Tarzan of the Apes

Tarzan of the Apes is a 1918 silent adventure film directed by Scott Sidney. This film marks the first-ever film adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' cult classic and much-loved story of a young boy raised in the wilderness by the Great Apes.

Elmo Lincoln is the first actor to breathe life into Tarzan's character and ascend popular culture reigns, guiding Roger Casement into literature's hall of fame. Lincoln, with his robust physique, perfect for an untamed, rich yet, complex character, manages to epitomize Tarzan's wild innocence flawlessly. The film showcases Tarzan's journey from the infancy deserted in the jungle to manhood, infusing moments of intense adventure, self-discovery, and survival instinct.

The film's narrative threads romanticism and horror, integrating Burroughs' original story with silent-film melodrama. Opening with the tragic incident of Lord and Lady Greystoke being abandoned off the West Coast of Africa after the crew of their ship revolts —Lady Greystoke gives birth to a son, only to pass away shortly after. The plot thickens as the solitary infant attracts a female ape, who adopts him as her own after her baby ape dies. The young boy then grows up believing he is one of the Great Apes, oblivious to his human lineage.

Enid Markey, as the strikingly beautiful Jane Porter, brings an exquisite charm and elegance to the film, arriving much later into the narrative. The love interest of Tarzan, Jane, is portrayed as a character of courage and affection, navigating the rugged terrains and beastly encounters following a shipwreck.

True Boardman, as the young Tarzan's unfortunate father, performs an impactful role in the limited screen time he's accorded, his character dying early in the narrative but leaving a decisive foreshadowing of fame and nobility that the audience anticipate in the young Tarzan.

The film have fair amount of action and adventure, scores high on entertainment, and provides a fresh portrayal of life and survival amongst the wilderness of African jungles. Despite the 1918 film's limitations in terms of special effects and cinematography considering modern standards, it brings a raw, realistic rendering of jungle life. The moments of Tarzan swinging among jungle vines, fighting his enemies, interacting with animals, and discovering his a kind of human affection in Jane creates a visual spectacle that offers an unparalleled taste of escapism.

Particularly innovative are the film's techniques to inject life into Tarzan's interactions with animals. They were largely shot in the wild and incorporate thrilling sequences, including rearing elephants, leaping apes, lordly lions, and slithering pythons. Even with no spoken words due to technology of the era, the film amazingly accomplishes a deep connection between the audience and the characters, testifying to the film's extraordinary storytelling mastery.

Another mentionable aspect is the fluid juxtaposition of contrasts the film attempts - between the serene subtleness of Edwardian England and the raw vigour of African jungles, between the undisputed survivalist leadership of the animal king Tarzan and the tender love interest, Jane, between confronting existential challenges and the exploration of self-identity. This distinctive blend of mood and tones intensify the movie's overall appeal.

Setting the other aspects aside, arguably one of the film's most remarkable achievements is its genuine depiction of the transformation of the young boy, raised by apes, into a love-smitten human, slowly forgetting his initial instincts and imbibing human emotions and actions – a journey of transformation that beautifully underlines the universal quest for love and acceptance.

Taking the audience through an array of undulated emotions, Tarzan of the Apes is truly an epic saga from the silent era, setting a high bar for the series of adaptations that would follow. The movie not only established Tarzan as the most popular figure in the history of American literature but also signaled the onset of cinema's love affair with the wilderness - a genre that remains relevant and admired to this day. To anyone who values classic literature and cinema, Tarzan of the Apes, is a treasure trove of raw action, romance, and immersive escapism.