L'appel de la forêt

Good dramatization of the old London novel. After a falling out with his timber magnate father, a young man heads for Alaska ostensibly looking for gold. Along the way he befriends a mistreated dog and is befriended by a mistrustful indian. After many adventures the pair lay claim to an abandoned gold mine and this is where the young man finally realizes the underlying reasons for his journey to the far north. Much of this film is corny and unrealistic, however, it is still an entertaining hour and a half. The Canadian landscape is lush and beautiful.

So, I would've never bothered to watch this film if I hadn't just read the young readers version of the novel to my son. This being said, even with the changes, I actually really enjoyed this made for tv version of the novel. There's a lot to be said for this pre-CGI film like the more recent version. Since I'd never read the book before now nor seen any version of the film, I actually enjoy both. This film may flesh out the human characters more than the novel did but it still makes it a film about Buck's journey. I liked the simplicity of this version as it seemed more real unlike most films nowadays.

As a septuagenarian, I have many years of viewing made for TV movies with my children and my grandchildren. I have come to expect simple story lines with characters that are not too complex and strong doses of sentimentality ... and this movie does not disappoint. My family enjoyed it though young children might find some of the brutality disturbing.

Some will be critical that the movie does not reach the heights of the classic Jack London novel but that would be to judge it on criteria that the movie does not pretend to achieve. Having seen the Clark Gable, Charlton Heston and Harrison Ford versions, this is the one I would choose to show my family. The story of a young man discovering himself and finding his way in the world as he develops his own values, still has a lot to say to young people on the verge of adulthood.

The best thing about this screening of Jack London's famous novel, maybe his best, is the music by Lee Holdridge, which is overwhelmingly beautiful all the way and the best illustration of London's novel. Still it falls in the shadow, like the entire film, of Ken Annakin's still more beautiful adaptation with the heart-rending music of Carlo Rustichelli. Charlton Heston in that version is also better than Ricky Schroder, a young brat, while Jack London never states his age but rather gives an impression of him of experienced maturity. Here John Thornton is only 22, and he has to learn everything the hard way from the beginning. You can't make a bad picture out of this story, while Michael Toshiyoki Uno embroiders it with abundant details of imagination of his own, above all with the splendid Indian character Charley. Thus you also get acquainted with John Thornton's sinister father, and of course the director couldn't resist adding a subplot with a villain. We have still to watch the version with Harrison Ford, but like this one it is difficult to imagine it could be better than Ken Annakin's version made under difficult conditions in Norway. This was at least made on location.

When I saw the "Alan Smithee" credit for director, I knew I was in for a hard ride into the Yukon. London's classic novel is butchered mercilessly, and Rick Schroeder's voice over narration is often unintentionally hilarious. I had to wonder if the screenplay was the project of a round robin high school drama club; just absolutely turgid, predictable clichés at every turn.

The sets, which are supposed to be based on turn of the 20th century decor, are often way off, especially in one of the opening scenes at a mansion. I guess they figured conservative Christians would be watching and wouldn't notice such things (see other review from OK).

I'm only giving it two stars for the workmanlike, but sometimes nominally effective cinematography. This movie shouldn't happen to a dog.