Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Of 2024Holiday PicksSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Quest for Fire

Original title: La guerre du feu
  • 1981
  • R
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
25K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
3,948
357
Ron Perlman, Rae Dawn Chong, Nicholas Kadi, and Everett McGill in Quest for Fire (1981)
This story takes place in prehistoric time when three tribesmen search for a new fire source.
Play trailer1:06
2 Videos
70 Photos
QuestSurvivalAdventureDrama

This story takes place in prehistoric time when three tribesmen search for a new fire source.This story takes place in prehistoric time when three tribesmen search for a new fire source.This story takes place in prehistoric time when three tribesmen search for a new fire source.

  • Director
    • Jean-Jacques Annaud
  • Writers
    • Gérard Brach
    • J.H. Rosny Sr.
  • Stars
    • Everett McGill
    • Ron Perlman
    • Nicholas Kadi
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    7.3/10
    25K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    3,948
    357
    • Director
      • Jean-Jacques Annaud
    • Writers
      • Gérard Brach
      • J.H. Rosny Sr.
    • Stars
      • Everett McGill
      • Ron Perlman
      • Nicholas Kadi
    • 123User reviews
    • 51Critic reviews
    • 79Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 11 wins & 8 nominations total

    Videos2

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:06
    Official Trailer
    Bande-annonce [OV]
    Trailer 2:16
    Bande-annonce [OV]
    Bande-annonce [OV]
    Trailer 2:16
    Bande-annonce [OV]

    Photos70

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 63
    View Poster

    Top cast51

    Edit
    Everett McGill
    Everett McGill
    • Naoh
    Ron Perlman
    Ron Perlman
    • Amoukar
    Nicholas Kadi
    Nicholas Kadi
    • Gaw
    • (as Nameer El-Kadi)
    Rae Dawn Chong
    Rae Dawn Chong
    • Ika
    Gary Schwartz
    Gary Schwartz
    • Rouka - The Ulam Tribe
    Naseer El-Kadi
    • Nam - The Ulam Tribe
    Franck-Olivier Bonnet
    Franck-Olivier Bonnet
    • Aghoo - The Ulam Tribe
    • (as Frank Olivier Bonnet)
    Jean-Michel Kindt
    • Lakar - The Ulam Tribe
    Kurt Schiegl
    • Faum - The Ulam Tribe
    Brian Gill
    • Modoc - The Ulam Tribe
    Terry Fitt
    • Hourk - The Ulam Tribe
    Bibi Caspari
    • Gammla - The Ulam Tribe
    Peter Elliott
    Peter Elliott
    • Mikr - The Ulam Tribe
    Michelle Leduc
    • Matr - The Ulam Tribe
    Robert Lavoie
    Robert Lavoie
    • Tsor - The Ulam Tribe
    Matt Birman
    Matt Birman
    • Morah - The Ulam Tribe
    Christian Benard
    • Umbre - The Ulam Tribe
    Joy Boushel
    Joy Boushel
    • The Ulam Tribe
    • (as Joy Boushell)
    • Director
      • Jean-Jacques Annaud
    • Writers
      • Gérard Brach
      • J.H. Rosny Sr.
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    The Name of the Rose
    7.7
    The Name of the Rose
    The Clan of the Cave Bear
    5.4
    The Clan of the Cave Bear
    Ao, le dernier Néandertal
    6.3
    Ao, le dernier Néandertal
    Missing Link
    6.0
    Missing Link
    Hothead
    7.2
    Hothead
    Quest for Fire
    Quest for Fire
    Wolf Totem
    6.6
    Wolf Totem
    Scaramouche
    7.5
    Scaramouche
    Conan the Barbarian
    6.9
    Conan the Barbarian
    Iceman
    6.1
    Iceman
    7.9
    The Quest for Fire Adventure
    Excalibur
    7.3
    Excalibur

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Both Ron Perlman and Everett McGill suffered frostbite; luckily they were able to heal completely. Despite the working conditions, they both enjoyed making the film.
    • Goofs
      There were no saber-toothed cats in Europe at any time. Saber-Toothed cats evolved in North America, then spread to South America during the Great American Interchange (when the Isthmus of Panama rose from the sea and connected North and South America). There *were* very large cave lions (Panthera Spelea) in Europe, but they had the regular dentition of modern African lions (Panthera Leo).
    • Quotes

      [first lines]

      Title Card: 80,000 years ago, man's survival in a vast uncharted land depended on the possession of fire. / For those early humans, fire was an object of great mystery, since no one had mastered its creation. Fire had to be stolen from nature, it had to be kept alive - sheltered from wind and rain, guarded from rival tribes. / Fire was a symbol of power and a means of survival. The tribe who possessed fire, possessed life.

    • Alternate versions
      All UK versions are cut by 8 secs and are missing a shot of a wolf on fire.
    • Connections
      Featured in À propos de 'La guerre du feu' (1981)

    User reviews123

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10

    They say there's no accounting for taste...

    I saw this film (on VHS rental) so long ago I might have been in it. My (ex) wife & friends thought it was stupid - "What's going on? Nobody's saying anything". I found it mesmerising and have been looking for it ever since (car boot sales, Ebay etc).

    OK, if you've two adjacent brain cells, you'll spot the anachronisms and the cheap effects, but credit where it's due for originality and balls - to the director and the backers.

    If you're sick of hype and tripe, find it. If you're hooked intravenously to Hollywood pap (as 99.999% of the world's population seem to be) then give it a miss.

    Just my 2p.
    • nescient
    • Jul 11, 2004
    • Permalink

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ20

    • How long is Quest for Fire?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 12, 1982 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • Canada
      • France
    • Languages
      • None
      • French
    • Also known as
      • The War of Fire
    • Filming locations
      • Grieg's Caves, Lion's Head, Ontario, Canada(caves)
    • Production companies
      • International Cinema Corporation (ICC)
      • Ciné Trail
      • Belstar Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $12,500,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $20,959,585
    • Gross worldwide
      • $20,962,615
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 40 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.35 : 1

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Ron Perlman, Rae Dawn Chong, Nicholas Kadi, and Everett McGill in Quest for Fire (1981)
    Top Gap
    What is the Japanese language plot outline for Quest for Fire (1981)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2024 by IMDb.com, Inc.