Rent Tarka the Otter (1979)
3.4 of 5 from 55 ratings
1h 28min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Narrated by Peter Ustinov, this captivating adaptation of Henry Williamson's famous novel is widely regarded as one of the greatest nature-themed films of all time. Only after rejecting several offers from Walt Disney did Williamson find a trusted director in British wildlife filmmaker David Cobham, and 'Tarka the Otter' was released to huge acclaim in 1979. Following the adventures of a male otter as he matures, plays, learns to fend for himself, has pups of his own, hunts and is in turn hunted, the film presents a playful, sometimes poignant but un-sentimentalised portrayal of the natural world and man's often cruel interventions within it.
- Actors:
- Peter Bennett, Edward Underdown, Brenda Cavendish, John Leeson, Reg Lye, George Waring, Stanley Lebor, Max Faulkner, Spade, Osla, Boatman, Peter Ustinov
- Directors:
- David Cobham
- Producers:
- David Cobham
- Voiced By:
- Peter Ustinov
- Narrated By:
- Peter Ustinov
- Writers:
- Gerald Durrell, David Cobham, Henry Williamson
- Studio:
- Network
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Children & Family, Classics, Drama
- Collections:
- Children & Family, Children's Books On Screen: Family Classics & YA
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 12/02/2018
- Run Time:
- 92 minutes
- Languages:
- English Dolby Digital 1.0 Mono
- Subtitles:
- English
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 1.66:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Original Theatrical Trailer
- Clapperboard
- Archive Interview
- Image Gallery
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Reviews (1) of Tarka the Otter
Tales from the Riverbank - Tarka the Otter review by Steve
Anti-bloodsports docudrama adapted from Henry Williamson's 1927 novel. It's set in this period, before otters had the legal protection which saved them from extinction. It takes place over a year in the birth and short life of Tarka within his habitat on the rivers of North Devon.
Nature lives in a kind of balance, except for the human hunters who kill for recreation. They are portrayed as ignorant lickspittles or complacent aristocrats. But this is more about the wildlife. Anyone of a certain age will notice how influential this was on kids' tv. And is usually rated a family film.
Except the body count is off the chart... it's just that none of the victims are human. We observe at length the otters as predators. While all the animals are heavily anthropomorphised, this is still realistic; red in tooth and claw. This is not Disney.
The gorgeously photographed scenes from the riverbank are set to Peter Ustinov's avuncular, poetic narration. Apparently Williamson was not opposed to bloodsports, but this film clearly is. And there is a palpable sense of wonder for the otters and their precarious lives.
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