FirstWitch
A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.
Mandeep Tyson
The acting in this movie is really good.
Billy Ollie
Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable
jimbo-53-186511
The setup for this film is probably one of the most basic that you are likely to come across; A group of men are on safari and are hunting elephants for their ivory. Along the way, they encounter a tribe and one of the group offends the natives by refusing to give a gift or 'trinket' to them and arrogantly presses on. The tribe of natives don't take this matter lying down and surround the safari hunters and start to kill them off one by one; they do, however, allow one man known simply as 'The Man' (portrayed by Cornel Wilde) to survive and give him a head start and begin hunting him.This is minimalist film making and it's all the more enjoyable for it. The plot is simple and the film moves at a brisk pace and never really loses momentum. After the first 15 minutes or so, there is very little dialogue, but it doesn't really matter that much as the tension and suspense in The Naked Prey more than compensates for the lack of dialogue. There also isn't much in the way of character development, but again this doesn't harm the film as the audience will automatically empathise with and connect to 'The Man' due to the plight that he finds himself in.Cornel Wilde (the protagonist) also directed this feature and I felt that his direction was pretty good; there were some lovely shots of the beautiful scenery. There were also some lovely shots of the various wildlife which inhabited the area (Wilde showed most of these scenes as 'cut scenes', the point of which still eludes me, but the photography was beautiful so it's not really a complaint).In summary, this is minimalist entertainment which makes the most of its relatively low budget by providing the viewer with a consistently engaging and tense thriller. The film really comes into its own when it's just 'The Man' against the group of tribal nativities and it turns into a classic 'cat and mouse' thriller which becomes a case of 'hunt or be hunted' for our protagonist. Whilst, I wouldn't go as far as saying that it was an 'edge of your seat thriller' it was still a decent film. If you are a fan of 'cat and mouse thrillers' then you won't be disappointed.
robertmckeon-1
I don't think it's being revisionist and viewing it purely through the lens of 21st century sensibilities to call this film trash. The cinematography is the only redeeming feature of this mondo-esquire adolescent film.There is a clear lineage between this film and shock films like Cannibal Holocaust. If you enjoy seeing footage of elephants being massacred, various animals attacking and eating one another, "savage" Africans executing people in various ways and laughing at it all the while, and a pathetic 50 year old white man outwitting and killing a bunch of inferior African pursuers then this is for you.For those of us who see this racist, gruesome, vanity project for what it is it will not only bore but leave a bad taste in your mouth. It baffles me how so many people think well of it. Mondo-light for the shock audience which doesn't have a strong stomach.
HOTFOOTJACKSON
What an amazing film , the use of the cinematography and the landscapes, the acting and a commendable plot make this a must see .I also admired the way the director used animal hunter and prey film alongside what is happening to the protagonist of the piece.Oddest thing is that my mum remembered the 'baking' scene and it has stayed with her all this time she saw it on British T.V 38 years ago !! I too thought this to be quite grueling for the films vintage and the fact it was released from one of the major mainstream distributors makes it surprising too.The new DVD release has done this complete justice but would one expect anything less from the 'Rolls Royce' of DVD distributors. I read on here a comment about the exorbitant price tag but would comment that it deserves it.So much care has been taken using the best print and the most complete version possible. There is also a fascinating commentary to listen too if you have the time and other worthwhile extras.This I feel has 'forgotten classic' invisibly etched on every frame.A must see and must have.
smatysia
It was interesting to speculate on the differences in this film from 1966, to one made in modern times (by anyone other than Mel Gibson, who is, shall we say, outside the Hollywood mainstream) It is refreshing to see savage tribes portrayed unapologetically as savage tribes. (Contrast with Dances With Wolves) Also, unthinkable in a more modern film was the matter-of-fact shooting of elephants captured on film. The PETA folks would be outraged.The acting was mostly superb, from Cornel Wilde, and also the men and women playing the African natives. (From their names in the credits, many of them, of course, WERE African natives, but were playing roles from a century in the past) It's worth checking out.
