User reviews

This is a co-production by various countries : Italy (Magic films) , England (Play-Art) , France(Pathe) and distributed by Rank Productions , being firstly exhibited circa 1960 . Based on Hans Ruesch novel , being adapted by Franco Solinas . Although novelist Hans Ruesch never saw an Eskimo , but based his story on the film Eskimo . Nicholas Ray wrote the script and controlled completely the film , he always considered his best work . Ray investigated about Eskimos life , filming in documentary style and developed a lyric clash among two civilizations : The primitive , naive of the native Eskimos and the civilized Anglo-Xaxon . The ways of life confrontation originated loneliness , getaway and exclusion .

The picture was shot in Ottawa 1959 , March . Ray traveled to the Bay of Hudson and Churchill (Manitoba) for exterior location . Besides , for interior scenes were filmed at Pinewood Studios (London)and Cinecitta (Rome) , during thirteen weeks in a studio work including quite a few transparency . Spectacular and colorful cinematography in Technirama 70 by Aldo Tonti and Henessy with marvelous landscapes from Arctic where we watch all type of animals : White bears , seals , walrus , oxes , whales , reindeer , Arctic fox.. Sensitive and evocative music by Angelo Francesco Lavagnino . Anthony Quinn gives an exceptional acting along with the newcomer and remarkable Yoko Tani . The veteran actress from silent cinema , Anna My Wong , plays splendidly as grandmother . In a secondary role shows up Peter O'Toole (though dubbed) , he plays a patrolman who pursues to Anthony Quinn accused for killing accidentally a missionary . However , Peter O'Toole demanded that his name be removed from the film's opening and closing credits because his voice was dubbed by another actor . The great and stylish filmmaker Nicholas Ray working at the peak of his powers . Well worth watching for the brooding script and wonderful location . Rating : Better than average.

One of the stupidest most inaccurate movies I have ever seen! From a real live "raw meat eater". We didn't kill female babies, females are just as important as a male babies. And the part about sharing wives is such BS, culture had some wife swapping and to the Inuit people sex was something that happens not a taboo, people have sex that's how babies are made even we savages knew that.

It's a MYTH that the elderly were left on ice flows or in a snow drift. In the Atomic age even us savages knew what a gun was and golly gee we even saw those metal birds a flyin over head. Ugh.

Someone wrote "far northern natives that lived almost exclusively on the arctic ice". How stupid. Do you suppose we all lived in kayaks and Umiaks during the spring thaw and summer months? We hunted on the ice sometimes when we weren't hunting caribou deer and moose we are MEAT EATERS. No hunter would kill a dog to warm someones' hands', he would have never let the trooper get that bad to start with. A live dog would have warmed a person as well as pull you to a place you could get help. Or we would have eaten the animal should the need arise. Hunt a polar bear alone, ridiculous!

And giving the dead seal a drink of fresh water. Unbelievable! Yes we would surely have given thanks to the animal spirits. Sea mammals don't drink fresh water, they get all the liquid they need from the foods they eat. Look it up. The clothes were authentic for sure but from different cultures of Inuit.

All in all the reviews praising this movie for "culturally authentic" are from people who have no idea what they are talking about and believe all the things that they see in movies. It's a movie not a documentary. Par for the times they didn't hire real Inuit or even American Indians to play the parts Anthony Quinn and Japanese Chinese played as Inuit's is funny. Too that nobody would bother to hire on a real Inuit as a consultant was standard for the times.

Entertaining maybe, insulting to THE MEN absolutely.

This movie presents an intriguing picture of two widely dissimilar cultures coming together. The Eskimos are simple and innocent, but ideally suited and armed with the knowledge to survive one of the harshest places that people inhabit. One my favorite moments occurs when the officer says he can subdue the main character by himself, to which the main character replies, "You are that strong?", showing the absence of boastfulness in the Eskimo culture, which stems from the cooperative nature necessary to survival. The stark and uncluttered settings give space to concentrate on the dialog. Definitely worth watching

In the late sixties, bob dylan was asked how he came to write the song "Quinn the Eskimo". He replied that he'd seen this movie in which Tony Quinn played an Eskimo. The Savage Innocents is that movie. (In a much later book about his lyrics, Dylan says he doesn't remember how the song came about- like many of us, ol' bob's memory ain't what it used to be.)

This is the most accurate portrayal of Eskimo customs ever to come out of Hollywierd. It contrasts the cultural practices of Inuit and North American societies at a time when many Inuit people had not yet encountered the white man and his ways. The movie asks the question "who is savage and who is innocent?" The movie is full of memorable performances and "sound bites". You'll come away with a new appreciation for traditional Eskimo culture and more than a few new quotable quotes.

When Quinn the Eskimo gets here, everybody's gonna jump for joy!

I saw this movie many years ago. My recollection of it is that is a documentary comment on the interface of two widely different cultures. I also just finished reading Kabloona a book written by a white Frenchman in the later 1930s about the Eskimo Culture. The points made in the book confirm those points made in the movie. The Eskimo apparently is a guileless innocent whose life consists primarily of staying alive and fed. The innocence of these people was highlighted in the scene where Anthony Quinn came back to his igloo and found that his wife had given birth. He asked her the baby's name and when she told him, he responded in amazement, "How did you know?" As far as the scene where a man's hands were stuffed into a recently killed dog is concerned, the speed with which freezing occurs at 50 below zero is not to be believed. That scene demonstrates the fact that the Eskimo regards his dogs as livestock and useful. Shocking, but apparently realistic.

I saw and heard Anthony Quinn in a television interview about his autobiography which had just been published. He said that there were only three films out of the many that he had made in his life that he was truly proud of. The Savage Innocents was one of the three. (Guess what the other two were. Right! Zorba and La Strada.) This estimation puts this movie in with some very select company. And this film deserves it.

It is NOT a documentary. There is a story here, an exciting story, at times edge of your seat--or maybe I should say, a number of stories, all interesting, all moving. The photography, sound, scenery, acting, all were excellent.

What struck me most, out of a long list, was the way the point of view of these Inuit people was gotten across. For instance, the missionary butts his head into the igloo and says, "God be with you." Quinn looks puzzled, glances at his wife and says, "No, there's nobody here but us." When the missionary goes on preaching at them, trying to convert them to the "true" faith, Quinn whispers to his wife, "I think he needs to laugh with a woman. Make yourself beautiful." In other words, the guy needs to get laid. The Freudian insight implied by these simple remarks is staggering. And this is only a small sample.

Perhaps the fate of this movie had a lot to do with the advertising. The picture at the top of this page suggests that this is a "savage" movie. It isn't. The title itself is unfortunate.

Yes, when oh when will we get to see this movie again? When will the savage and not-so-innocent moguls deign to put this beautiful film onto DVD?

This film is not without its merits. The second unit shot some really quite beautiful location footage in the Arctic, and the cinematography throughout is impressive. Anthony Quinn brings tremendous verve to the role, and there are several memorable turns by the supporting cast, particularly Peter O'Toole.

But it's depressing to see how many people regard this as an accurate portrayal of Inuit culture. One hardly knows where to begin! The Inuit customs regarding "wife-sharing" are distorted (the idea that it would be a terrible insult not to accept such an offer is groundless), and the use of "laughter" as a euphemism for sex is merely an old Hollywood notion. Inuit mothers are not left until their mother's death to be told of common matters such as the importance of cutting a child's umbilical cord, and a grandmother, however infirm, would never be left out in the open to be eaten by a polar bear (a special igloo would instead be prepared, with important personal items, and then sealed up, after which the village would be moved). Most insulting of all is the notion that somehow Inuit would be unaware that babies are born without visible teeth!

The inaccuracies are not merely cultural, but historical as well. There is simply no period of time when the Inuit (or other Arctic groups such as the Inighuit, Inupiat, or Yupik) would have been unfamiliar with firearms and yet exposed to 1960s-style rock music -- these events are anywhere from 75 to 100 years apart, depending on the region. Inuit who went to trading posts would never be mocked by other Inuit, or by traders, at a trading post -- trading was serious business -- and would never be sold a gun with zero ammunition. This is not to say that traders were always totally fair; the guns were often of inferior quality, and the addiction to a source of powder and shot, along with the switch to fur-bearing animals as a sort of cash crop, were indeed problems.

The saddest thing of all is that, 27 years before "Savage Innocents," a far more accurate account of the disparities, tensions, and injustices between Inuit and traders and police was released by a major Hollywood studio -- this was 1933's "Eskimo," starring Ray Mala, a half- Inupiat Alaskan actor.

Having nearly no Inuit in the cast at all is, despite comments to the contrary, a problem as well. Hollywood had cast Inuit as Inuit as early as 1911, and "Eskimo" enjoyed an almost all- Inuit cast. The fact that all of the principal photography was done on a sound stage decorated by people with no knowledge whatever of either Inuit or northern homes is a further issue.

There's no question that "Savage Innocents" works hard to elicit sympathy with an "alien" culture -- the only problem is that this culture is almost entirely a fantasy.

I have to say that this is one of mine and my husbands favorite movies. My husband recorded it on VHS in the early 80's and that copy is now caputz. I was able to get a copy off of ebay and then converted it over to DVD. We watch is all the time.

It is a fantastic example of what we could be. The Inuit of the Alaskan Region are always pictured with huge smiles. Especially those who remain nomadic. Perhaps the joy of waking each morning is enough to make them happy.

Yoko Tani and Anthony Quinn are fantastic in their portrayals. I love that this movie reminds me of the very first documentary titled Nanook of the North. I love it love it love it.

This is an extremely powerful and stunning movie portraying Innuit Eskimos and the way their living habits clash with our sensitive Western "civilisation". It is extremely annoying not to be able to find it in either VHS or DVD format. Hopefully this will be put right soon. A must for Anthony Quinn fans!

The Arctic and Greenland where the film was shot are breathtaking. This Nicholas Ray film with a fictional script has the touches of Robert Flaherty's classic films "Nanook of the North' and "Man of Aran." The following facts make this film important.

The actors: It is Peter O'Toole's debut performance and he was so angry that his lines were dubbed that he did not want his name to be associated with it. Yet, his presence is wonderful. Anthony Quinn, who is the lead character, is able to look somewhat like an Eskimo though he is tall and his facial features contrast with the real inhabitants. Bob Dylan's song "The Mighty Quinn/Quinn the Eskimo" is a tribute to Quinn in this film.

The fictional tale: Franco Solinas is one of the three co-scriptwriters of this film. Solinas is famous for his contributions to the great film classics of directors Gilo Pontecorvo ("Quiemada/Burn!;" Battle of Algiers;" "Kapo"), Joseph Losey ("Mr Klein";"The Assissination of Trotsky") and Costa Gavras ("State Of Siege;" "Hanna K"). The Solinas touch is evident in the final confrontation between the white man (O'Toole) who has been saved from death by the savage innocent Eskimo (Quinn) of how each abide by their different social laws and traditions.

The documentary: The film has a very educative narration on the lives of the Eskimos. Apparently, the meaning of Eskimo is "the real people." There hangs another tale. The film has rare footage of walruses in large numbers, seals, and arctic bears. The film also shows that those who fall into the frozen sea water in the Arctic are not likely to survive even after rescue in the absence of modern scientific help. A reviewer of the film has pointed out social inaccuracies in the script, which are probably true. Beyond the social details, the film takes you to a part of the world rarely viewed or discussed.

This movie is based on a book called "Top of the World" by author Hans Ruesch. The book is not very well known today, but it is a very entertaining look at the life of the Eskimos and their view of life (reportedly, author Ruesch has never seen an Eskimo before writing the novel). Set during the time that western ways were encroaching into the Eskimos natural habitat, and spanning several generations, it has a main character, who gets into trouble with the law, becoming a fugitive, basically out of his ignorance of western customs (he killed a white man when he offended him by rejecting an invitation to lie in bed with his wife). I read it as a classroom assignment during high school, more than twenty years ago, and it is probable I would have never read the book if I wasn't assigned to do so. Likewise, the movie based on that novel is not terribly known either, though it is sometimes shown on television (at least in my country). It is a passable film, and the more interesting feature of it is that it has Anthony Quinn playing an Eskimo (how many characters of different ethnic backgrounds did Quinn play during his career?).

This is a very powerful and moving study of the decisions faced by law enforcement when there is clearly a situation not forseen by lawmakers and how a police officer might conclude that the "right" thing to do is not always to follow proper procedure. To me, one of the most moving scenes in the movie is the final scene in which the wife's mother appears. Also, the scene where Anthony Quinn has his chance to escape is a very revealing instance of character. I would very much like to see this movie available on video or DVD.

Turned into something of a cult movie when Bob Dylan immortalised it in song, ('The Mighty Quinn'), "The Savage Innocents" would probably have otherwise gone unnoticed. A kind of ecological companion piece to Ray's earlier "Wind Across the Everglades", this was an almost documentary-like look at life among the Eskimos, visually superb though at times almost embarrasingly simplistic.

Anthony Quinn is Inuk, 'the savage innocent' of the title, who accidently kills a missionary and is forced to go on the run, (Peter O'Toole, no less, is one of his pursuers). If anything distinguishes the film it isn't so much the plot but Ray's mise en scene and attention to detail. It also highlighted a way of life not really seen on the screen since Flaherty's "Nanook of the North". It's hardly classic Ray; rather it's a curio from a maverick film-maker unafraid to take chances though some may say with this he took one chance too many and yet there is still much to admire. This is one 'lost' movie worth finding.

I cant remember which year I saw this film but it was a very long time ago. It did however make quite an impression on me, i enjoyed the glimpse into the lives and traditions of the Eskimo's. and certain events have stayed in my mind all this time. For instance when the aged decided the time was right, they would just sit out on the ice one night, never to be seen again. Awesome. But it was such a long time ago I was thinking i must have imagined it for i have never heard of it since. The title stayed in my head though. Then i decided to look it up on the internet and am very glad to know that I wasn't alone in my regard.

I just feel so funny after watched this movie the 2nd time after 45 years. I was so shocked and amazed by this movie when I first time watched it in a different country. I thought it was so great and unique. But now I'm old gizzard, I got a day-and-night different view of this movie, and thought it's such a poorly scripted, badly acted movie. I couldn't even finish it and decided to drop out after 30 minutes. It's so unbearable to watch Quinn's pretentious and awkward acting with bunch of Japanese American women. They tried to twisted their American accent to speak funny, mimicking the thought-so Eskimo talking, it's just so embarrassing to watch these actors tried so hard to look like simple-minded primitive Eskimo people, but inevitably fell flat like ridiculous clowns.

Sorry, I just couldn't force myself to finish this moronic movie.

Anthony Quinn at his usual best giving a masterful performance of a native Alaskan Inuit and his daily struggles and challenges. A docu-drama that shows the challenges and struggles when two cultures collide. Great cinematography of the Alaska wilderness its makes you feel as if your right there in the igloo with Inuk and his wife Asiak as they eat whale blubber and hunt seal and birth babies. Gives a feel of life in the Alaskan wilderness from a unique Alaskan native vantage point.

"The savage innocents" is Ray's last real movie, his two epics "King of Kings" and "55 days at Peking" ,in spite of their (often unfairly overlooked) qualities cannot be called "Nicholas Ray' s movies .The rest of his filmography includes a movie made with his students and the questionable Wenders collaboration "lightning over water" .

Not only Ray was the director whose influence was huge on the rock generation ("Rebel with a cause " was the first movie which rocked ,a feat for it was a work which did not include songs)but "savage innocents" inspired Bob Dylan a song which Manfred Mann made a big hit in the sixties.Mighty Quinn indeed.

Anthony Quinn was par excellence the perfect good all-around.a cursory look at his filmography is revealing:from Fellini's "La Strada" to his portrayal of Quasimodo in the French version of "Notre Dame de Paris" (Delannoy) From Barrabas (Fleischer)to an Eskimo.

Like so many Rayesque heroes ,Inuk does not follow the rules :in a way he is akin to the youngsters of "Rebel" ,to Davey Bishop ("Run for cover" ),to Nick ("Knock on any door" ) and of course to the outlaws ("the true story of Jesse James") .But anyway Inuk cannot follow the Whites' rules for ,in his naive innocence,he is incapable of understanding them,which proves they are not universal.Margaret Mead had already showed that what is good and what is bad is not the same wherever you live in the world.

.My favorite scene is the priest trying to make the "savage" understand that he's lived a life of sin: what can a tale of long ago and far away mean for a man whose life is a constant struggle against a hostile nature ? It's the same pragmatism which we find in Luis Bunuel's Oeuvre.

"The savage innocents " is half documentary half fiction;the documentary side shows its age :correct me if I am wrong but "Eskimo" (=raw meat eater) is not a term the Inuit would appreciate nowadays.Besides,they did not live in igloos which were only used during the hunting season.Entirely filmed in studio ,the pictures are magnificent though,a real symphony in white.The white color dominates everything (tinged with blue)except for this extremely moving scene when it turns black when the old woman is left in the snow to die (it will remind the young cine buffs of Imamura's "Narayama Bushiko" (1983)).

"The savage innocents " sets the nature and its quietness -although it's a cruel mistress;when you fight a bear,it's you or him-against the "civilization" here represented by alcohol,pop music ,money and the Law.Ray had already been an ecologist ahead of his time in "Wind across the everglades" These two works are like "twin movies" and should be seen one after the other.

After all "King of Kings" was also perhaps a Ray movie:Jesus himself was not born to follow the rules.

I haven't seen this film for years.......but would love to again. I remember this film as an accurate description of Inuit culture and mores of the time. It is an educational journey into innocent tundra social structure (if any) intermingling occasionally with modern (at the time) Western culture. Anthony Quinn was brilliant in this role...and probably created for it. And..., oh my God,....that was Peter O'Toole in his very first role??? No wonder I loved him afterwards......even being dubbed (why??) he showed sensitivity in dealing with both the savage(?)Inuit lifestyle, the current legal structure of Western society of the day, and his own personal feelings in the interactions with these primitive peoples. Hey! Where else can a man offer gourmet larvae to his esteemed guests, then offer his wife for any man to "laugh" with, and then take his mother-in-law miles away with a dogsled to go die on the ice with her approval?? Way to go!!