Robinson Crusoé sur Mars

During an orbital exploratory mission to Mars, Commander Christopher Draper (Paul Mantee) and Colonel Dan McReady (Adam West) are forced to take evasive maneuvers to avoid a large meteor. They inadvertently put themselves in a position for Mars' gravitational pull to take over, and they're running out of fuel. Thus first Draper, then McReady eject. Draper finds himself alone, Robinson Crusoe style, and must figure out how to survive.

Director Byron Haskin and company spared no expense to make sure that all of the scientific elements of this film were accurate enough to function as a graduate level "motion picture textbook" for planetary sciences courses, and the special effects are so realistic that even Peter Jackson felt that his Lord of the Rings trilogy fell short of the technical wizardry on display here. Of course I'm joking. The truth is that while Robinson Crusoe on Mars is extremely cheesy in many respects, this is a very fun film, with a gripping, often-suspenseful story and a great sense of adventure. It rises above its flaws to merit an 8 out of 10 from me.

Actually, Robinson Crusoe on Mars is a great example of why science fiction is usually considered to belong to the genre umbrella of "fantasy" (and yes, that's even true of literary "hard science fiction"). Even though they often involve plot points based on technical aspects of the sciences--and believe it or not, this film is primarily focused on that--in their broader structures, the stories are usually fantasy tales, and reality is dispensed with as soon as either (1) it doesn't suit what the author considers to be a good story, (2) the author's scientific knowledge/research reaches its limit, or (3) the author engages in speculation (which is fundamental to the genre).

Despite scriptwriters John C. Higgins and Ib Melchior frequently engaging in (1) (and very likely (2) plus an added departure point for films--budgetary limitations), the suspense in the first half of the film is propelled by Draper's need for oxygen, water and food. These are basic concerns that many other "shipwrecked on a planet" films often bypass through some kind of deus ex machine. In Robinson Crusoe on Mars, they never stop being central to the plot. Admittedly, if every film merely dwelled on those issues, we'd quickly grow tired of it, but it works extremely well here.

Even more remarkable, for the majority of the film, Robinson Crusoe on Mars is a one-man show. Mantee must hold the audience's interest on his own for a good 70 or 80 minutes. He does so easily. He brings just the right mixture of tough-guy ingenuity and vulnerability to the part.

Of course, part of the enjoyment of watching the film at this point in time is that much of it is unintentionally funny. There are some strange editorial corrections, such as the overdubbed "15 Days" when Draper is making an accounting of his supplies. We are treated to ridiculously bad spaceship animation. There are odd floating fireballs when Draper first touches down. There isn't much effort in many shots to keep the settings looking like Mars. There is one scene with Ed Wood-style changes back and forth from night to day. And so on.

On the other hand, if we look at the film as residing more in a realm of surrealism, elements such as the floating fireballs are actually pretty cool, and much of the cinematography and settings are excellent. The exteriors were primarily shot in Death Valley National Park, and it is beautifully captivating here. Also, some of the attempts to make the exteriors look more Mars like are actually gorgeous. We get purple and blue rockscapes against smoky skies, and we often see nice nods to classic sci-fi illustrators such as Frank R. Paul (whose work often graced the covers of fiction magazines like Amazing Stories) in features such as bright red skies. Haskin also has a few moments of effective ingenuity, such as a crucial plot point appearing as video that Draper took and watched later. Plus, some of the film is intentionally funny--my favorite instance being the line, "Mr. Echo, go to hell!"

The biggest flaw in my eyes is that the ending seems a bit rushed. A lot happens in the last ten minutes or so of the film, without the suspense it could have had with a longer running time. Despite the flaws, however, this is worth a watch by serious fans of classic sci-fi, and it's interesting to note influences films like this have had on later-generation works in the same vein, such as Red Planet (2000).

Beautifully filmed in Death Valley, a low budget didn't hurt this fine movie, which was crafted with intelligence, wit, and imagination.

Paul Mantee stars as the survivor of an ill-fated voyage to Mars, and he plays his role with zest, humor, and gritty determination to survive despite the long odds against him.

Nicely adapted from the classic tale, this movie stands the test of time; despite its being released in 1964, it has a uniquely authentic look and feel, despite the dated hardware.

It's a good movie for the kids (they'll probably fall in love with Mona the monkey).

Best of all, this movie leaves you with a satisfied, thumbs-up smile when the ending credits roll, and lots of movies with bigger stars and more lavish budgets just don't do as well.

I rate it 8.5 out of 10

As we get closer to traveling to other planets, this is one story that could wind up being real. This story pretty much follows the original Robinson Crusoe story, only it takes place on another planet and not on a desert island. Paul Mantee puts in a credible performance as the astronaut who must learn how to cope without being around his fellow man. The scene that is especially interesting is when he hallucinates after getting food poisoning and seeing his dead fellow crew member. This shows the effect that isolation can have on a person and how it can drive a person mad. Luckily he did find a companion in the alien he named Friday. I recommend this film heartily.

I've got to say this movie was ahead of its time. The story is solid, and the acting first rate. Paul Mantee portrays the isolation on Mars perfectly. The back drops and special effects are superb and don't overtake the acting. I've seen it a million times, but whenever it's on AMC or Turner I have to catch some if not all of it!!

Here is a film that has endured, perhaps because the science (relatively accurate back then) does not outweigh the fiction, and the crux of the fiction is the human relationship. The script, with just a few changes, could have been made as a Western, indeed, the appearance, and many mannerisms of Vic Lundin's Friday character seems to be based on portrayals of American Indians in Westerns.

Credit has to be given first to director Byron Haskin, no stranger to Sci-Fi, having made WAR OF THE WORLDS, CONQUEST OF SPACE and FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON in the decade before RCOM was released in summer of 1964. Interestingly, for a man who spent much of his career in the special effects department at Warners, the film does not depend on effects, in fact they may be the film's weak spot. Not that they are substandard for the era, but the repetition of shots of the alien ships in flight, and of the destruction they cause (not even taken from a different angle, or reverse printed), remind one that the film was a budget conscious production. Originally conceived by noted screenwriter Ib Melchoir for a more costly production, budget cuts mandated script revisions that were done by John C. Higgins. This was a curious decision, Higgins was more at home in film noirs that were made by Anthony Mann, this was his first and only genre assignment. To his credit, and Melchior's misgivings aside, he pared down the script to essentials, and the film in general looks like a costlier production.

Much of the films success has to be owing to the splendid performance of Paul Mantee as Kip Draper, who carries of most of the first half of the film singlehandedly. Mantee was an unknown at the time of shooting, and he only had one more lead in A MAN CALLED DAGGER, but this casting worked in the film's favor. With an unknown actor, we're not in the position to associate the performer with any other role, he becomes everyman, and we become he. We share his loss of his commanding officer, his need to discover new forms of food, shelter, oxygen, and most of all, his isolation and loneliness as he begins to realize he's not likely to leave the planet. Actor Vic Lundin does well as Friday, we originally are led to believe he is mute, and the actor's eyes and expressions convey his thoughts perfectly. While it could be carped now that the film is politically incorrect, that it is an example of imperialism that Friday learn English, rather than Draper learning Friday's language, but such points of view were uncommon in 1964. Besides, that would require the audience to learn Friday's language anyway, and the script, having Friday owe his life to Draper relieves this as a form of subservience. As the film goes on, the relationship becomes one of equals, and Friday does repay the debt by saving Draper's life.

Applause should also be given for the talents of Winston Hoch, cinematographer, for depicting a credible Martian landscape. Much of the film was shot in Death Valley, where 16 years earlier, Hoch shot John Ford's THREE GODFATHERS (he also shot the luscious photography of SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON as well as some of the Irwin Allen shows and movies in the 60s), but during the whole of RCOM, we can entirely believe we're on Mars. Composer Van Cleave contributed a score that unfortunately has not made its way to a home recording, but works marvelously with the mood of the film, embellishing it, but not overpowering it.

When the film was completed, Paramount and producer Aubrey Schenk were impressed enough to announce a sequel which was to be titled "Robinson Crusoe in the Invisible Galaxy" but disappointing boxoffice results quelled that project. Mantee would go on to a career of supporting roles on many TV films and episodic shows, and Haskin would come back with the excellent film THE POWER, but this was a shining moment for both of them. As with the best of Sci-fi before it, METROPOLIS, THINGS TO COME, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, IT CAME FROM OUTER SPACE, INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS or THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN, the film is a celebration of the human spirit and a triumph of collaboration among talent.