SILENT FRIENDS (DOGS TO THE RESCUE)
Canada/Romania, 1969, 84 minutes, Colour.
Melania Carje, Iona Casetti, Dorin Dron.
Directed by Paul Fritz Nemeth and Gheorghe Turcu.
Silent Friends is a collaboration between Canada and Romania. It is a children’s film, focusing on children and dogs. The main adventures concern the dogs and a baby – with a blend of serious themes as well as some comedy for the younger audiences.
1. Was this a good children’s film? What are the qualities for a good children's film? For interest, entertainment cinematic techniques?
2. The main interest in this film, its appeal?
3. The interest for children in the basic situation? The clash of good and bad characters at the start? Cruelty? Danger for children? Dogs, the baby? The journey and the quest? Comedy? How well combined were these ingredients?
4. The picture of the adults? The initial quarrelling and violence? Alex and his friend as villains? The initial accident? The contrast with Maria and her friend? The children’s identification with the children in the film?
5. The impact of the chasing of the boy and his accident? His wanting to rescue the baby?
6. How attractive were the dogs? The presentation of their skill? The filming of them as if they were human? The emotional response to the dogs? Their concern for the baby, their skill in saving her?
7. The attractiveness of the baby? The credibility of these adventures for the baby? The parallel with the duck and the humour?
8. The heroism and comedy blend for the policeman and his nagging wife? The fact that the policeman solved the problem?
9. Coment on the quality of the adventures the dogs underwent? For the baby? In the countryside? In the hospital, on the mountains, on the lake and the boat?
10. How humorous was the comedy? Why?
11. How satisfying was the resolution? The villains caught, the policeman vindicated, the baby and the boy saved, the father found to be alive?
12. How well did the film explore values for children, especially loyalty and love, survival and concern?
