---
title: "Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes"
year: 1984
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/greystoke-the-legend-of-tarzan-lord-of-the-apes"
fi1m_id: "greystoke-the-legend-of-tarzan-lord-of-the-apes"
imdb_id: "tt0087365"
tmdb_id: 11002
wikidata_id: "Q780951"
fi1m_score: 65
critics_score: 52
critics_reviews: 4
published: "2026-10-04T18:46:57.379680+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-04T18:47:04.060932+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984)

Directed by Hugh Hudson · 2h 23m · MPA PG · Adventure, Drama

## Identity

Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/greystoke-the-legend-of-tarzan-lord-of-the-apes
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** greystoke-the-legend-of-tarzan-lord-of-the-apes
- **IMDb ID:** tt0087365
- **TMDB ID:** 11002
- **Wikidata ID:** Q780951
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0087365/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/11002, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q780951

**Fi1m score: 65** · Critics 52 (early) from 4 reviews

*In a sentence:* A Tarzan film with enough British manners to make us miss the jungle

> Hugh Hudson’s solemn Tarzan drama finds real feeling in Christopher Lambert’s physical performance and the jungle passages. The English section is harder work, with repeated jabs at British manners slowing an already deliberate adventure.

## Synopsis

John Clayton / Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (Christopher Lambert) is the central figure in an adventure that moves from the jungle to England. Miss Jane Porter (Andie MacDowell), The Sixth Earl of Greystoke (Ralph Richardson) and Capitaine Phillippe D’Arnot (Ian Holm) are among the people in his story. Life in the jungle and the demands of British manners provide the film’s two settings for its drama. Hugh Hudson directs this adaptation of a novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, scripted by Robert Towne and Michael Austin.

## Review

Hugh Hudson’s *Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes* is a decent, uneven adventure whose jungle passages justify more patience than its English ones. It wants us to take its central character seriously, and for a substantial stretch we do. Christopher Lambert gives it enough physical conviction to keep the solemnity from becoming an embarrassment. The difficulty comes when British manners take over and the film continues at the same deliberate pace, with less to hold our attention.

Christopher Lambert is the most interesting reason to disagree with the harsher reviews. His performance can seem stiff, but there is feeling in the physical effort, and that matters in a part which could easily become a demonstration of athletic ability. We were moved by the vulnerability he brings to the jungle passages. The sentimentality works there because he commits so completely to the physical performance that we accept the character’s feelings before questioning how insistently the film asks for ours.

John Alcott’s cinematography gives the jungle sufficient presence to sustain this unhurried approach. We have time to attend to the surroundings, which helps us believe in a life being lived there. Anne V. Coates’s editing is effective in these passages because Christopher Lambert’s performance remains the point of interest. The later slackness does not make the earlier patience a mistake, although it does expose how much that patience depends on the setting.

The move to England is where the film begins to labour. The satire of British manners has an obvious purpose, but the scenes keep pressing a point that becomes clear well before the film is finished with it. Robert Towne and Michael Austin’s screenplay does not find enough fresh difficulties within that material. At 143 minutes, the film gives us too much time to recognise the repetition, and too little reason to welcome it.

Stuart Craig’s production design helps the English section retain a sense of place, even when the dramatic pace weakens. These surroundings feel formal and constraining, though that impression soon becomes familiar. John Scott’s music is similarly committed to the film’s seriousness. Its emotional weight suits the jungle material more comfortably than the social satire, where we could use less encouragement to feel the importance of everything.

Hugh Hudson is entitled to make an adventure that spends time on discomfort and belonging. We do not need constant action, and the attempt to take the character seriously deserves credit. What we do need is a change of pace when the surroundings change. By then, the film has said much of what it has to say about how these people behave, and further attention to their manners brings diminishing returns.

This is worth considering if a solemn Tarzan drama appeals more than the promise of a brisk adventure. Christopher Lambert gives the jungle passages a tenderness that the heavier stretches do not erase. Go in prepared for the English section to test the goodwill earned elsewhere. There is no need to mistake its slow pace for a failure of concentration on your part.

*Fi1m score 65, published 4 October 2026.*

## Straight answers

**Is Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes worth watching?**

*Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes* is worth considering if a solemn Tarzan drama appeals; we score it 65 out of 100. Christopher Lambert’s physical performance brings tenderness to the jungle passages, but the move to England slows an already deliberate film, with repeated jabs at British manners testing the patience earned earlier.

**How long is Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes, and what is it rated?**

*Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes* runs 2h 23m and is rated PG by the MPA in the US. It is an adventure and drama film.

**Where can I watch Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes in the US?**

*Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes* is streaming on The Roku Channel in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How does Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes compare to Walkabout?**

*Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes* is more reassuring than [*Walkabout*](https://film.one/film/walkabout), which we recommend more strongly for its moving, disquieting treatment of cultural misunderstanding and physical survival. Both contrast wilderness with civilisation, but *Greystoke* labours over British manners, while *Walkabout* holds our attention through its young cast and desert images, even when that contrast makes the people too simple.

**Is Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes based on a true story or a book?**

*Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes* is adapted from a novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, rather than based on a true story. Knowing the book is not essential to appreciating Christopher Lambert’s physical performance or the jungle passages, though we recommend expecting a solemn, deliberately paced drama rather than a brisk adventure.

**What should I watch after Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes?**

After *Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes*, try [*Walkabout*](https://film.one/film/walkabout) (1971, Fi1m 85): Cultural misunderstanding and physical survival, with far less reassurance about either. Then [*Dersu Uzala*](https://film.one/film/dersu-uzala) (1975, Fi1m 82): Friendship across cultures, rooted in careful attention to the natural surroundings; and [*The Jungle Book*](https://film.one/film/the-jungle-book) (1967, Fi1m 80): For the jungle, the animals and a welcome relaxation of the solemnity.

### Reviews we read (4)

- **The New Yorker**, Pauline Kael (64/100, inferred): The issue listing identifies this as Pauline Kael’s review, but provides no verdict. It offers no praise or complaint to summarize. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1984/04/02)
- **Radio Times**, Sue Heal (3/5): Heal finds the film moving and deftly handled in its jungle scenes, but says it sags once the action shifts to England. She particularly praises Rick Baker’s make-up, while criticizing Christopher Lambert’s acting. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-m9wo09/greystoke-the-legend-of-tarzan-lord-of-the-apes/)
- **Empire**, Ian Nathan (15/100, inferred): Nathan finds the film ludicrous, po-faced and slow, with its attempt at realism undermining the adventure. He particularly criticizes its prolonged satire of British manners and Christopher Lambert’s performance. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/greystoke-legend-tarzan-lord-apes-review/)
- **Eye for Film**, Jennie Kermode (75/100, inferred): Kermode finds the film emotionally effective and faithful in spirit to Burroughs, despite its limited depth. She especially praises Christopher Lambert’s soulful, physically committed performance for grounding the film’s sentimentality. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/greystoke-1984-film-review-by-jennie-kermode)

## Details

- **Director:** Hugh Hudson
- **Director:** Hugh Hudson
- **Screenplay:** Michael Austin, Robert Towne
- **Novel:** Edgar Rice Burroughs
- **Cinematography:** John Alcott
- **Editor:** Anne V. Coates
- **Music:** John Scott
- **Production design:** Stuart Craig
- **Costume design:** John Mollo
- **Producer:** Stanley S. Canter, Hugh Hudson
- **Cast:** Christopher Lambert as John Clayton / Tarzan, Lord of the Apes; Andie MacDowell as Miss Jane Porter; Ralph Richardson as The Sixth Earl of Greystoke; Ian Holm as Capitaine Phillippe D'Arnot; James Fox as Lord Charles Esker; Cheryl Campbell as Lady Alice Clayton; Ian Charleson as Jeffson Brown; Nigel Davenport as Major Jack Downing
- **Runtime:** 2h 23m
- **Certificate (MPA):** PG
- **Release (the US):** 30 March 1984
- **Genres:** Adventure, Drama
- **Box office:** $46 million

## Where to watch in the US

- The Roku Channel: free, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $9.99, hd

*Checked 2026-10-04.*

Also available in: AT, BE, BG, BR, CA, CL, CZ, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, HR, IE, IN, IT, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 1985: Best Makeup and Hairstyling (nominated); Best Supporting Actor (nominated); Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *The Wild Child* (1970): A quieter study of education, belonging and the limits of civilising someone.
- *Walkabout* (1971), Fi1m 85: Cultural misunderstanding and physical survival, with far less reassurance about either. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/walkabout.md)
- *Dersu Uzala* (1975), Fi1m 82: Friendship across cultures, rooted in careful attention to the natural surroundings. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/dersu-uzala.md)
- *The Jungle Book* (1967), Fi1m 80: For the jungle, the animals and a welcome relaxation of the solemnity. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-jungle-book.md)
- *The New World* (2005): Landscapes and uneasy encounters between cultures, with room for silence.

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/greystoke-the-legend-of-tarzan-lord-of-the-apes