Ravenous (1999)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Antonia Bird

Writer (WGA):

Ted Griffin (written by)

Release Date:

19 March 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 | Cannibalism | Mexican American War | Cave | Windigo

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, Prague, Czech Republic

Company:

ETIC Films

Trivia:

Foster's Social Orchestra, which performs in the film, was founded by Michael Nyman as a group attempting to create a post-modern, avant-garde sound by having artists with a background other than music perform the works of Stephen Foster in an untrained but inspired way.

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 Madagascar (2005)

"It's what's for dinner..."

This is an exceedingly well-made film which, in its portrayal of cannabalism, suggests other themes as well: physical and moral courage and cowardice, exploitation of other people, the evils of carnivorousness...

Taut-faced, moody Lt. John Boyd (Guy Pearce) turns yellow under fire in the Mexican War, but somehow manages to accidentally capture an enemy command post. He is rewarded with a medal, a promotion to Captain, and a transfer to a lonely outpost in the western Sierra Nevada range in California by a commanding officer who sees the cowardice behind the supposed heroism. There, a disheveled stranger (Robert Carlyle, doing his best Rasputin impersonation) stumbles into the post, telling a horrible tale of snowbound travellers in a wagon train feeding on each other when their food runs out. The affable C.O. (Jeffrey Jones, looking as seedy as you might expect an officer in a California outpost in the 1840's to look) decides to investigate, leading his small band of soldiers to a horrible destiny. Jeremy Davies, who played the nerdy corporal in "Saving Private Ryan" also appears, playing pretty much the same character.

All the parts in this movie were excellent - all the performances were outstanding, the photography and editing were great, and the score was amazing. However, although I really enjoyed this movie, it didn't add up as be the great film it should have been. Much of the time, I felt as if I should have been really scared and nervous, but I found myself watching with some detachment, almost as if I were watching a ball game between two teams I wasn't really rooting for.

I don't want the reader to think I didn't like this movie, though. It was really good. It just wasn't outstanding, that's all.

I did like Sheila Tousey as Martha, the Native American woman who lived and worked at the outpost. She was really cute in a sort of Earth Mother kind of way.