daniel r
Perfectly captures the book. Some of the dialogue doesn't quite work on film, but overall a great nostalgic adaptation.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
03/31/23
Full Review
Audience Member
'Swallows and Amazons' has been one of my favourite books since Primary School and this wonderfully evocative film was one of my late wife's and my favourites; it still is one of mine. It is faithful to the original text (which is more than can be said of a lot of 'films of the book'!) with only a few minor scenes missing. The direction, by Claude Whatham, is superb and the acting brilliant: I think the children in particular are extremely natural and believable and Ronald Fraser makes an excellent 'Uncle Jim/Captain Flint'. The 40th Anniversary BlueRay/DVD set contains extras of behind-the-scenes footage with commentary by Sophie Nevill (who plays 'Titty', the heroine of the film); interviews with some of the cast; a 'Location Featurette' narrated by Christina Hardyment (an Arthur Ransome authority); a Stills Gallery and the Cinema Traiiler. The location where the story is set and where the film was shot is a breathtaking area to visit; fabulous for walking and boating. What more could anyone want?
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/07/23
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Audience Member
Great film with all the charm of the book. We watched every Christmas and hope our kids will do the same.
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
02/15/23
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Audience Member
Ignore the 'MOVIE INFO' shown here (23.08.16), this relates to the 2016 film, not the 1976 one.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/15/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Adapted from Arthur Ransome's 1930 childrens novel of the same name, and directed by Claude Whatham, (That'll Be the Day (1973) and Hoodwink (1981)), this is a sweet and innocent children's adventure, made for a meagre $250,000. It's a prime example of the kinds of children's film that simply doesn't get made anymore, as the frolics that they play in the film seem so old-fashioned now. Set during the summer of 1929, the Walker family go on holiday to the Lake District, while the mother (Virginia McKenna) stays at home, the Walker children, Susan (Suzanna Hamilton), John (Simon West), Titty (Sophie Neville) and Roger (Stephen Grendon) take a boat out into the middle of the neighbouring lake, and set up a camp on the island, they call their group the Swallows, named after the boat that took them out there. It's not long before they meet two other children, Nancy (Kit Seymour) and Peggy (Lesley Bennett), who are a lot more mischievious, teasing their Uncle Jim (Ronald Fraser), who is staying on a boat nearby, they're the Amazons. It's a very old fashioned film, cut from similar cloth to The Railway Children (1970), and it does highlight the art of children getting out and about and playing. The shoot was an absolute nightmare though, Ronald Fraser was never sober and the weather was very uncooperative, but a charming and precious film emerged from it all.
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
02/05/23
Full Review
Audience Member
Okay, who's for an adventure on the high seas? Alright then, you've got me... an adventure at the Lake District.
This film from 1974, based on the book by Arthur Ransome, follows the adventures of four children growing up in the 1920s who travel to the Lake District with their mother on hoilday and are allowed to sail to a nearby island in their boat, the Swallow, and set up camp.
The four children find their newly discovered island is also the territory of two tomboys, the Amazons.
After a brief "skirmish" and a night-time sailing race, the Swallows and the Amazons join forces to "declare war" on their foe, the "pirate" Captain Flint.
This is a charmingly old fashioned. The children are very much in the tradition of The Railway Children and The Famous Five where children speak in Received Pronunciation, have adventures and make sure they're home in time for tea.
Adults, on the main, take a back seat in this film and are split into three categories - the locals are known as "natives", Mother is known as a "stay at home" and villains and "Captain Flint", based on the evidence that he has a cannon on his boat and is grumpy for the majority of the film are known as "pirates".
The acting by the children is solid, given the requirement of the script to basically be the stereotypes of early 20th century childrens books.
Virginia McKenna plays Mother and is very little more than that. She helps the Swallows prepare for their adventures, visits one of them who looks after the camp whilst the rest of the children engage in their night-time race and delivering a telling off and motherly advice.
Ronald Pickup has the more fun role of Captain Flint from being presented a grumpy "pirate", through a misunderstanding with both the Swallows and Amazons and, finally, as an overgrown child having a game of "war" with the children to capture his houseboat.
The script is simplistic harking back to a more innocent time. It could be seen as bland in comparison with modern children's films, and is pretty much a script by the numbers.
In addition to this, the pacing is slow going in the middle third through the night-race scenes.
What rescues this film is the cinematography which makes full use of the Lake District's locations and the enthusiasm of the actors involved.
Now, anyone up for cake and lashings of ginger pop? Spiffing!!!
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
02/17/23
Full Review
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