Deux frères (2004)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Jean-Jacques Annaud

Writers:

Alain Godard (scenario) &
Jean-Jacques Annaud (scenario) ...

Release Date:

25 June 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama | Family

Tagline:

Two infant tiger cubs, separated from their parents and each other.

Plot:

Two tigers are separated as cubs and taken into captivity, only to be reunited years later as enemies by an explorer (Pearce) who inadvertently forces them to fight each other.

Plot Keywords:

Tiger | Circus | Jungle | Sold To Circus | Dog

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Guy Pearce	...	Aidan McRory
Jean-Claude Dreyfus	...	Administrator Eugene Normandin
Freddie Highmore	...	Raoul Normandin
Oanh Nguyen	...	His Excellency
Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu	...	Mrs. Normandin
Moussa Maaskri	...	Saladin
Vincent Scarito	...	Zerbino
Maï Anh Le	...	Naï-Rea
Jaran 'See Tao' Petcharoen	...	The Village Chief (as Jaran Phetjareon 'Sitao')
Stéphanie Lagarde	...	Miss Paulette
Bernard Flavien	...	His Excellency's Majordomo
Annop Varapanya	...	Sergent Van Tranh
David Gant	...	Auctioneer
Teerawat Mulvilai	...	Verlaine (as Teerawat Mulvilai 'Ka-Nge')
Somjin Chimwong	...	Napoleon (as Somjin Chimwong 'Nen')

Also Known As:

Two Brothers (International: English title) (UK) (USA)
Deux frères (France)

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild violence.

Runtime:

109 min

Country:

France | UK

Language:

English | Thai | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

France:U | South Korea:All | Argentina:Atp | Australia:PG | Canada:PG | Finland:K-7 | Germany:6 | Netherlands:MG6 | Norway:7 | Singapore:PG | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | USA:PG | Philippines:G

Filming Locations:

Bangkok, Thailand

Company:

Pathé

Trivia:

Christian Clavier was approached about the role of the ambassador. It finally went to Jean-Claude Dreyfus.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: As his Excellency is getting off the elephant, he walks down an Air France Stairway. Air France didn't exist until 1933. The movie takes place in the 1920s.

Quotes:

Aidan McRory: Where did you learn your English?
Naï-Rea: His Excellency asked the Australian priests to open a school here to teach us languages.
Aidan McRory: Well, I'm very impressed. What else did they teach you?
Naï-Rea: To beware of white men.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Troldspejlet: (#32.4)" (2004)

Soundtrack:

La Polka des Tigres

See some awesome film work which had to be some difficulties considering they are tigers

WOW!!!! OK, I will confess up front that I am prejudiced. I am a wildlife artist with a lifetime love of tigers and have even had the awesome opportunity to play with 3 10-week old tiger brothers. I loved this movie, not just for the obvious reasons of being a tiger loving artist that loves all animal films anyway. This movie was making a statement regarding how these beautiful creatures are being hunted to extinction!

How sad to have to hunt down and kill an animal to prove your manhood or to use them for mistaken ancient beliefs where their bodyparts are used for medicine. Granted they aren't harmless, but men continue to encroach on the wild areas all over the world without thought of the animals and ecosystems, of the beauty they destroy.

No, I'm not an overzealous environmentalist belonging to Greenpeace or PETA, though they have the right idea...just a little too far left for me. Still, looking at the awesome, beautiful world God has given us, its sad to see animals hunted to extinction for no reason other than to show everyone that you can pull a trigger. Ooooooooooo, big amount of talent for that.

This movie, besides its message of the dwindling numbers of tigers left in the wild and why they are endangered, was an absolute joy. How some of these shots of the tigers, as they grew, were obtained, I have no idea. But it was great, in fact, I love it, the tigers got billing over the human actors!

It's the story of 2 tiger cubs that are captured when a hunter kills their father and they become separated from their mother. They then become separated from each other, one going to a hunter and eventually ending up in a circus run by people that seem to think animal cruelty is the only way to train an animal. The other winds up in a family with a loving little boy, but eventually outgrows his welcome and ends up in a private zoo, also being mistreated. The tigers meet again, when for some sick idea of sport, the 2 tigers are set against each other in a fight to the death. Then the brothers recognize each other. I won't ruin it for you. Just know that it does have a good ending!

I was impressed that there is a tag at the end of the movie, one that is quite true. In the early 1900's there were over 100,000 tigers in the wild, now there are less than 400-200. Three species are already extinct. See the information from a website:

Bengal Tiger – Panthera tigris tigris Siberian (Amurian) Tiger – Panthera tigris altaica Sumatran Tiger – Panthera tigris sumatrae Indo-Chinese Tiger – Panthera tigris corbetti South China Tiger – Panthera tigris amoyensis Javan Tiger – Panthera tigris sondaica – extinct since early 1980's

Bali Tiger – Panthera tigris balica – extinct since the 1940's

Caspian Tiger – Panthera tigris virgata – extinct since the early 1970's

Watch the movie, it will warm your heart, make you smile and perhaps even shed a tear. If you would like to help save tigers, in the wild or aid the ones that needlessly wind up in rescue organizations. Thank God for them! People seem to think it would be cool to have a tiger, or other big cat, for a pet, then seem surprised that they grow into 500-700+ pound meat eaters! I own several house cats...these smaller guys have a whole lot in common with their 'big' brothers and I have the scars to prove it. (Not that they are mean, I just get in the way of their racetrack sometimes)

Still, tigers are wild animals and not meant to be pets! If nothing else, even if you have raised one, they don't know their own strength...just ask Roy Horn of Siefried and Roy fame. I doubt that tiger meant any harm to Roy, but the tiger sensed Roy was in danger and tried to carry him to safety the same way she would carry a cub...by the scruff of the neck.

That being said...don't try to raise one, but please try to help the ones in rescue shelters that desperately need the funds to care for these tigers that can't be released back into the wild. Or help the remaining few in the wild.