SWALLOWS AND AMAZONS
UK, 1974, 92 minutes, Colour.
Virginia McKenna?, Ronald Fraser, Simon West, Sophie Neville, Zanna Hamilton.
Directed by Claude Watham.
One of the most successful of children's films in recent years was 'The Railway Children'. It took us back to the first part of the century and showed children in a real environment coping with life and creating a world for themselves. This film is like that and quite delightful too. 1929, children on a holiday in the Lake district of England, camping on an island and imagining their holiday as an adventure among pirates. This picture of childhood, healthy fantasy and adventure, learning, growing and achieving is very attractive. The children are good. Virginia McKenna? is mother; Ronald Fraser is Uncle Jim. This is an excellent family film.
1 . Was this an enjoyable film? Why? Was it a children's film? In which respects? Did the film-makers intend it for adults? Why?
2. How real were the children? Did this help audience identification with the film? How attractive were they as individuals? John and his leadership, Susan and her age and responsibility, Kitty and her toothy charm and her success, Roger and his baby aspects? The two girls who were the Amazons? How attractive were they? Were they real? How did the film communicate the reality of the children? Their relationship to adults, to their mother and to Uncle Jim? Their curiosity, their holiday adventure spirit? The way they talked and reacted? Which characteristics illustrated this best?
3. What did the film show about the power of imagination? The richness of the imagination in children? The adventure on the island, their maps, their identification of things with pirates? The Swallows versus the Amazons etc.?
4. How valuable a thing in childhood is imagination and fantasy? The spirit of adventure. How attractive was this in the children? In what did their spirit of adventure consist? Small adventures in the Lake district yet enhanced by imagination? Initiative and spirit in solving problems also? Which incidents best illustrate this spirit of adventure?
5. What atmosphere of happiness and sharing did the film show? The children amongst themselves and their good-nature? Their using of conventional methods of differing and partying? In what did their happiness consist?
6. How important was this film in showing how children must grow-up? But that they must have a real childhood? How successful was the film in showing England, 1929, and its styles? Trains and cars, costumes, shoes, the spirit of adventure? Did this enhance the film in showing an old style? Measuring modern days against this old style?
7. How well did the film show the relationship between children and adults? The attractiveness of mother, the eccentricity of Uncle Jim and his final capitulation? The adults on shore? The charcoal burners etc.? Which incidents were best filmed? Sailing? Camping on the island? Going to shore? The stealing of each others' boats? The adventure during the night? The final incidents with Uncle Jim?
8. What values did the film promote? What values of living, being children, growing-up? In this kind of film what would be made about today's children? Why?
