10,000 BC (film)

Did You Know?

• The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 17, 2008, in the United States.
• Best Buy released a 2-disc limited edition alongside the standard releases.
• DVD sales grossed $31,341,721, bringing the total film gross to $300,414,491.

Plot

In the Ural Mountains, the Yagahl tribe hunts woolly mammoths, but dwindling migrations create uncertainty. A blue-eyed girl, Evolet, arrives after an attack by "four-legged demons," and the shaman Old Mother prophesies that the demons will come for them. Evolet will be betrothed to the hunt's champion, who will lead the Yagahl to a new life. The chief hunter leaves, entrusting the White Spear to Tic'Tic, who raises young D'Leh. Years later, D'Leh accidentally kills a mammoth, winning the spear and Evolet. Horse-mounted riders attack, kidnap Evolet, and enslave the able-bodied. D'Leh, Tic'Tic, Ka'Ren, and Baku pursue them. During an attack by terror birds, Evolet is recaptured. D'Leh falls into a pit with a saber-tooth tiger, which he frees. They find a Naku village attacked by the riders; the tiger saves D'Leh, and the Naku believe he is destined to liberate them. D'Leh learns his father was a guest of the Naku before being captured.

Historical accuracy

The film contains many anachronisms and inaccuracies. Woolly mammoths and saber-toothed tigers were near extinction by 10,000 B.C., and mammoth herds were led by older females, not males. Advanced civilizations, pyramids, written language, and metal tools did not emerge until around 3,000 B.C. Early agriculture dates to about 9,400 B.C., but organized farming was not widespread. Stone monuments like Göbekli Tepe existed around 9,000 B.C., but metal tools and the sextant are misplaced by millennia.

Production

Roland Emmerich opened casting in late October 2005. Camilla Belle and Steven Strait were announced in February 2006. Emmerich cast unknown actors to avoid distraction and keep the budget low. He cited Robert E. Howard's fiction, Quest for Fire, and Fingerprints of the Gods as influences. Harald Kloser co-wrote the screenplay after contributing to The Day After Tomorrow. Columbia Pictures greenlit the project but dropped it; Warner Bros. picked it up. The script went through revisions by John Orloff, Matthew Sand, and Robert Rodat. Production began in early 2006 in South Africa and Namibia, with additional filming in New Zealand and Thailand. Emmerich wanted to shoot entirely in Africa but was barred from a helicopter scene. Eighteen months were spent on CGI research; 50% of fur was removed from models to speed rendering. Filming took 102 days, 20 days over schedule. Emmerich rejected an ancient language for emotional engagement; dialect coach Brendan Gunn created half a dozen languages, using Oshiwambo for the wise blind man.

Reception

The film was a moderate box office success, grossing $35.8 million in its opening weekend in the U.S. and Canada, ranking No. 1. By April 29, 2008, it had grossed about $268.6 million worldwide, including $94.6 million in the U.S. and Canada and $174 million in other territories. It was the first film of 2008 to surpass $200 million. CinemaScore audiences gave it a grade of C. Todd McCarthy of Variety called it conventional and mild. Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian described it as lumbering. Caroline White of The Times noted archaeological inaccuracies. Ann Hornaday of The Washington Post called it one part hero quest, one part morality tale, one part cartoon. Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune enjoyed it, comparing it to Apocalypto, Ice Age 2, and Quest for Fire. Thomas Wander won a BMI Film Music Award for his work.