Skip to content
Surf Wiki
Save to docs
arts

From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

Savages (1972 film)

1972 film by James Ivory


1972 film by James Ivory

FieldValue
nameSavages
imageMerchant and Ivory Savages DVD.jpg
captionDVD cover
directorJames Ivory
producerIsmail Merchant
screenplayGeorge W. S. Trow
Michael O'Donoghue
based_onAn idea by
James Ivory
starringLewis J. Stadlen
Anne Francine
Sam Waterston
Susan Blakely
Ultra Violet
Salome Jens
Kathleen Widdoes
Thayer David
Christopher Pennock
Asha Puthli
Martin Kove
musicJoe Raposo
Bobby Short (theme song)
cinematographyWalter Lassally
editingKent McKinney
distributorAngelika Films
released
runtime106 minutes
countryUnited States
languageEnglish
budget$350,000

Michael O'Donoghue James Ivory Anne Francine Sam Waterston Susan Blakely Ultra Violet Salome Jens Kathleen Widdoes Thayer David Christopher Pennock Asha Puthli Martin Kove Bobby Short (theme song)

Savages is a 1972 Merchant Ivory Film directed by James Ivory and screenplay by George W. S. Trow and Michael O'Donoghue, based on an idea by Ivory.

The film concept given to Trow and O'Donoghue was to tell a story that was the reverse of Luis Buñuel's 1962 film The Exterminating Angel, in which guests at an elegant dinner party become bestial. Writing began in late 1968 and continued through 1969. Its first showing came at the Cannes Film Festival in May 1972.

Synopsis

In contrast to Buñuel's story, Savages starts when a tribe of primitive "mudpeople" performing a sacrifice encounter a croquet ball, rolling through their forest. Following it, they find themselves on a vast, deserted Westchester estate in the 1930s.

Entering, they begin to become civilized and assume the stereotypical roles and dress of people at a weekend party. There follows an allegory of upper-class behavior. At last, they begin to devolve toward their original status, and after a battle at croquet, they disappear into the woods.

Reception

Matt Brunson noted that Savages is an "intriguing short-film idea stretched out to feature length, worth a glance primarily as an artifact of its time". Variety noted that "the playing has flair and grace".

Release

This film has been released on DVD in 2004 as part of the Merchant-Ivory Collection produced by Criterion.

Sources

  • Mr. Mike: The Life and Work of Michael O'Donoghue by Dennis Perrin, 1999. .

References

References

  1. Brunson, Matt. "View from the Couch".
  2. (January 1972). "Review: "Savages"". [[Variety (magazine).
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about Savages (1972 film) — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report