Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.5

Master of the World Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf February 15, 2022

It wasn’t exactly a blockbuster, but 1981’s “Quest for Fire” became a major hit against all odds. It offered a serious take on prehistoric adventuring, with director Jean-Jacques Annaud pushing to challenge audiences with a film that was rich with atmosphere and passed on English dialogue, laboring to immerse viewers into this world of danger and mystery. It wasn’t exact science, but it provided a few dramatic jolts, and “Quest for Fire” was a strange enough offering to encourage ticket-buyers to take a chance on a rare storytelling leap of faith. The feature made money, inspiring others to attempt to recreate such an epic viewing experience, but on a much lower budget and without the polish of a refined helmer. 1983’s “Master of the World” steps up as part of a new wave of “stone age” offerings, with the Italian production attempting to recreate the appeal of Annaud’s endeavor. Writer/director Alberto Cavallone gets a bit gruesome with his version of early man rampaging, but there’s a certain spark of insanity to the effort, which earnestly attempts to deliver event film majesty while dealing with B-movie interests.

A time long ago, tribes were formed, creating families for prehistoric communities to help with survival needs. While one clan aimed to keep to themselves, the violence of the land forced movement into the wild, with a young female showing signs of independent thought. This woman makes a critical discovery in the open world, finding a loner named Bok injured, working to heal his wounds, with the pair traveling around the area, avoiding threats from malevolent hunters and hungry animals, including the wrath of the Great Bear. Bok and his companion are soon exposed to rivals and partners, growing in power as they endure atmospheric changes and challenges to their safety.

Some brief narration bookends the “Master of the World” viewing experience, with a voice trying to establish some sense of position for the story. Apparently, the prehistoric players worship the sun, believing in the might of the Great Bear, a protective force from the heavens. And that’s it for exposition, with the rest of the movie abandoning English for grunted exchanges and body language, which only somewhat helps to understand what’s going on with these characters. Most of “Master of the World” involves the movement of people, with Kon Tribe and the Akray Tribe representing two sides of behavior and conflict in the effort, while Bok and his companion are caught in the middle, struggling to protect themselves as they make certain discoveries about the land, including the healing power of plants and berries. Bok does speak in a crude language, identifying the extent of his travels, but Cavallone mostly keeps the endeavor primal, filling the picture with guttural sounds and screaming.

The whole bear angle is a bit strange, as the sacred animal makes a few appearances in “Master of the World.” He’s in a fighting mood, tearing into the tribes with boxing fury and Chewbacca sound effects from “Star Wars” (no, really), making his “protector” status a bit confusing. The bear is one of the few live animals in the movie, as Cavallone makes extensive use of stock footage to generate a grander sense of life on Earth, frequently cutting to older shots of creatures on the move, or for one sequence, wildfire activity, which occurs after the sun displays its wrath. It's a bit goofy to mix “Wild Kingdom” with “Quest for Fire,” but the production doesn’t think twice about it, looking to bring scale to a low-budget offering, also making interesting use of locations, including time on the black sands of the Canary Islands.

Master of the World Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation is billed as "newly scanned & restored in 4K from its 35mm original camera negative." "Master of the World" is a grungy movie to begin with (using lots of aged stock footage as well), but the viewing experience is quite appealing, offering as much detail as possible with this cinematographic style. Crusty skin surfaces are appreciable, along with animal skin costuming. Fine bear fur is also distinct. Locations are dimensional, offering deep views of the surrounding areas. Colors are largely naturalistic, exploring greenery and rocky hills. Costuming provides richer browns and grays. Skintones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory. Grain is heavy but film-like. Source is in good condition.

Master of the World Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix is unusual, as there are no dialogue exchanges in "Master of the World." Outside of brief bookend narration, the only language offered here are grunts and screams. And those grunts and screams remain consistent and pronounced during the listening event, identifying the primal nature of the production. Scoring cues offer a larger synth sound, securing moods and action beats. Sound effects are simple (including that hilarious Chewbacca roar) but effective.

Master of the World Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• "Quest for Survival" (40:51, HD) is an interview with assistant director Stefano Pomilia, whose father, Nicolo Pomilia, produced "Master of the World." The son details his parent's rise in the film industry, taking on rivals with his own productions, eventually getting the urge to participate in the "stone age" subgenre after the success of "Quest for Fire." Writer/director Alberto Cavallone soon joined the creative team, offering a desire to land some "anthropological accuracy" with "Master of the World," while still staying within a tight budget. The shaping of character and development of behaviors are highlighted, along with locations to give the endeavor an open world look. Pomilia spends a sizable portion of his time here exploring the use of a live bear for animal attack sequences, and the construction of a faux bear, which never looked right. Most disturbingly, the interviewee explains what was actually inside the severed heads during the brain-eating sequence. I wouldn't recommend snacking while watching the interview.

• "200,000 Years Ago" (40:39, HD) is an interview with Alberto Cavallone biographer, Davide Pulici. The writer tracks the life and times of the filmmaker, walking through the highlights and growth of his career, entering the 1980s with "Master of the World." Cavallone's interest in "stone age" movies spawned writing work on "Ironmaster," but he found himself in charge of "Master of the World," exploring his interest in anthropology with the screenplay. Production challenges are examined, and the feature's ultimate release is tracked.

• And a Theatrical Trailer (3:34, HD) is included.

Master of the World Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Master of the World" asks a bit too much of the viewer with its run time, which isn't always filled with spellbinding screen activity. And when growled communication fails to do much for the endeavor, Cavallone turns to gore, including the absolutely revolting visual of brutes feasting on the brains of recently beheaded victims, eagerly dining on goopy innards (an interview on the disc explains what's actually being devoured, making the moments much, much worse). "Master of the World" isn't quite as fun as its sillier rival, "Ironmaster," but Cavallone's vision to revive the "Quest for Fire" atmosphere is something to see, playing the whole thing with refreshing seriousness, even during its wackier moments.