The Savage Innocents
| The Savage Innocents | |
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| Directed by | Nicholas Ray |
| Produced by | Maleno Malenotti |
| Written by | Nicholas Ray Franco Solinas |
| Based on | Top of the World by Hans Rüesch |
| Starring |
Anthony Quinn Peter O'Toole Yoko Tani Carlo Giustini |
| Music by | Angelo Francesco Lavagnino |
| Cinematography | Peter Hennessy Aldo Tonti |
| Edited by |
Eraldo Da Roma Ralph Kemplen |
| Distributed by | Pathé (Europe), Paramount Pictures (USA) |
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Release date
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Running time
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110 minutes |
| Country | Italy United Kingdom France |
| Language | English |
The Savage Innocents is a 1960 film, adapted from the novel Top of the World by Swiss writer Hans Rüesch.
The screenplay was mainly written by its director, Nicholas Ray, who shot the film in the Canadian Arctic (with interiors shot in Britain's Pinewood Studios and in Rome's Cinecittà studios). The film was an international co-production, with British, Italian and French interests involved; in the United States it was released by Paramount Pictures. It was entered in the 1960 Cannes Film Festival.
Inuk, an Eskimo hunter, kills a priest who rejects his traditional offer of food and his wife's company. Pursued by white policemen, Inuk saves the life of one of them, resulting in a final confrontation in which the surviving cop must decide between his commitment to law enforcement and his gratitude to Inuk.
The film's themes include the Eskimos' survival in the extreme arctic wilderness, as well as their raw existence and struggle to maintain their lifestyle against encroaching civilization.
The film stars Anthony Quinn as Inuk the Eskimo, and Japanese actress Yoko Tani, as his wife. Peter O'Toole plays a Canadian trooper. O'Toole's voice was dubbed, causing the actor to demand that his name be removed from the credits.
Also in the cast is restaurateur Michael Chow, who appeared in several British films from the late 1950s onwards. Chow is the brother of actress Tsai Chin, and they are the offspring of the famous Beijing Opera star Zhou Xinfang.
Eugene Archer gave the film a mixed review in The New York Times upon its 1961 release: "Most of the qualities that have made Nicholas Ray one of America's most highly praised directors abroad while leaving him relatively unpopular and unknown at home are clearly apparent in 'The Savage Innocents.'" Describing the movie as "badly cut" and "a bitter drama," Archer nonetheless found that "Mr. Ray's highly individualistic preoccupation with moral tensions expresses itself in a series of unusually provocative scenes" and concluded that this "strange, disturbing drama will leave most of its viewers dissatisfied and some outraged, but few will remain indifferent."
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Wikipedia