Technical data
- Title: ENEMY MINE
- Spanish title: Enemigo mío
- Year: 1985
- Production: 20th Century Fox.
- Country: USA.
- Direction: Wolfgang Petersen.
- Cast: Dennis Quaid, Louis Gossett Jr., Brion James, Richard Marcus.
Description and synopsis
Two decades after One Million Years B.C., another great Anglo-Saxon adventure production came to Lanzarote to shoot abundant footage on the island, especially in the lavas of Timanfaya, which even appear snowy in this film thanks to the special effects. The star of the film was a young Dennis Quaid, a famed actor who would go on to establish himself in Hollywood in the following decades.
The film’s title alludes to its plot: at the end of the 21st century, humans and Dracs (hybrids of humans and reptiles) are engaged in an interstellar war, when in the middle of a battle, a pilot (Dennis Quaid) and a Drac are stranded on an unknown planet after crashing their ships during a chase. In order to survive in the inhospitable territory, set in the volcanic landscapes of Lanzarote, the opponents must overcome their initial mutual hatred, an obstacle they not only manage to achieve, but in the end their relationship develops into an endearing friendship between these natural enemies.
The film was directed by Wolfgang Petersen, who had just achieved international success with Das Boot. Since the making of Enemy Mine, this German-born filmmaker has become one of the most sought-after directors for major Hollywood productions(In the Line of Fire, The Perfect Storm, Troy, etc.), working with almost all the great American actors of recent decades: Clint Eastwood, Harrison Ford, Brad Pritt, Dustin Hoffman, George Clooney, John Malkovich, Morgan Freeman and others.
The film did not gross much and did not have the expected impact, but nevertheless, over the years it has become a much-loved, almost cult title for science fiction fans. The soundtrack was composed by the great Maurice Jarre, the famous French composer who won, among other awards, three Oscars for such well-known works as Lawrence of Arabia, Passage to India and Doctor Zhivago, as well as five other nominations.
