Storm Boy

STORM BOY was a major cinem success in Australia and some other countries in the mid 70s and deserves to be an enduring hit anytime it is shown. Sensitive and heartfelt, this glorious film about a 12 year old boy and his Pelican sea bird reflects those Belgian - French - camargue films of the 60s but in a very Australian way. Filmed on the windswept desolate beaches of South Australia in full wild force of Summer Antactric winds and with a true young Actor, STORM BOY nowdays should be a staple of any family movie channel and dvd outlet. The Aboriginal teen in the film is David Gulpilil, one of Australia's most celebrated Actors, recently seen in Rolfe Heer's awesome film THE TRACKER.

I found this film on youtube after seeing a few clips on BBC2's 'Coast Australia'. I have just been to Australia and to the Coorong in particular, so was delighted to find the film, for all sorts of reasons.

The cinematography was very atmospheric, making the best of the scenery and the weather. The young boy - Mike or Storm Boy - a name given to him by Fingerbone, an Aboriginal man he befriends, was excellent in the part. By the way it has been wrongly stated in other reviews that this was David Gulpilil's film debut - it was not - he played the young aboriginal boy in "Walkabout" some years earlier. Gulpilil is always a fine actor.

The pelicans were a delight - I had no idea they could be trained like that and watching them and the interaction with Storm Boy was extraordinary. It might be classed as a film for children, but many adults would enjoy it - I certainly did.

i've found casually in an obscure local tv "Stormy boy" and in the same moment i went in my youthness. This is a very delicate and intriguing movie. And i've rewiewed the boys, the wear, and a tipical manner of realization movies for children of the '70. i love the photography of this movie and his simplicity. Goodbye mr. Percival 8/10 my rating

I recall this film very fondly from my late teenage years and was keen to revisit it, partly in preparation for a stage play adaptation we will be seeing shortly. I had studied the book at school and saw this film once in 1976 or 1977 in its first release.

I found it remarkably fresh and almost as captivating as back then. Greg Rowe as the young Mike (Storm Boy) and David Gulpilil as Fingerbone, the Aboriginal youth who befriends him is his lonely isolation were just as convincing. Somehow Peter Cummins's 'Hide away Tom Kingley still didn't quite ring true, despite the obvious challenges in such a reclusive role. I'm not sure the school scenes worked as well as they could have done either. But Tony Allison's national park ranger portrayal is wonderful, with the challenging handling of the same issues rangers face today.

But it does shows what telling the story truly, without trying sugar coat the darker bits can be so effective and provides lasting impressions.

The photography and locations are just brilliant, as are the pelicans. In fact, the capturing of these locations as they were in the mid 1970s is probably even more important now, given the environmental degradation the Coorong has suffered over the 40 years since then, with greatly reduced water flows into the lower Murray and probably declining water quality as well.

There are so few opportunities these days for children to feel connected to their natural surroundings. The magically natural setting for "Storm Boy" lifts the soul and heightens the emotional responses to the issues of growing up, connecting, letting go. This film is an absolute treasure chest of discovery for children and former children alike.