Product Details

• Actors: John Hurt, Hayley Mills, Dudley Sutton, Tony Britton, Thorley Walters
• Directors: Alfred Viola, Arne Sucksdorff, Roy Boulting
• Writers: Anthony Shaffer, Graham Billing
• Producers: Gordon Scott, Henry Trettin
• Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: Bci / Eclipse
• DVD Release Date: April 24, 2001
• Run Time: 101 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005AWR8
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #178,867 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Cry of the Penguins" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Mr. Forbrush (John Hurt) a young biologist with an eye for the ladies chooses an unlikely assignment to study a colony of penguins in the wilderness of Antarctica. He feels it's the only way to impress a young biology student Tara played by Hayley Mills. A very strange thing happens to him... He starts to become more concerned about the penguins and less about himself. His observations about their daily struggles for survival change his entire outlook on life. This film was shot by the famed naturalist and documentary film maker Arne Sucksdorff. The stark beauty of "Cry of the Penguins" as well as the fascinating story will appeal to all audiences. Those captivated by "Never Cry Wolf" will again be spellbound.System Requirements: Running Time 105 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: NR UPC: 787364405893 Manufacturer No: 44058-9

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars One of the odder films, March 27, 2002

By 

Christina Brooks "grond99" (Sydney, N.S.W Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cry of the Penguins (DVD)

This film is the only English language film made by a Norwegian(?) director and easily qualifies as being one of the strangest most patchy films I have ever seen.

The story is simple enough. John Hurt playes Forbrush, a spoilt rich post graduate student who is supposed to be studying biology at the University of London. He is very good in his chosen field, but is largely wasting his time drinking and chasing women. He decides that he wants to impress Hayley Mills, and semi- accidentally gets signed up for a 6 month tour studying penguins on his own in Antarctica. Once there, his loneliness drives him half mad, and he becomes paternally attached to the penguins he is supposed to be studying. In the course of the six months he grows up and becomes an adult as opposed to the fop that he was

The first half hour of the film is almost excrutiating. John Hurt wades through an appalling script (by none other than Anthony Shaffer) and does his best to be drunk and fey and enamoured by Hayley Mills. This part of the the film resembles an Ealing Comedy forged by a drunk Estonian. Once the story arrives in Antarctica, things pick up. Hurt's acting improves markedly, and the penguins start trying to steal the show. There is a heavy duty snowstorm, heaps of literally astonishing scenery, and Hurt starts chewing the scenery as he goes mad.

The main thing wrong with this film is the script. The dialogue is frequently stilted and shows a poor understanding of motivation and character. (Particularly in the earlier scenes). To make matters worse, the direction is thoroughly uninspired. The odd thing though, is that the spirit of the film shines through these mechanics. This was a film made in hardship, and made with love. You CARE for Hurt as he grows up, you can see why he becomes attached to the penguins, why he hates the Skuas, and how his time alone and his hardship makes him grow into a far improved version of his earlier self.

While it is far from being the best made film that you will ever see, I think that this film's spirit will live with you for a long time. Anyone who has ever needed adventure in their life, will understand and probably love the journey that this film delivers.

The DVD master is appalling. There are almost random changes in aspect ratio, from 1.85.1 (occasionally) through to the standard 4.3 fullscreen. There are frequent major distrubances in the image, partly caused by bad storage of the original film, and partly by what looks like a semi-broken telecine machine.

That said, I am glad I own this one. It makes me feel happy to watch it and it makes me think. While it is a curiosity its' whole adds up to far more than the sum of its parts.

...And it is definitely one of the oddest films ever made.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A lovely movie!, October 28, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Cry of the Penguins (DVD)

This is a very quiet movie, but beautifully and lovingly made. I never in my life thought I'd become engrossed by a movie about penguins -- well, surprise, surprise. By the end of the movie I was wishing it would never end.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heartwarming love-story, September 25, 2000

By 

N D Bennett (Harefield, Middlesex, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cry of the Penguins [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I loved the film but should point out that I'm the only reviewer I have ever come across that seems so to do. I watched this a long time ago and have been searching for a copy of the film ever since. The Antarctic scenes are beautiful and John Hurt plays his character with sympathetic flair. If you're an animal lover and relish the thought of a film filmed mainly on location in arctic conditions, then you'll love this.