Born Free
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Movie Reviews of Born Free
Movie Review: BORN FREE IS STILL A CLASSIC
Summary: 5 Stars
Great movie for kids and it is a true story!Movie Review: Call of the Wild
Summary: 4 Stars
I was trying to remember just why I never saw this film when it first came out--or subsequently when it might have been shown on TV--when it occurred to me that it was released in 1966 when I was 13, just at the age when I was suddenly less interested in "kids' stuff" like BORN FREE and increasingly interested in HELP or A HARD DAY'S NIGHT. But deep down, I had always liked animal flicks, and maybe even then--at least in the back of my mind--figured I'd catch up with this tale of a tame lionness, whose "human companions" attempt to re-train in the ways of the wild.
Viewing the film as an adult, I can see that I probably would have liked it well enough as a youngster, and can agree with the majority of reviewers below, that it is a solid, engaging "family film," and a pleasant alternative to much of the brash, jaded and bankrupt fare offered to kids nowadays. It seems pretty wholesome by comparison.
Like many family films of the era, however, it was also relatively low budget and not all that "well made" a product. The story is a bit on the sketchy side, and you can see the filmmakers making a very deliberate effort to compress the contents of Joy Adamson's book into a 90 minute film. One example that comes to mind are the references to Joy's husband's near-fatal battle with malaria. His initial bout is never shown, only referred to in a voice over by actress Virginia McKenna, who plays Joy. Well, fair enough, I figured, it's not that essential to the story of Elsa, the lionness, and it might be disturbing to younger viewers, so leave it out. But then, a later relapse is portrayed in pretty graphic detail. It seems to come almost out of the blue, and will likely confuse younger viewers who may not have seen it coming from the brief mention in the voiceover narration.
Films aimed at children, and their families, often seem to cut corners this way. In the case of a film based on real life, as this one is, there is also the question of just how much dramatic license to take. I never read Adamson's book on which the film is based, but it seems like the movie version must have hewed fairly closely to the text. There are scenes such as the "roving lion in the night" sequence that promise some drama--and some danger--only to pretty much peter out in the end.
If that's the case, the filmmakers are actually to be commended for not taking too many liberties with the text. But better direction, overall pacing and editing can help spice up scenes like these, ones where the action is muted, because in real life, the danger really did pass, or was not as great as it seemed to begin with.
None of this is meant to suggest that the film is not worth seeing. They really DON'T make 'em like this any more. Nowadays, Elsa would have had to engage in a battle royal with the roving lion that prowls around the camp at night, and the computer graphics would be dazzling but ultimately misleading. Parents and children alike will appreciate this film's slower pace, its implicit message on the reverence and preservation of the natural world (an even more vital question today than it was then). In an era when the need to protect and preserve wildlife and its habitat is even clearer than it was 40 years ago, BORN FREE serves as a reminder that there is much work to be done--but that it's well worth the effort.
Movie Review: Still the High Watermark for Nature Films Even If It Has Aged a Bit
Summary: 4 Stars
Propelled by Matt Munro's Sinatra-esque rendition of the memorable title tune, this family-friendly nature film directed by James Hill was a must-see when it was originally released in 1966. Four decades later, the song has become a anthem-like cliché for all subsequent animal-freeing stories, and I'm actually surprised at the implied graphic nature of some of the scenes, in particular, the opening lion attack which spurs British game warden George Adamson to kill the man-eating parents of Elsa and her two sister cubs. However, the heart of the story is still his wife Joy's true-story account of raising and freeing Elsa into the wild to survive rather than suffer the fate of her siblings who are exiled to the Rotterdam Zoo. The stunning Kenya locations and carefully trained lions bring this involving story to life, but credit should also be given to Virginia McKenna's proud, touching performance as Joy.
McKenna makes us see Elsa through her eyes as she mothers the cub only to be forced to come to terms with what the animal's natural instincts should be. Bill Travers, McKenna's real-life husband, plays George, though he is there mostly to be Joy's support system. Because the film only runs a brief 95 minutes, the story can feel episodic and disjointed, giving precious little time to related plot points such as George's drug dependency from malaria and how Joy's reasoning is clouded by her focused affection for Elsa. Fleshing out these aspects could have made for a more rounded portrait of the Adamsons. As it stands, it is still a stunningly photographed adventure film documentary-like in cinematic style but leavened by its heartfelt approach. It's no wonder McKenna and Travers remained active in the conservation movement for years afterward. The 2002 DVD offers a relatively clean print, though the wear-and-tear is still evident, and trailers for the film and its 1972 sequel, Living Free.
Movie Review: a wonderful family film that stimulates the mind
Summary: 4 Stars
I saw this when it came out in 1966 or so and got it so that I could share it with my kids. It was an absolute delight to watch with them, starting from the playing of lion cubs in a house to the struggle to re-introduce Elsie into the wild. Of particular interest was the notion that the conventional wisdom about animals is wrong, that a deeper entente and understanding with them is possible if humans would only try.
Joy Adamson developed a relationship with Elsie much as a mother would treat a child. Though a dangerous animal to most observers, including her husband's boss, she loved the lion and influenced her personality development. She then figured out a way to release Elsie into the wild again, which no one had ever succeeded in doing. Finally, a year later, the couple found Elsie and "visited" with her and her cubs for an entire day, until her mate called from the distance; they would return in subsequent years to get to know the cubs. Perhaps I am reading too much into it, but it seems to me that Joy discovered other possibilities of being and communication with a wild animal, which should get us all to think beyond genetic determinism and conventional behavioral models. This is very profound as we contemplate the management of the planet in perilous times.
The beauty of our experience is that the kids and I could discuss these issues as well as enjoy the spectacle of an animal film that was fun and very funny yet moving. While I suspect that much of it is fictionalized - the couple later divorced and George Adamson died by recklessly driving at poachers trying to warn him off - the acting is wonderful as is the photography. Warmly recommended.
Movie Review: One of the all-time great animal films
Summary: 4 Stars
Along with Lassie Come Home, Born Free is probably the gold standard of animal movies in terms, and there's a lot to like in this story of Joy Adamson and her gamekeeper husband trying to return the domesticated lioness Elsa to the wild: the lion cubs are cute, the Scope wildlife photography still impressive and John Barry's score especially beautiful (the famous Matt Munro song was added to the end titles after the film was already on release. Where it shows its age is when the humans take centre-stage. At times Virginia McKenna can be a bit too head girl of the hockey school as Joy Adamson for a modern audience - while the Adamsons' real-life relationship was so tempestuous they spent much of their lives apart (Travers recalled that during filming whenever George was in the doghouse, Joy would treat him with equal condescension), their movie incarnations are so determinedly nice they make characters from Disney films of the 60s look like axe murderers. That said, McKenna and Travers are one of the few real-life married couples who make a convincing couple onscreen, bringing a comfortable familiarity to their scenes that smoothes over some of the more twee dialogue.
Its surprise success after a slow start led to director James Hill reluctantly being typecast on many of the slew of similar animal films that followed in its wake while his two stars started the Born Free foundation to release zoo animals into the wild. It also led to a very unfortunate sequel, Living Free, though none of the key players apart from Carl Foreman would return.
Not much in the way of extras - only trailers - but a good widescreen transfer.