Real-to-Reel Tigers
by
Two Brothers, an engrossing tale of two tiger cubs who are separated while very young but find each other later, filled me with wonder and delight. I’m amazed it’s even possible to make an incredible film like this. Jean-Jacques Annaud deserves all the accolades he will surely receive for co-writing (with Alain Godard) and directing a very special movie.
According to Annaud, Two Brothers is a combination of his three greatest passions: the animal world, temples, and the European colonial period. The filmmaker claims he’s always been fascinated by tigers. “Even before I made The Bear, I had trouble deciding whether to make a film featuring bears or tigers,” he says. “Although the bears were wonderful, I always regretted that I didn’t use the splendid majesty of the tigers.”
Now, all that majesty is magnificently on display in Two Brothers, a story told primarily through the eyes of the tiger siblings. We see Kumal and Sangha as cubs batting a coconut back and forth with their paws, climbing a tree, pestering their parents, exploring the jungle and making themselves at home with their captors. When fully grown, they lead different lives -- one as a circus performer, the other as a prize gift for a prince. And, remember, Kumal and Sangha are real tigers! No animation or special effects interfere with the natural beauty of these marvelous beasts. One scene in particular completely blew me away. When Kumal shows Sangha what he’s learned in the circus, I couldn’t believe my eyes. How did Annaud manage that miracle?
Fortunately, the astute director picked Thiery Le Portier, who worked with him on The Bear, to serve as head animal trainer. “We used 30 tigers in all,” explains Le Portier, who knows the character of each of his tigers and how they will react in different situations and to other tigers. Le Portier says he anticipates the tiger’s moves and chooses the correct tiger for the shot. In directing the tigers, he uses voice, sounds and hand signals. A scary job? Le Portier admits that captive tigers are dangerous to work with. “As soon as you step away, he (the tiger) is back to being a normal tiger with all of the tiger’s ferocity.”
Human characters take a back seat in Two Brothers, but Guy Pearce (The Hard Word) as a big game hunter and author (whose actions result in the separation of Kumal and Sangha) is almost as watchable here as the film’s four-legged animals. His character changes because of his involvement with the tigers, and impressive close-ups of Pearce’s face show the growing enlightenment of the man he portrays.
Capitalizing on Annaud’s fascination with temples and the European colonial period, the movie is set in the heart of the Southeast Asia jungle during the early 20th century when the temples had just been discovered by European archeologists. Most of the filming was done in Cambodia and Thailand. Ta Prohm, one of the most beautiful temples in Angkor, offers a great backdrop for the tigers.
Two Brothers reminded me why I love movies so much. It took me to a different place and time, enchanted me with cinematic artistry, and inspired me with its emphasis on the value of courage and loyalty. All from a simple fable about two tigers. Kumal and Sangha, take a bow.
(Released by Universal Pictures and Pathé; rated “PG” for mild violence.)