Sem Medo de Viver

I enjoyed this movie, and indeed it was moving. But it was not Mark Lester's performance, good though it was, that impressed me. When one watches movies, here and there one sees a few brief moments in which an actor gives absolutely all they've got, when they just let go and some deep primeval emotion erupts from them. It doesn't happen very often. It happens with Juliet Stephenson's grief in Truly Madly Deeply. It happens with Michael Caine's fear in Sleuth, It happens with Anna Calder-Marshall's desperate passion in Wuthering Heights. In Run Wild, Run Free we see this rare phenomenon for a few moments in the acting of Fiona Fullerton when she fears that Philip will be lost in the bog. Her frantic, desperate attempts to control a child for whom she feels responsibility but who is totally beyond her control are to me absolutely unforgettable. This moment alone makes the movie worth watching.

I saw "Run Wild, Run Free" only once -- when I was 11 or 12 years old (now 49) and have never forgotten the moving effect it had on me. It was the second movie I had ever seen that brought me to tears -- the first was "Bambi." However, it remains indelible in my mind.

In doing Internet research today, I just discovered that he mute boy (Phillip) in the movie was supposedly autistic (something of I had no knowledge back then). Interestingly however, I ended up participating as a para-professional behavior therapist in the UCLA "Young Autism" program run then by Ivar Lovaas, Ph.D. when I was an undergrad there.

Having recently joined Netflix, I was hoping to be able to rent it and view it again, but to my dismay, it's not considered a classic so not generally available on rental.

I am hoping that someday this movie will be available for rental or purchase on DVD.

Regards,

Cassandra2

Mark Lester hasn't spoken a word in years. He and his parents, Gordon Jackson and Sylvia Syms, live by the moors in Devon. Retired Colonel John Mills take an interest in the boy and the moor pony he wanders about with.

Since his starring role in OLIVER!, Lester was the great child actor of the British cinema, a position he would hold through the middle of the following decade. This movie tries to be a bit mystical, but is so obvious about its symbols that it is a bit off-putting. Nonetheless, it held my interest, mostly because of the beautiful cinematography of the foggy moors (thanks to cinematographer Wilkie Cooper), the subplot about the kestrel Mills, Lester, and young Fiona Fullerton are training, and Mills' performance.

The adults in the cast are a sterling lot, and include Bernard Miles in his last screen performance, sporting a stage West Country accent.

My only comment is that when I was a young girl I must have seen this movie three times. I have never done that for any other movie. It was one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen in story line and cinematography. I am very, very disapointed that I will never be able to ever see this movie again, because I can not find it on video anywhere. If any one has information on where I can see it again please let me know. Thank you.

RUN WILD, RUN FREE is a clear entry in the 'love of nature' sub-genre of movies that came out during the late '60s; titles include BORN FREE and RING OF BRIGHT WATER. This one's heavily indebted to the latter as well as KES, telling of a young autistic boy growing up on Dartmoor who finds himself unable to communicate with the human race. Instead, he finds a love of animals and nature which gradually brings him out of his shell.

This was made shortly after the success of OLIVER! and saw Mark Lester's fame riding high. He's certainly a good choice for the role of the protagonist, but John Mills is even better in support, essaying the role of the kindly benefactor with skill and ease. Gordon Jackson and Sylvia Sims play Lester's exasperated parents and the former is particularly effective. Watch out for future Bond girl Fiona Fullerton as a kid, playing a girl who befriends Lester.

Inevitably, it's the creatures who end up being the most enjoyable characters in these productions, and the pony and the kestrel are undoubtedly the best things in the movie, lovable both of them. There aren't too many films set on Dartmoor and the cinematography brings out the best of the rugged locales, which I loved. There are the usual highs and lows, peaks of happiness and moments of tragedy, alongside one of the most gruelling climaxes I've seen in a film. It's well worth a watch if you're a fan of the genre.