AllMovie

"Mawas" is the name bestowed upon the East Indian orangutan by the local natives. And there are orangutans aplenty in this exotically photographed documentary, which utilized the talents of three top cameramen. The "stars" of the film are a Mawas family -- father, mother, and son -- who are sorely annoyed when the son is captured by native bush beaters (who've previously engaged in a leopard and tiger hunt). The papa orangutan kills one of the natives, presumably as retaliation; this scene is highly suspect on an authenticity level, with the "victim" occasionally flinching as the huge monkey knocks him about. The fragmentary plotline of Mawas is framed in a flashback, as a Great White Hunter describes his experiences in India to his companions.