White Fang

1991 "Where civilization ends, their journey begins."
6.7| 1h47m| PG| en
Details

Jack London's classic adventure story about the friendship developed between a Yukon gold hunter and the mixed dog-wolf he rescues from the hands of a man who mistreats him.

Director

Producted By

Walt Disney Pictures

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Reviews

Rijndri Load of rubbish!!
Claysaba Excellent, Without a doubt!!
ChanFamous I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.
Bea Swanson This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.
guil fisher White Fang is a wonderful look at the relationship between a young man (Jack) and his dog. The Jack London tale tells of this unusual friendship as only he can tell it. Set in Alaska during the gold rush at a time when men were out to make their fortune in gold mining there comes a touching story of how Jack befriends a wolf being abused and used in those ruthless dog fights. They eventually bond with each other until Jack and his partner (Alex) strike it rich. Then it is time to say goodbye to the the wolf as both men return to civilization. The scene where Jack must depart from his dog is so touching it hurts to watch.Ethan Hawke, a young actor I have always admired, plays Jack. He gives a touching performance filled with honesty and reality. His partner, played by Klaus Maria Brandauer, is wonderful as his friend. He too gives a masterful performance, simple and touching as well. James Remar (Beauty) is wonderfully evil as the man using White Fang to bait the dog fights. And of course there is White Fang, played by a dog named Red. He steals the show as they say. A truly wonderful adventure film with excellent acting, gorgeous scenery of Alaska and well written and directed from the Jack London novel. One of the best.
Robert J. Maxwell I wasn't expecting much from a "family movie" that was awarded only two stars out of four by my TV guide but it's really quite well done. The location shooting in Haynes and Skagway, Alaska, is stunning. The narrative is clear -- parallel stories of a wolfish dog and a young man that come together at the end. Fine performances by everyone concerned. The dog wrangler should get a medal. Jed, who plays the dog, White Fang, deserves an academy award, and Bart the Bear does too for best supporting character. This may be the best adaptation of a Jack London novel that's ever been done.Jack London himself was quite a character in the early 1900s. He was an oyster pirate in Oakland, traveled to Asia, lived in the artists' colony at Carmel, and made his way to Alaska during one of its periodic gold rushes. He later took to hard dope and died at an early age but before that, he produced some marvelously evocative stuff. His sketch of a ferry crossing from San Francisco to Sausalito in a heavy fog could have been described yesterday instead of 1904.That ferry crossing is the opening of "The Sea Wolf," which may show his talent at its best -- until the love interest is introduced, at which point the writing plunges into purple. His short story, "To Build a Fire," is the first short story I remember reading in high school and I was duly impressed."White Fang" is equally gripping. The movie, not the story, which I haven't read. I did manage to run across an excerpt some years ago -- the scene in which White Fang gently closes his jaws around Jack's forearm and signal mute acceptance of their bond. It's a touching moment in a story filled with touching moments."White Fang", alas, has a stereotypical villain in James Remar, a fine actor. He's the bad guy who cons an Indian out of the dog and taunts the dog constantly to keep him angry enough to win the illegal dog fights that Remar has entered him into. The Indians didn't treat dogs with any familiarity. They weren't pets. They were work animals and did what they were told. "We are their gods," says Grey Beaver. They were indifferent but not cruel.Klaus Maria Brandauer deserves applause too. He's an admirable actor whose career may have been stymied by his unprepossessing looks. His eyes are slanted at an odd angle that gives him a sort of feline expression. But he gets the job done and, as Jack the novice, Ethan Hawke pulls his weight, so to speak.Alaska is great. Four time zones. And in the summer the sun never quite sets, yet everything stops just as if night had fallen. The birds stop singing, the forest and the towns quiet down, and everything seems asleep although it's sunny enough for rainbows to form at three in the morning.Dogs are great too. They evolved from European jackals and were domesticated in Europe about 20,000 years ago. It's doubtful that they were pets. They were helpmates, as they were to Jack London's Indians, helping to trap large game animals, guarding the camp against intruders, perhaps saddled with packs, and living on scraps of food. They're social animals. They hunted in packs. That's probably why they're so much easier to "read" than cats, who were solitary predators.Anyway, a nice job.
Silviu I I remember I read the book when I was a kid and I liked it very much. Now that i've seen the film I clearly remembered some of the events from the book (like the last stand in the woods against the hungry wolfs or the dog fights in the town). The ending was definitely different in the book, although i can't remember exactly how it was.This is a pretty good film. I especially liked the nature scenes and the superb Alaskan landscapes, but also the relationship between the boy and his dog/wolf friend. It does have a few boring scenes (involving small talk between humans), but since it's not a very long movie it shouldn't be a problem.
xWhiteFang A very overlooked film. I saw it on the TV and thought.. wow.. what have I been missing out on? Based on the book by Jack London though not entirely sticking to the storyline. I think that it would have been better if the ending had been how it was in the book. I won't give anything away.. White Fang is a moving story about the lives of a boy, wishing to fulfil his father's dream and an orphaned wolf cub searching for survival. Set within times of the Yukon gold rush. Perhaps not overall suited for young children since there are some disturbing scenes. Not just for wolf/dog fans either. I think that this film should be given a chance. At times, it is tearful others make you want to hug your own dog by your side. Overall, an amazing film that SHOULD NOT be missed!!