What I love about this film is the very plausible portrayal of the development of human traits in prehistoric man. The story centers around a tribe that has not yet learned to start a fire. They have to steal fire from other tribes, or find it in nature. So much of their efforts are centered on keeping a fire constantly nurtured, and if their fire goes out, the entire tribe suffers the elements. However, this is not a simple caveman flick. The filmmakers portray the development of human attributes such as humor and laughing, connection between males and females beyond the pure sexual, language development, story telling, cross-pollination of ideas between tribes of different levels of advancement, and at the end, the awakening of a sense of the transcendent. I find the film to be a compelling drama even after 25 years, and it does not seem at all dated. If you have even the slightest interest in early man, this film is a must-see.
Review of Quest for Fire
