It's not that "Iceman" is a great film - not in the caliber of, say, 'Amadeus' or 'The Godfather' - but it does have its own story to tell, and in a way you won't see that much. At the beginning of the film, there's this disclaimer: "The characters in the following film speak an early version of the Rhaetic language. Translation is not required to comprehend the story." And it's true. 'Iceman' is basically a revenge film akin to almost every Chinese martial arts (Wuxia) movie or even Lone Wolf & Cub. Apart from the scarcity of language, the cinematography of the eastern Alps is breathtaking. You can almost call 'Iceman' neolithic Nordic noir for the blues on display as well as the general moodiness and bleak surroundings. Interesting in this day and age to release a near-silent film, but I think this one works.
Plot summary
The Ötztal Alps, more than 5300 years ago. A Neolithic clan has settled near a creek. It is their leader Kelab's responsibility to be the keeper of the group's holy shrine Tineka. While Kelab is hunting, the settlement is attacked. The members of the tribe are brutally murdered, among them Kelab's wife and son; only one newborn survives; and Tineka is gone. Blinded by pain and fury, Kelab is out for one thing alone: vengeance. The pursuit of the murderers is shaping up to be quite an odyssey for Kelab. He fights for the infant's survival and against the forces of nature. And a fatal error even turns Kelab from hunter to hunted. On top of all that, the loneliness causes Kelab to doubt his actions more and more. When Kelab finally faces the murderers of his clan, his greatest challenge will be not to become a murderer himself. -Ötzi-The Iceman is one of the oldest and most well-known mummies in the world. With emotional impact, writer/director Felix Randau depicts the first unsolved murder case in the history of mankind.
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Recommended For Its Uniqueness.
Modern twist on an old genre
ICEMAN is a modern variant on that old '80s sub-genre of prehistoric adventure that did away with dialogue to concentrate on stories told by action and adventure alone. QUEST FOR FIRE was the most famous of these movies, but the genre also spawned such oddities as the Italian gore flick MASTER OF THE WORLD. ICEMAN, a European production shot in Italy, doesn't skimp on the violence either, essentially telling a revenge story about a stone age man whose settlement is attacked with many deaths; he survives and essentially seeks vengeance over the course of the running time. It's a nice looking film in terms of cinematography, although the direction leans towards pedestrianism at times and the performances are nothing special. Still, it's nice to see a film that takes historical accuracy a bit more seriously than most, even if the small scale drama turns out to be oddly unaffecting.
prehistoric western
In 1991, a frozen dead man is found in the Alps. He's been there for 5300 years. "This is his story." Kelab returns from hunting to find his settlement burnt down and his family massacred. A three man war party had come to steal a relic.
It's a little slow to start. It's trying to be authentic which includes limited dialogue and everybody looking like the same caveman. The sets and the costumes seem very authentic. Rather quickly, this gets brutally violent and it's a revenge plot. It becomes a harsh western and that's quite compelling. This can be slow at times especially with the quiet. Nevertheless, this is a simple and effective tale of a brutal age.