlsmedaille für die europäischen Medien ). Quest for Fire (film) The film

920-424: The Ivaka and try to rescue him, but Naoh appears unwilling to leave. At night, Ika helps them knock Naoh unconscious and escape the camp. The next day, Naoh washes off the Ivaka body paint. He tries to mount Ika again, but she teaches him the more intimate missionary position . Not long before they reach the marsh where they started the journey, the three are ambushed by rivals from within the Ulam , who want to steal

966-473: The Rose (1986), which was shot in Italian and German monasteries (César for Best Foreign Film and David Di Donatello for Best Director), and is based on Umberto Eco 's popular novel of the same name . The film version, with a screenplay by Andrew Birkin , won two BAFTA Film Awards and was the subject of another 14 wins and two nominations. Annaud spent four years preparing for the film, traveling throughout

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1012-534: The United States and Europe, searching for the cast and film set locations. He supposedly felt personally intrigued by the project, among other things because of a lifelong fascination with medieval churches and familiarity with Latin and Greek. He then adapted The Bear P.O.V. (César for Best Director, 1988) in the heart of select locations of the Dolomites, Germany, Canada and Austria. He then shot in Vietnam

1058-716: The adaptation of Marguerite Duras 's autobiographical novel, The Lover (1992), recreating the atmosphere of colonial Indochina. He then set back out to the Canadian Rockies and directed Wings of Courage , the first 3D fiction film ever made in Imax-3D (1995). In 2000 he wrote and produced Running Free , directed by Sergei Bodrov . Annaud also worked with Brad Pitt when he directed Seven Years in Tibet (1997), shot in Argentina, Canada, Tibet, Nepal and Tyrol. In 2001, Annaud reunited Jude Law and Ed Harris in

1104-441: The cub has now "got a taste of blood" and Sangha is taken away for Raoul's own good. As a result, he is made a part of the prince's palace menagerie, where he quickly gains a reputation as a ferocious animal. A year later, Kumal, now an adult, is trained by Zerbino to do tricks, such as jumping through a flaming hoop after refusing to obey him and having been "taught a lesson in manners" by Saladin using harsh and cruel methods. Then,

1150-476: The film three and a half stars out of four, writing that he saw it as a "borderline comedy" in the opening scenes, but "then these characters and their quest began to grow on me, and by the time the movie was over I cared very much about how their lives would turn out." Gene Siskel of the Chicago Tribune awarded three stars out of four, stating that "you may be tempted, as I was, to shout wisecracks at

1196-588: The film, since the words have little to do with the plot. The Ulam are portrayed as stereotypical, Neanderthal -style cavemen , in an intermediate stage of development compared to the ape-like Wagabu , on one hand, and the culturally more advanced Ivaka on the other. The Ulam and Ivaka are depicted as light pigmented, the Kzamm as red-haired . The Ivaka are depicted as using body ornamentation ( jewelry , body paint , masks , headgear ), fully developed language and simple technology such as gourds as vessels and

1242-483: The fire and bring it back themselves. However, Naoh and his group defeat them using the Ivakan atlatls , which are superior to Ulam weapons. Upon rejoining the Ulam , the group presents the fire to the delight of all. But during the ensuing celebration, the fire is accidentally extinguished again. Naoh attempts to create a new fire as he had seen in the Ivaka camp, but after several failed attempts, Ika takes over. Once

1288-535: The fire from them. Gaw and Amoukar lure most of the Kzamm away from their encampment while Naoh kills the remaining warriors, though not before being bitten on the genitals, causing him agony. The three Ulam steal the Kzamm 's fire and prepare to return home. A young woman, Ika, was a captive of the Kzamm and decides to follow the trio. She makes a primitive poultice to help Naoh recover from his injury. Later, Amoukar attempts to mount Ika, but she hides near Naoh, who then asserts his claim by raping her in front of

1334-404: The gate to shoot Sangha; accidentally leaving the gate open. Kumal stops Zerbino from shooting his brother by attacking him as well. The two tiger brothers escape together through the open gate; causing panic among the people in the arena. After their escape, the two tigers play by causing chaos to people in the area such as: eating food on a bus, bathing in a woman's home, scaring a person next to

1380-406: The men have caught up with them. The father is shot dead by a man named Aidan McRory, an unscrupulous but kind explorer, big-game hunter, author, and treasure hunter, after mauling porter in defense of his cub. McRory discovers Kumal and soon befriends him after having shot his father, but McRory is later arrested for stealing sacred statues from the ancient temple while Kumal is kept by the chief in

1426-416: The opponent for the prince's ferocious animal (not knowing that Kumal is Sangha's brother either) since the circus people didn't keep their promise to take care of him, so he leaves the festival with the village chief's daughter, Naï-Rea, whom he's fallen in love with. Later, when placed in the cage before the audience during the festival, the two tiger brothers do not immediately recognize each other, and Kumal

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1472-434: The other two males. Ika soon realizes that she is near her home and tries to persuade the Ulam to go with her. When they refuse, they go their separate ways. Naoh turns around, followed by the reluctant Gaw and Amoukar, and the group reunites. After Naoh leaves the others to scout a village, he becomes trapped in quicksand , nearly sinking to his death. He is discovered and captured by the Ivaka, Ika's tribe. At first, Naoh

1518-461: The prince decides to hold a festival in which a battle between two great beasts will be the centerpiece. Raoul understands that the prince's tiger is actually Sangha even before recognising him in the cage where the fight is to take place, despite his parents having made him believe that Sangha had been taken to a zoo in Bangkok or Saigon . McRory, however, is not pleased with the idea of Kumal being

1564-524: The same time, he noted that the Ivaka tribe was depicted as having "a village culture that would have been likely 10,000 years ago." However, recent theory has moved more towards the ideas of the film with a picture of coexisting types of human who interacted and mated. "Science paints a new picture of the ancient past, when we mixed and mated with other kinds of humans". The film was nominated for six César Awards in 1981, including Best Original Screenplay or Adaptation for Gérard Brach, Best Music Written for

1610-461: The screen. But then the basic appeal of the story begins to work, and every so often we find ourselves asking ourselves, 'I wonder if that's the way it did happen?' And when that happens, 'Quest for Fire' has you hooked." Janet Maslin of The New York Times wrote that the film was "more than just a hugely entertaining science lesson, although it certainly is that. It's also a touching, funny and suspenseful drama about prehumans." Sheila Benson of

1656-496: The spark is lit, the tribe rejoices. Months later, Naoh and Ika prepare to have a child. Special language forms were created by novelist Anthony Burgess , while patterns of movement and gesture were developed by anthropologist Desmond Morris . The more advanced language of the Ivaka was largely based on those of the Cree and Inuit native peoples of northern Canada , which caused some amusement among those in this group who saw

1702-565: The story about two Indochinese tiger brothers named Kumal and Sangha, who are separated from their parents as cubs and then reunited a year later as adults to find their way back home. It was distributed by Pathé in Europe. In 1920s Cambodia during the French colonial rule , two Indochinese tigers , a male and a female, meet each other and mate after falling in love. Months later, the tiger couple have given birth to two male tiger cubs. While

1748-467: The tiger skin trick is foiled when the prince's wife discovers the hole through the wrong ear; much to the prince's disappointment. Sangha, meanwhile, settles peacefully with Raoul until he is at last cornered by Bitzy. After a prolonged chase, it results in Sangha attacking Bitzy in self-defense. This provokes a hysterical reaction from the household, particularly Raoul's mother (Mathilda), who insists that

1794-418: The tone of this ape-man love story (based on a French novel, by J. H. Rosny, Sr.) is intended to be. Are we meant to laugh at the gaminess? At the men's werewolf foreheads? (Thick hair sprouts about an inch above their eyebrows.) The director, Jean-Jacques Annaud, seems to be willing for us to laugh but not sure about how to tell us when." The film was not intended to be a scientifically accurate documentary of

1840-545: The two tiger cubs are playing, one of them (later named Sangha) comes across a young civet . Sangha chases the little civet into its burrow, but the mother appears and chases Sangha up a tree. The other tiger cub (later named Kumal) eventually appears and chases the mother civet back into her burrow. Unfortunately, humans come across them in their temple home and the tigress arrives to protect her cubs. She picks up Sangha and runs off for safety. Kumal attempts to follow, but can't keep up and falls behind. The cubs' father appears, but

1886-414: The villages of men as they will kill him and to stay in the jungle forever, to avoid being hunted. He kisses Sangha and removes the diamond necklace placed on his neck by the prince when he was in captivity. McRory watches from the distance and takes aim at Sangha, but Kumal appears behind him: McRory puts down his gun, and Kumal demonstrates that he remembers the honey sweets McRory used to give him when he

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1932-401: The wild. In fact, in the jungle, Sangha and Kumal reunite with their mother, who is recognized by the hole in her left ear. Together, all three tigers find peace resting in the jungle by the stream. Around 30 tigers were used for the film, the majority from French zoos and others from Thailand. Two Brothers opened at No.9 with $ 6,144,160 in its opening weekend (25–27 June). The film earned

1978-774: Was born on 1 October 1943 in Draveil , Juvisy-sur-Orge , Essonne , in France. He was educated at the technical school in Vaugirard , and in 1964 graduated from the prestigious film school Institut des Hautes Études Cinématographiques (IDHEC) in Paris. Annaud began his career by directing television advertisements in the late 1960s to early 1970s. In his first feature film, Black and White in Color (1976), he drew on his personal experience of military service in Cameroon . The film won

2024-549: Was critically acclaimed. It won the Academy Award and BAFTA Award for Best Makeup, and the César Awards for Best Film and Best Director . At the 4th Genie Awards , the film was nominated in seven categories and won in five ( Best Actress , Best Costume Design , Best Editing , Best Sound Editing , Best Overall Sound ). The Ulam are a tribe of cavemen who carefully guard a small flame, which they use to start larger fires. After being forced out of their home due to

2070-457: Was only a cub: unfortunately, there aren't anymore sweets left, which makes McRory ask Kumal to forgive him. The tigers then make their way back to their old temple home in the jungle. McRory states that they are taking a big risk, but Raoul justifies that sometimes it's good to take a few risks, which McRory agrees to as well. Raoul and McRory watch the two tiger brothers leave; hoping they will find another tiger who might teach them how to hunt in

2116-539: Was the associate producer in charge of action and animal scenes. Circus elephants were trained for six months to behave like mammoths. When it came time to film them in Iceland, strict laws about transporting four-legged animals into the country delayed their arrival. Then a volcano erupted nearby the ranch where they would have been staying that would have killed the animals had they been there. The film sold almost five million tickets in France. Quest for Fire holds

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