Unraveling the Neanderthal Mystery: A Mind-Blowing Take on a 10-Year-Old Movie

Summary

Neanderthal expert praises The Croods for its poetry, interesting drawings, and universal message despite its lack of accuracy.

The film depicts a Western family dynamic that does not accurately represent the Paleolithic era or modern society. Nevertheless, the animated feature captures the enduring societal resistance to innovation and alteration, which remains applicable in contemporary times, thereby making it a compelling watch despite its historical inaccuracies.

Neanderthal expert Ludovic Slimak praises The Croods for its portrayal of early humans, despite acknowledging that it is not completely accurate. The film, released in 2013, depicts a cavemen family's journey through unfamiliar territory after their cave is destroyed. The animated movie received a nomination for Best Animated Feature at the Academy Awards and has since inspired a 2020 sequel called The Croods: A New Age, as well as the Netflix series Dawn of the Croods and the Hulu series The Croods: Family Tree.

In a video interview with Penguin Books UK, paleoanthropologist Ludovic Slimak offers his positive assessment of The Croods. While he highlights some important points of divergence, Slimak suggests that the essence of The Croods' story can be captured without delving into the distant past.

The animated feature set in the Paleolithic era draws inspiration from the traditional concept of a "Western home" to explore family issues. Slimak, while acknowledging the film's "universal message," gives it a rating of 7 out of 10, but deems its accuracy to be only a 2 out of 10. See Slimak's complete breakdown below:

"The film is aesthetically pleasing with its poetic text and intriguing illustrations. However, it portrays a Western family dynamic, consisting of parents, grandparents, and children. In reality, family structures have evolved beyond this conventional model, both in Europe and parts of America. Moreover, there are numerous alternative solutions to forming families, such as shared genetic relationships and unconventional parental roles. Nevertheless, the film presents a focused narrative of a small family unit residing in caves, reminiscent of a Western-style home. This projection provides an interesting perspective."

Wow! We just witnessed a colossal mosquito resembling an airplane. It's important to understand that in this specific time period, the Paleolithic era, let's assume it's around 30,000 years ago. The animals existing during this period are somewhat similar to the ones we know today. However, there are also mammals belonging to the Elephantidae family, such as elephants. Therefore, the fauna in Europe, for instance, would resemble that of Africa but with adaptations for colder climates due to the higher latitudes. It would consist of familiar creatures surrounding us.

The world she inhabits is undoubtedly our own. In fact, one doesn't even need to delve into the past. Just by exploring horizontally across different continents, one would encounter significant differences. For instance, the lifestyles of children living within a community where everyone shares the responsibility of education, rather than solely relying on paternal authority, is just one aspect of this diversity. Even daddy can be a positive influence, contrary to the notion of him always imposing restrictions.

It's fascinating to think that the same problem faced by families during the Paleolithic era still exists today. *Laughs* Who knows, maybe this family is actually talking about my own family and children.

The prehistoric and Paleolithic families were resistant to novelty as it was perceived as a potential danger. This society, like our own, required adherence to certain rules and norms in order to function socially. Any deviation from these established ways was met with resistance. It's uncommon for any society to truly embrace differences. These rules served as the basis for societal reproduction and continuity of life. It's a thought-provoking concept, one that holds some truth.

The Croods Makes No Effort Towards Accuracy (But Is That A Problem?)

Considering accuracy alone, I would rate it a 2. However, if we broaden our perspective and consider the overarching message it conveys; the harmony between conventional values and modernity, it is rather commendable. In this regard, I would grant it a score of 7.

Despite its factual shortcomings, Slimak is surprisingly generous in his assessment of The Croods. It may not have received the highest score amongst the films analyzed in the video (that distinction was bestowed upon Kubrick's masterpiece 2001: A Space Odyssey), but Slimak had numerous positive endorsements for the movie. He found it "very interesting" and believed it contained an element of truth. However, the expert concedes that there is only one aspect in the clips that is accurate, namely that the "paleolithic family is against novelty."

While the intention of making The Croods a family-centric animated feature is evident, the film lacks a clear indication of the geological timescale or specific geography of the period. By placing the Crood family in an ambiguous prehistoric past, The Croods simplifies the diversity of the caveman era into a singular representation. This animated feature subtly suggests a timeless quality to the nuclear family structure, which contradicts the reality explained by the paleoanthropologist, stating that this structure does not exist in modern times.

It is understandable that most viewers do not watch The Croods with the intention of examining the scientific or anthropological accuracy of its portrayal of Neanderthals. However, the expert's analysis highlights the nuanced messages that animated films can convey through seemingly simple concepts. Although The Croods depicts a caveman family, it should not be seen as a universally applicable representation of contemporary family structures.

Source: Penguin Books UK