Roar (1981) Review

Naturalist Hank (Noel Marshall) is living on a nature preserve in Africa and shares his space with numerous big cats. As he prepares for a visit from his wife Madeleine (Tippi Hedren) and their three kids Melanie (Melanie Griffith), John (John Marshall) and Jerry (Jerry Marshall), Hank finds himself sidetracked and away from his home as the rest of his family shows up. They’re looking for Hank, but what they find is a whole load of lions, tigers and elephants who are ready to extend a proper wilderness welcome to the newcomers to their environment…

Often cited as “the most dangerous film ever made,” the production of Roar led to at least seventy people in the cast and crew being injured by the untrained animals on set. In a 2015 interview, John Marshall speculated that this number could have been as high as a hundred. Noel Marshall was bitten multiple times and was treated for gangrene and blood poisoning. Hedren had her head bitten by a lion, an ankle broken by an elephant which picked her up and was also treated for gangrene and blood poisoning.

After being attacked by a lioness, Melanie Griffith underwent facial reconstructive surgery and at one point it was thought she may lose an eye. Both John and Jerry Marshall were bitten by lions, with Jerry being hospitalised for a month. Cinematographer Jan De Bont was scalped by a lion and required two hundred and twenty sutures but recovered and continued filming. I could fill the remainder of this review with details of everyone else who was maimed during the production but the information is out there if you want to discover that for yourselves and I should now switch to the film itself.

The original release of Roar in the UK was handed an “A” certificate and that would suggest a level of peril that isn’t particularly troubling other than the fact that it might be a bit too scary for younger children. Allow me to suggest that Roar is an unrelenting panic attack for all ages from minute one as a worrying number of lions gather in close proximity to both each other and human beings, initially launching themselves at Hank in ways which he passes off as affectionate but which will set the audience on edge in terms of watching him grapple with a great big bloody beast. Hey, I love cats but I’m the proud owner of far smaller, domesticated ones and getting the odd accidental clawing from one of those isn’t in the same league as getting slashed by their bigger cousins.

The plot of Roar – unwitting family is threatened by nature gone wild and has to work out a way to escape – is perfunctory but the lack of storytelling finesse is generally forgotten when you’re watching some of the planet’s most fearsome killing machines toying with ill-matched, fleshy, potential targets, some of whom do not have to act terrified. Hank’s torturous route back to his homestead to hook up with his family bulks up the runtime but also prolongs the terror for Hedren and co, and thus the audience. There’s an amusing nod to a certain Hitchcock movie as a single bird flaps at Madeleine but most of the time she and her real life kid and step kids are being relentlessly pursued by a menace that can give you far more than a nasty peck.

As one note as it is, Roar more than gets by on the utter insanity of its central idea. The film proudly states that it has the seal of approval of the American Humane Association, which indicates that none of the animals were mistreated on set. This courtesy does not extend to the humans and it’s horrifying to watch moments in which the performers are traumatised, wounded or both. Its cavalier approach to safety means it’s a film that could never be made today and probably broke a whole book of rules back then.

Often classed as a dark comedy adventure, most of the laughs you’ll be getting from Roar will be nervous ones and knowing the background to the carnage which unfolded on set does nothing to dispel the uncomfortable feeling that this was made by maniacs. Kudos must go to supporting actor Kyalo Mativo, who garners most of the audience’s sympathy by being in a palpable state of panic throughout, and the gutsy De Bont, whose cinematography is majestic in capturing the sweeping vistas, precise and urgent when following the inquisitive, feline members of the cast.

They don’t make them like Roar any more. To be fair, they only made them like it once back then. Taken as a dramatic piece, it’s basic to say the least but the viewing experience is the key here and you will not believe what you’re seeing. When the end credits roll and you can finally take a breath, you’ll feel you’ve escaped. As a footnote to all of this, Noel Marshall and Tippi Hedren divorced shortly after this years long, stop-start project of questionable rationality was completed. Make of that what you will.

Movie Rating:

Roar trailer