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From: clark@sdcsla.UUCP (Clark Quinn)
Newsgroups: net.movies
Subject: Re: Anyone seen "The Gods must be crazy"?
Message-ID: <718@sdcsla.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 7-Nov-84 12:19:00 EST
Article-I.D.: sdcsla.718
Posted: Wed Nov  7 12:19:00 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 10-Nov-84 09:52:09 EST
References: <414@utcsrgv.UUCP>
Organization: U.C. San Diego, Cognitive Science Lab
Lines: 38



In response to the request for info on "The Gods Must Be Crazy", I will
attempt a review, bolstered by the information in the Reader (San Diego
edition).  But don't expect a Rieher or Leeper effort.

Billed as "an epic comedy of absurd proportions", this movie doesn't quite
live up to the billing, but as a modest comedy of reasonable proportions,
it is an unqualified success.  Written, produced, directed, filmed, and edited
by Jamie Uys, this South African movie conveys honest emotion and rousing
sense of what silliness is embodied in modern civilization.


Starting slowly with a documentary-style narrative of the life of the bushmen,
the other characters are introduced with small sections of their life.  The
businesswoman (Sandra Prinsloo, very good, attractive comedienne, reminiscent
of Teri Garr) decides to escape the madness of city life by teaching in the
bush.  The scientist (Marius Wyers, playing the classic
handsome-but-uncomfortable-with-woman hero) is persuaded to pick her up when
she arrives.  The bushman, in meantime has had technological rubbish ruin
regular camp-life and heads out to throw the offending litter off the 
end of the earth.
Meanwhile, an aborted assasination attempt has a group of desparate terrorists 
heading across the border to escape capture and probable execution.  Any more
would be a spoiler, suffice it to say that the complications make for an
enjoyable, unbelievable, romp across the African countryside.

With elements of slapstick comedy (fast-motion action, clumsiness),
culture-juxtaposition, and sexual differences, this movie manages to maintain
a refreshing newness (not the least due to Jamie Uys' mad-cap plot).  
Particularly worthy of note are the narration, the fine performances by the
principal characters and the supporting cast, and the script.  The direction
sometimes seems amateurish, butoverall evokes the humor of the script.

The bottom-line: See it.  Do it now.  I have recommended it to a number of
people, and except for one person who did not appreciate it (let's see 
that's roughly 10 for and one against), the reviews have not been just
good, but raves!