Tarka the Otter (1979)

Film Summary
"Tarka the Otter" is a British significant film from 1979 directed by David Cobham based upon the 1927 novel of the exact same name by Henry Williamson. The film follows the life of a young otter named Tarka, focusing on his development from a pup to a fully grown otter handling the trials of nature and the dangers of male's intervention in wildlife. Peter Bennett-Jones produced the movie, and the screenplay is by Gerald Durrell.

Cast and Characters
Being an unique blend of nature and drama, this movie's main characters are animals, most especially Tarka. There are no human-speaking functions, although humans do play a significant part in this otter's life. The film does include a narration by renowned British star Sir Peter Ustinov. They got real animals from wild otters to birds, fish, and canines to carry out the movie's functions, thus boosting the representation of the natural environment in the cinematic universe.

Plot
The plotline begins with Tarka's mom giving birth to him in the Devon countryside, deep within a remote holt. Tarka the Otter is born territory, discovering he needs to protect impetuously. However, his mother supports him, teaches him the rules of surviving, and guarantees he is fluent with all the essential abilities an otter should have.

The film catches Tarka's adventurous spirit when he endeavors far from their Holt, and amidst this trip, Tarka loses his mom who is slaughtered by the Deadlock, an infamous hunting pet dog trained to eliminate otters by the vicious huntsman. Now orphaned, Tarka's life becomes a series of risks as he browses survival on his own. Amid these trials, Tarka's life is not all desolation; he still gets to delight in the flexibility of playing in the streams, discovering his vast territory, and gaining from other animals.

Tarka's life even more spirals into risk when he becomes the prime target of the huntsman and his hounds, including the ferocious Deadlock. The huntsman's fascination heightens after Tarka encounters and leaves their grip several times, making Tarka a formidable challenger in the hunt.

Cinematic Realism and Themes
The film, apart from captivating the audience with the lovable Tarka, also includes themes of survival, human-animal dispute, the circle of life, and eco-friendly conservation. Graphically shot hunting scenes intensify Tarka's constant fight for survival, which conveys a poignant message about the brutality of hunting and its effect on wildlife.

"Tarka the Otter" leans greatly on its semi-documentary design, a more extended scenic method, portraying the changing seasons and the circle of life as part of the story. The cinematography underscores the beauty of the Devon landscape and its wildlife, offering audiences a visceral sense of connection to nature and animals under risk from human activity.

Conclusion
"Tarka the Otter" is a naturalistic classic, encapsulating the bitter-sweet essence of the survival of an innocent life in consistency, yet conflict with, its environments. Tarka is a personification of the trials, adversities, joys, and griefs of wildlife torn by human intrusion. Raw, sensible, and sincere, the film serves both as an amusing journey into the life of an otter, and a gritty expose of the extreme truths dealt with by animals at the hands of people.

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