BORN FREE

UK, 1966, 95 minutes, Colour.
Virginia Mc Kenna, Bill Travers, Geoffrey Keen, Peter Lukoye, Omar Chambati, Bill Godden, Robert Young.
Directed by James Hill.

Born Free was one of the most popular films of the 1960s. It is based on the book by Joy Adamson. She and her husband George Adamson lived in Kenya in the 1950s and 1960s. George Adamson was the game warden. He kills a charging lion in self-defence and then discovers the three cubs. The film’s issue is how to train the cubs, help them survive, make a decision as to what happens to them when they grow up – to a zoo, or sending them out into the wild.

Virginia Mc Kenna and Bill Travers, husband and wife in real life, portray the Adamsons. They also did in the sequel Living Free. (Characters from Joy Adamson’s book were also taken for a telemovie in 1996, Born Free: A New Adventure, directed by Tommy Lee Wallace.)

The location photography is excellent, the photography of the lions in captivity as well as in their natural habitat set a benchmark for the kinds of documentaries which became popular on the Discovery Channel. The film won an Oscar for its musical score by John Barry as well as for its theme song, ‘Born Free’, by Don Black and John Barry, sung by Matt Munro.

The film introduced the theme of conservation and animal protection into British cinema with other films by the production company including An Elephant Called Slowly and Tarka the Otter.

The film was directed by James Hill. He directed a number of television films and television programs and also An Elephant Called Slowly as well as Black Beauty and The Bellstone Fox in the 1970s.

1. Why did this film have such great appeal on its release and its re-releases? What does it appeal to?

2. How did the title emphasise the theme of the film? What are the implications of the title of "Born Free"?
Did the song add to this?

3. Why is there such interest in lions on the part of audiences? Does the film treat the lions as equivalent of human beings, or continually portray lions as animals and their appeal to human beings?

4. In the film itself, why were the lions interesting and appealing? the situation in which they were found? The fact that Elsa was the smallest? Joy’s liking Elsa and the audience identifying with Joy, watching Elsa grow up? Watching her become part of the family life of the Adamsons, the impact of the sequences in their home? Joy’s obvious happiness in training Elsa and liking her? Did John's n objections about how Elsa would grow larger make any impact?

5. How well did the film show Joy’s attachment to Elsa and the details of her training her? Why was this interesting?

6. How well did George collaborate in the training of Elsa? How did he incorporate her training in his work? Elsa on his expeditions? (the adventurous aspect of the film?)

7. John and the comedy of his being frightened of Elsa? Yet the importance of the sequence where he told them the truth about Elsa’s future? Was he right in warning them that Elsa couldn't live with them? forever? That it would be wrong for her, that she wouldn’t be able to fend for herself? Was this a realistic approach to the lions?

8. How important and enjoyable were the sequence where George was sick, where they went on the holiday? Elsa and George and Joy enjoying the beach holiday?

9. How much suspense was there in the film when the Adamses tried to return Elsa to being wild? Why did she find it so difficult? How hard was it for Joy to enter into this process? Yet how necessary was it?

10. How happy were you when Elsa finally went wild? That she had regained her freedom to which she was born? That she would be able to cope for herself and live?

11. On the return of the Adamsons to Africa, were you hoping that they would find Elsa again? Did you think they would? How glad were you when they found her? How glad when you realised that Elsa had survived and had
become the lioness she ought to be?

12. What values were presented in this film? In the Adamsons themselves and their work in Africa? In their relationship to the people in Africa? Their concern with the animals and the future of Africa, the family life that they led, the warmth and affection that they showed to the lion and the humanity, the sacrifice that they were willing to make that Elsa lead a proper lioness's life, that they were good human beings?

13. Comment on the visual beauty of the film, the presentation of Africa. The use of colour. Was this a good film? Why?