#415: The Naked Prey
1966, 96 minutes, Color, 2.35:1
Language: English
Directed by Cornel Wilde
[A note on spoilers: I pretty much give away the ending, but I announce it before I do.]
Okay, enough with the detours and back on the Criterion path.
As is often the case, I was having difficulty deciding what to watch next. I pondered half a dozen titles or more before finally saying to hell with it and turning the decision over to fate. A couple of clicks on a random number generator button displayed a number coinciding with one of those on the spine of a case on my shelf: 415, The Naked Prey.
I think it was a good idea to go the random route. Of the dozens of DVDs in my library, there are those that definitely appeal to me more than others, and I will of course be drawn to them sooner. Using a method other than personal preference will help to keep me from burning through my favorites first and leaving those less appealing to me to pile up as I progress and turn this adventure into more of a chore than something fun. Also, there is a handful of discs that, for various reasons, I have yet to see. The Naked Prey was one of those few. That movie has been collecting dust for over two years now, and I don’t know how much longer it would have remained in its factory wrap before I finally watched it.
I do remember buying it within days of its release on DVD. I was at the bookstore during a post-holiday buy-two-get-the-third-free sale. I had just finished watching Bad Timing and was so impressed that I wanted to see more of director Nicolas Roeg’s creations. I stood in the store with The Man Who Fell to Earth and Walkabout in my hands looking for a third. The Naked Prey had been pretty well hyped by Criterion through their newsletter and website from the time it was announced until it was released. Also, it seemed to bear some semblance, though minimal, to Walkabout, and I’m a bit of a sucker for going with themes. In a sense it was free, so I really had nothing to lose. I was compelled enough to buy it, but I was never compelled enough to actually watch it until a random number caused me to pull it from the shelf and peel the cellophane wrap and security sticker away from the case.
There was a sense of satisfaction in unwrapping it. I was finally getting around to something I had been putting off for far too long. I don’t like having movies on the shelf that I paid good money for but don’t watch for some inexplicable reason. Also, it kindled that pleasant feeling of opening something new, even though it was over two years old. Adding to the fun, once opened, I discovered that this DVD was released at a time when I noticed Criterion was including postcards depicting the cover art of some of their releases in the package. I bought a few discs, around the same time, that included the postcards. I thought it was a neat little gimmick, one that they seem to have done away with. It was like getting a prize in the cereal box. This one was “Three Films by Hiroshi Teshigahara.”
I think The Naked Prey epitomizes the Criterion mission of gathering great movies and publishing them in the best quality with supplemental features that enhance the appreciation of the art of film. I think it is best stated in the included essay “Into the Wild” by film critic Michael Atkinson when he writes, “Insofar as the movie is remembered at all, it remains the best known in Wilde’s lost filmography.” By other accounts I have read, Cornel Wilde and his work has been largely lost to history, so it is very much in keeping with Criterion’s mission to release this film. They hold true to the rest of their promise as well, for the film comes to life wonderfully on the screen and the supplemental features go a long way towards enhancing the appreciation of the film.
A side benefit of starting this blog, one that I expected, is that I also get to more fully appreciate not only the art of film in general but each of the films individually. The Naked Prey exemplifies that aspect more than any other film I’ve written about so far, or any of the more than one hundred and fifty Criterion releases I’ve watched. This is a film that I’ve owned for some time yet managed to dismiss on numerous occasions when looking for something to watch. After watching it the first time, I felt my doubts about it were well founded. I wasn’t greatly moved by it after just one viewing and if that were all I did I probably would have put it away never to watch it again. It took repeated viewings and delving into the supplemental features, few as they are, for the value of this film to have the appropriate impact on me.
The odd thing about The Naked Prey, for me, was that it was difficult for me to appreciate it. Even after letting things sink in, I still wouldn’t list it among my favorites. Though I can now better appreciate it for its worth, I had to work too hard for that appreciation and that does take away some from my total enjoyment of it for pleasure’s sake. I am not averse to working to understand or appreciate a movie, mind you, it’s just that this one does not resonate much with me in spite of its merit. Now, what’s so odd about it is that there is much about The Naked Prey that I really like!
I must admit that it has been very difficult for me to write about The Naked Prey. It’s been over three weeks since I first popped it into the DVD player and watched it for the first time. What makes it so hard to write about it is that I can’t find the words to express my contradictory feelings about it. There is so much about it I do like, but as a whole, I don’t find it as fulfilling as I feel I should. I can’t by any means say it is a bad movie or even unlikable. After all, it is listed on the Criterion website in their “Cult Movies” section. A cult film earns that designation by way of being very popular with some people, though not so much appreciated by a vast audience. So, I think it would be safe to assume that The Naked Prey is very much liked by some people, but it just happens that I’m not one of them. Which, also, is a bit odd for me because I do tend to favor cult movies. Criterion has nearly fifty of them in their list, including a few Eclipse titles. By my count I own, and have watched, about half of them, have seen a handful of the others, and still more that I am eager to see because I know I will certainly like them. Of all I already watched, I do like a vast majority of them to varying degrees. And, of those that leave me feeling a little flat, at least I can explain why. The thing about The Naked Prey is that there is so much I do like about it, yet it leaves me feeling a little flat, and I am bothered by the fact that I am at a loss for words to adequately explain why that is. I do, however, appreciate it.
Now, the story itself is quite simple, based on that of a member of the Lewis and Clark expedition, though the setting has been changed. A naked and unarmed man is set free in the wilds of Africa to be hunted as wild game by tribal warriors. The portrayal of the man’s run for his life is just about as bare bones as the story is simple. It’s very subtle and understated, and that is what I appreciate most about the film.
Cornel Wilde directs himself as the man on the run, billed only as “Man” in the opening credits. He is a man of strong moral fiber that is demonstrated in very subtle fashion. One thing I typically don’t like to do is compare a decades old film to one that would be made today, but I can’t help myself here. I must not be the only one who feels that way because there were several times in the audio commentary by film scholar Stephen Prince that echoed some of the same sentiments I had about the film. The most notable example would be that of Man’s personal and psychological background and history; there is none given. The only thing we know of Man is what is shown on the screen and what he says, which is very little. There are no dialogues or monologues that extrapolate on his past such as his education, his philosophical beliefs and upbringing, or whether he was an athlete to explain his character, either psychologically or physically. It’s apparent he is married because a wedding band is visible on his finger, but he never pines for his wife, or even mentions her for that matter. I think it’s safe to assume he does love her and is fighting just as much to get back to her as he is for his own life, but it is not dwelled upon in the least. Does he have children or not? That question is not answered, and doesn’t need to be because it’s not relevant. It has become very commonplace for latter day films to spend a lot of time and effort exposing those background characteristics in order to develop the character more and faster. It is somewhat refreshing to see a film where that technique is dispensed with.
Man is a man of very little words. Much of the movie transpires with no dialogue at all. Most of what is said is at the beginning and the end of the film, mostly near the beginning.
The story takes place in nineteenth century colonial Africa. Man is managing an ivory hunting expedition that is financed by a rich and indignant gentleman for whom Man appears to only begrudgingly tolerate. Early in the hunt the expedition is met by a band of tribesmen. Man knows their language and converses with the leader, ascertaining that they ask for some sort of token of respect, a gift. The hunter earnestly refuses, saying he will not give handouts to every beggar that they come across. Despite Man’s pointed arguments that not giving them a gift could lead to bigger problems later on the hunter pushes the tribal spokesman aside and forges ahead. Man has no option but to follow and the hurt and displeased look on the tribal warrior as he stands up indicates that Man’s prediction of greater problems will likely come to be.
The hunter is a self-indulgent man with little conscience. He sees the slave trade as a lucrative venture and proposes the idea to Man during a break, asking him if he would like to join him. Man politely declines the offer and gives little explanation as to why before quickly calling the expedition to move on again.
After they do the gruesome task of harvesting some ivory Man again finds himself in conversation with the hunter, and his disdain is thinly veiled. The hunter drinks and gets loud, Man declines the beverage and insists that the hunter has had too much, but the hunter will have none of it and declares he will drink his fill.
Man also chastises the hunter for killing unnecessarily. The hunter is a braggart and can’t help but to compete. He boasts of how many he elephants he killed, and also knows the exact tally of how many Man has killed as well when Man says he doesn’t know how many creatures fell to his gun. When the hunter brags that he killed more, Man points out that those he killed all bore ivory whereas such is not the case for the hunter, who in the end killed fewer ivory-bearing beasts. The hunter drunkenly dismisses this chastisement, not seeing anything wrong with killing for sport. Though even killing for ivory, by today’s standards, is a widely condemned practice, such wasn’t the case in the setting of the movie. Even so, Man has enough respect for life to not kill wantonly.
So, it is through his actions and his words it is apparent that Man lives to a strict moral code and high personal standards. He has respect for life and for others and disdains those, such as the hunter, who are destructive, brash, and disrespectful.
These qualities Man possesses are not lost on the tribe which, as expected, does raid the expedition and captures the entire hunting party, European and African alike. They mete out their justice as they see fit. It is apparent that they are cruel in their methods of carrying out the sentences on the captives. Watching the different episodes of execution made me wonder if Pier Paolo Pasolini had watched this movie before making Salò. But, there is also a subtle factor to the executions that I would have missed if it weren’t for the audio commentary. The natives are dispatched more quickly and humanely, their crime being accomplices to the white men that disrespected the land and the natives and the creatures. The hunters, however, are tortured and humiliated. All except for Man. He too is a criminal in the eyes of the tribe, but his crime is mitigated by the fact that he demonstrates respect and courage.
Man is remembered from the original encounter as the one who argued for paying a respectable tribute to the tribesmen. He also fought well and courageously when taken. When he saw his comrades killed he did so with fortitude. They could also tell that he was a fine physical specimen. Man’s sentence was to be stripped of all clothing and weapons, given a head start, and hunted as prey by a select few warriors. His death seems a certainty, but he is at least given a fighting chance at freedom, and the honor of being killed in a battle, even if that of a beast, instead of bound and tortured.
Wilde was fifty years old when he made this movie. He bears a physique impressive for a man many years younger that, combined with his self possessed and stoic manner, suggests he is not going to be easy prey for his pursuers.
An arrow is shot into the distance and he is set loose. Once he passes the arrow sticking up from the ground one of the warriors takes chase and thus begins the hunt. Man uses all his wit, cunning, and endurance—and no small amount of luck—to evade and survive as best he can.
To further demonstrate Man’s morality and courage, there is a scene where he comes across a village that is attacked by a band of slavers. Though he is being pursued, he doesn’t hesitate to throw himself into the fray and foil the efforts of those looking to enslave human beings. His pursuers witness this, and also witness Man risk himself to save the life of a little girl. She later returns the favor by fishing him from the water and saving his life. They in turn form a fleeting friendship and provide for each other during their short time shared together—he has the flint stones for starting fire and she the ability to cook him a meal that may not be all too appetizing considering the source of the meat, but gives Man much needed sustenance. The little girl also sings an infectious little tune, and he teaches her one of his own. Their relationship, brief as it is, is not laden with sentimentality, another refreshing aspect of the film.
I hesitate to give away the ending, but there is such a striking gesture, done with Wilde’s signature subtlety, that I can’t help but to comment on it. Man has finally, barely, found his salvation yet still has the presence of minde to wave to the lead warrior as a kind of salute, which is returned in kind by the warrior. Though they were bitter adversaries, through the chase learned to respect each other for their skill and endurance. Though Man jumped for joy and screamed, “Die, you devils, die!” when he trapped his pursuers in a forest fire of his making, and though the warrior was distraught by the comrades Man had managed to kill defending himself, they can respect each other and show that mutual respect through a small gesture. Man can understand why he was put in that situation and the warriors can admire him for having made good on the opportunity given to him.
The movie can have the appearance of an epic feature, but that too is understated. The widescreen images come to life with a full rich palette of colors that are unique to Technicolor. It is almost like an oil painting on the screen and made me somewhat nostalgic for movies of the era that I enjoyed seeing when I was a kid. The camera works as more of a window to just observe Man’s plight. About the closest it comes to portraying something epic on the scale of a film such a Spartacus is the village battle against the slavers, but in a much more subdued tone. Another subdued fight scene is artfully done. In a man-to-man battle between Man and a warrior, the duel is wonderfully choreographed and I liked how the sounds of the blades cut through the air. Even the death scenes are very subtle. The kill is never directly shown. The deathblow may occur off screen but is evidenced by a spurt of blood that shoots into view, obscured by a log, or merely suggested by the imposition of blood red flowers in the scene. Those techniques may have been employed out of necessity, but they still more than adequately serve the purpose intended. It just goes to show that much can be said without explicitly showing the deed.
I would have to imagine that much of Cornel Wilde, the man himself, is portrayed in the screen. There is little in the biographies I’ve read of him that explicitly says so, but I would believe he was a man of moral conviction and respect for others and the world he lives in. It is clear that some of animal killings in the movie were taken from stock footage or faked. It is made clear in the audio commentary that he went to great pains not to harm or kill the animals, and was himself severely injured when trying to prevent two reptiles from killing each other.
The way he portrays the tribal people is not demeaning or caricatured. By today’s standards it may be a bit stereotypical, but I think the film was ahead of its time and made a statement about the co-existence of different peoples and the respect due to all of them. The audio commentary goes into greater depth about this aspect and is a bit enlightening, especially that he shot the film in Apartheid South Africa, even with the assistance of its government.
I admire the way Wilde played Man. I would think it could be argued that it was vain on his part to bare, literally, so much of his physique on the screen, but I don’t think that to be the case. He was well suited to the role. A sinewy young man could not do as well. The story is best suited to an older man, one who is wiser in the ways of the world and be able to so quietly yet resolutely carry forth with the challenge thrust on him. Yet, an older man who was not so physically capable would not be believable. He was the perfect hero for this story. So much of what Man says is done through physical performance and expression, yet it is not overdone or melodramatic. His grimace when he bites into some of the food he has to consume to survive gets the point across that it is not appetizing but not wholly disgusting. I like best how it is when he gets up from a night’s sleep and works out the kinks. I can almost feel the stiffness. He is a man who is in great shape, but he is taking his body to a greater degree than it is unaccustomed and will indeed stiffen up quickly during the night. I’ve trained for, and run, several marathons and I so vividly recalled those days after a long training run, or the marathon itself, when I was stiff as a board. Thankfully, I wasn’t running for my life in those instances like Man was.
One of the things I like most about The Naked Prey is just how subtle, understated, and bare bones it is. But it may be those qualities that make Wilde and this movie something that is, for the most part, lost in the history of cinema. This movie couldn’t be made today without the psychological profile and background of the hero, artificially heightened tension and suspense, and banging the moralistic gong, yet it does have a complex hero, is full of suspense, and does make a statement about society that is maybe just a little too subtle for its own good, allowing it to be so easily overlooked.
If there is one aspect of the film that doesn’t appear to be subtle, it would be some of the scenes of the beasts in the wild. Many of them are taken from stock footage, or other sources, that are apparent by the difference in the graininess of the images compared to the rest of the film, and demonstrate just how dire the situation is for Man. It really is a situation of kill or be killed. But, there is still a bit of subtlety mixed in there. One scene in particular encapsulates Man’s plight, when a tiger and a baboon meet. It would seem that the primate would be easy prey for the predator, but things aren’t always as they seem, as Man demonstrates throughout. Another scene has Man on what appears to be his last leg. A vulture watches him stumble and fall in expectant anticipation. I had to crack a bit of a smile when the vulture looked so dejected when Man found some sustenance and deprived the vulture of his own meal.
As I said before, this movie doesn’t exactly ring my bell, but it truly is an admirable film, and a great film on many levels even though it doesn’t resonate much with me personally. I am glad I was exposed to it and did enjoy it. I would certainly recommend it to any fan of cinema and think it does very well to be a part of the Criterion Collection, both on account of the film itself and for the purpose of the Collection. I hope that other works of Wilde, especially Beach Red and No Blade of Grass which are oft mentioned in the accompanying essays and video commentary. I would be very glad to experience those films as well.
Special Features:
Audio Commentary:
The audio commentary, by film scholar Stephen Prince, is very well done. He expounded quite a bit on the movie, the story, and Cornel Wilde, glorifying subtle techniques used in The Naked Prey, and expounding on how such techniques are pretty much lost in today’s filmmaking. A lot of time was spent on the social message of the move; a parable meant to convey a warning, discussions of Apartheid in South Africa and the concurrent civil rights movement in the U.S. He speaks of the double irony of The Naked Prey, how man is prey but doesn’t lose his humanity. Though The Naked Prey does much to show that Man is in a kill or be killed situation through almost documentary-like scenes of animals in the wild, it does not endorse a Darwinian way of life. Those are just a handful of the jewels that I culled from the commentary track that I found to be very enlightening and did much to help me appreciate this film as it deserves to be appreciated.
“John Colter”
Actor Paul Giametti reads “John Colter’s Escape,” an account of the original story of Colter’s escape from Blackfoot Indians, the story on which The Naked Prey is based. The reading runs just shy of five minues and is illustrated with maps and woodcuts and is worth the time to hear this foundational story for the film.
“Soundtrack”
This is an interesting special feature. All of the music used in the music can be selected from an index and listened to individually and apart from the film. There is a statement by Andrew Tracey who composed and directed the music used in the film that explains how he came to be associated with the film, some of the challenges of putting the music to film, and of the instruments used. I myself am a percussionist, so I do find this feature to be of great personal interest.
“Trailer”
The film trailer runs just over three minutes. It does much to play up the savagery of the African people and the nobility of the white man. It is interesting to watch, but doesn’t quite do the film true justice.
Written Works:
“Into the Wild,” an essay my Michael Atkinson, gives the synopsis and history of The Naked Prey as well as personal history of Cornel Wilde. It does much to put the movie in a historical context and show what Wilde brought to the film and to cinema in general. There is some discussion of other works of Wilde, too. I appreciated this essay for the greater understanding it brought to the film.
“Survival!” is made up of excerpts from a 1970 discussion between Wilde and Gordon Gow that was published in Films and Filming. It was refreshing to learn more about Wilde from the man himself and touches more on Wilde’s personal life, and his transition from actor to director, something that was very rare, and even frowned upon, in that era.
Well, it has been quite a journey I’ve taken with The Naked Prey. I did enjoy it, though it wasn’t without a bit of effort on my part, but it was a worthwhile effort. If it hadn’t been for delving into all of the special features of this film and watching it a few times for the purpose of this blog, I would have watched it once, probably distractedly, and put it back on the shelf. It is a film that certainly deserves more attention and respect than that.
The biggest reason I took so long to post this is because I found it most difficult to put together the words that spoke well of a good film, but a film that, good as it is, doesn’t float my boat as I would expect. Still, I don’t think my words portray my thoughts as well as I would like, but I suppose they do an adequate job. Regardless, it was time for me to bite the bullet, plough through it, and get it done. It’s time to move on to something else, and I didn’t want to make such a chore of this movie that I grew to dislike it for the wrong reasons. I am happy to have experienced it, but now I am also glad to be finished with it. I do, however, look forward to seeing more of Wilde’s work.
For now, though, I think I will move on to Jim Jarmusch. I don’t know what it is, but I just have a hankering for one or two of his films. So, next, I will see you either in the bayous of Louisiana, or on a road trip from Cleveland to Florida. It won’t be a random number generator, but I may have to flip a coin between Down by Law or Stranger than Paradise. Either way, I know I won’t be disappointed.
