A shipping disaster in the 19th Century has stranded a man and woman in the wilds of Africa. The lady is pregnant, and gives birth to a son in their tree house. Soon after, a family of apes stumble across the house and in the ensuing panic, both parents are killed. A female ape takes the tiny boy as a replacement for her own dead infant, and raises him as her son. Twenty years later, Captain Phillippe D'Arnot discovers the man who thinks he is an ape. Evidence in the tree house leads him to believe that he is the direct descendant of the Earl of Greystoke, and thus takes it upon himself to return the man to civilization.
Orphaned as an infant in the African jungle, John Clayton is raised by apes and grows to become Tarzan. Upon reaching adulthood, he is brought back to civilization in England by explorers. Torn between his primitive upbringing and his aristocratic heritage, Tarzan must navigate the complex social world of Victorian England while a plot unfolds to exploit his family's fortune.
Greystoke was met with generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its visual splendor, ambitious scope, and a more grounded, serious portrayal of the Tarzan mythos. While some found the pacing a bit slow, its faithfulness to the source material and strong performances were widely lauded.
Google audience: Audience reviews generally appreciate the film's grand scale, realistic approach to the Tarzan story, and the beautiful jungle and castle settings. Many enjoy the compelling exploration of Tarzan's dual identity and his struggle to adapt to human society.
Nominated for Academy Awards for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design. Also received nominations for BAFTA Awards including Best Actor for Christopher Lambert.
The filmmakers went to great lengths to ensure authenticity, with extensive location shooting in Africa and a focus on realistic ape behavior, even employing real chimpanzees and orangutans for certain scenes.
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