Meu Reino, Minha Vida

I agree there are many good , bad or indifferent movies but the point is surely , for movie collectors / fans is the enjoyment of the film by the individual. Brit movies never cost anything like the cost of other countries movies to make so the results of this movie are pretty fair for it's production costs. It's also a very clean movie ( language wise) and the story was by a very good writer. I read the book years before I saw the film and the film lived up to the original story concepts. For me it is a great pity that such Brit movies do not receive more attention from restorers and DVD producers. ( It's one I would certainly buy for my movie collection if it were available )

I haven't seen this film for a long time. I saw it in the cinema in the late 50's early 60's and over the years since on TV. I think it probably still stands up due to the fact that it is in colour, it's a good clean action film with no heavy violence or strong language, and it has some familiar faces in it. Sid James of course was in Hell Drivers playing a truck driver,with Stanley Baker,who was the hero but, in this one he is the baddie, as he was in Checkpoint which also starred James Robertson Justice who was in the Doctor films with Dirk Bogarde. There are probably other connections, but this and the other films are very straight forward and untaxing to watch.

Out of the blue, Bruce Campbell (Dirk Bogarde) arrives in Canada from Britain. It seems that years ago, Campbell's grandfather was involved in an oil drilling operation in Canada and reportedly stole a lot of folks' money who invested in it. But Bruce insists that his grandfather was not a crook and he's here to try to work the property to prove that there is oil. But there's a problem...they're now building a dam nearby and the property will soon be flooded...so not only do they have to contend with a lot of angry workers on the dam, but they also have to work quickly before the land is forever covered in water.

This is an amazingly 'normal' sort of role for Dirk Bogarde...and not the sort of film he was generally making in this stage of his career. Most of his films were either the lighthearted Doctor films or psychological thrillers. And, despite the change of pace, the film is worth watching. Not exactly brilliant but unique and interesting.

By the way, although the film is set in Canada, there are two interesting things. First, the film begins with the emblazened phrase 'Made at Pinewood Studios'....well, some of it was. A few scenes obviously were made in front of some cheap looking matte paintings. But many of the outdoor scenes were actually filmed in Italy...an odd substitute for Canada. Odd, but understandable as Italian studio space was dirt cheap at the time and a bit closer to the UK. Plus the Italians...well, they also have a lot of mountains.

It deals with a forthright hero called Bruce Campbell, finely interpreted by Dick Bogarde, arrives in Canada from England to take over a land from an inheritace of his recently deceased grandfather, Campbell. Bruce to be aware that a dam is being constructed and It will flood Campbell's Kingdom. Along the way he faces off the new power dam being quickly built, and the ambitious contractor of the company named Morgan: Stanley Baker, who works for Fergus and other ruthless locals. Then Bruce joins various brave men : Michael Craig, James Robertson Justice, Sidney James , and a woman : Barbara Murray, to carry out their purports. Rugged wildcatters fighting the treacherous mighty Canadian Rockies!. Towering adventure in the sky-high-Rockies!

A good adventure drama about ambition, selfishness, corruption, solidarity and fight for land. Being adapted from the novel of the same name by Hammond Innes. Well paced drama, in which filmmaker gives the flick plenty of action and urgency. Including gorgeous location is most attractive, with impressive color cinematography about mountains, being set in Calgary, Canada, but actually shot on location in Dolomites mountains, North Italy .However, the only weak point is its screenplay with silly scenes and some lines with no much sense. Once it moves into action, nevertheless, it is a different yarn altogether. Adding breathtaking images of flood, these scenes were subsequently taken for other fims as "The Castle of Fumanchu" by Jess Frank. This is a creditable UK attempt to make a nimble adventure tale in the best Hollywood tradition. Here a young Dick Bogarde plays compellingly an obstinate man who takes on various challenges, floods and disgruntled villagers. Support cast is pretty good, such as Stanley Baker as a mean, nasty contractor who steals the show , Barbara Murray, Michael Craig, Finlay Currie, James Robertson Justice, Sidney James, Miles Malleson, Maurice Kaufmann, among others.

It contains glimmer and shimmer cinematography by Ernest Steward. And thrilling and moviing musical score by Clifton Parker, conducted by usual Muir Matheson. The motion picture was well directed by Ralph Thomas in mid-budget produced by Betty Box. Thomas was a good Brit craftsman who directed in England nice films as Island rescue, Above us the waves, Doctor in house, The wind cannot read, Upstairs and downstairs, Conspiracy of hearts, The high brights sun, Nobody runs forever, Percy, Percy's progress, The love ban, Quest of love and a remake : 39 steps .Rating 6/10 acceptable and passable. Well worth seeing.

This film scores best in it's fine sense of location, which is to be applauded as the post war industry made the effort to escape from Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire.Where it falls down is the residual ambiance, among the actors, that they are still in 'Titfield Thunderbolt' country.(OK. So that was filmed in Somerset). Nice in light comedy, Bogarde never really convinced in action roles and though Baker may have convinced some (Himself maybe) that he was tough, one feels that a Broderick Crawford or Richard Boone, possibly even James Mason, (if thinly sliced) would have eaten them both on toast, .

Watch for the 'two shot' when Bogarde confronts Baker in the saloon and the bottle of 'Canada Club' whisky on the table jumps on and off its tray.