Customer Reviews

Born Free

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought a couple VHS copies of "Born Free" for myself and for my nephews last Christmas, thinking "that would be a nice, clean movie for kids to have", and I was not disappointed. You are instantly struck by the innocence of this movie. As another reviewer on this page wrote, I too cried more watching it as an adult and my husband and I remarked that we were really moved by it. Joy Adamson (played by Virginia McKenna) making her tearful speech about Elsa's right to be free struck us to the heart, that scene alone is enough to make this movie a classic.

Since seeing it again I have bought more as gifts for kids and for people who have grandkids. It is the favorite of our 17 month old, we always watch with him and skip the two very brief shooting scenes and the scene where Elsa kills the warthog, mind you these scenes are not graphic at all and they are very brief but he still put two and two together and cried. He was also upset by the cubs knocking over stuff and spilling the milk at first, but he quickly came to understand that that was okay. He loves this movie so much and begs all the time to see it. After seeing it the first time, we found him with his stuffed toys gathered around him "feeding" them from his bottle, like Joy and the lion cubs.

Due to the movie being made in the 60's, there is the one pitfall of the movie, the fact that the white characters have black African servants. The main black character is loved by all viewers of the movie, but still, the black employees are clearly in servitude and this jumps out at you; this element obviously has to be explained to kids but the movie is true to its time in history and of value to children despite this, and perhaps also because of this historical lesson.

Kids of all ages that we've seen watching this, (who have been raised on today's kids' movies that are so full of aggression, violence, sarcasm, etc,) were not at all bored by this innocent movie but instead were instantly captivated by it. All ages of viewers are so uplifted when Elsa gets to be free and be with her own kind. This movie is so uplifting, it's about freedom, the dignity of living creatures, compassion, responsibility, love, and hope. Beautiful scenery and animal footage, plus plenty of lighter moments and laughs. Adults get a little chuckle out of the very polite script, straight from the 1960's, though it is like a breath of fresh air, and of course there's the wonderful theme song which you will find yourself singing in the car and shower. Get out the popcorn and snuggle the whole family on the couch to watch this one.

I've probably seen this movie somewhere between 15 to 20 times since I was a kid. (I also read the book many moons ago.) It never ceases to entertain and is guaranteed to bring tears to your eyes by the time the song "Born Free" resounds at the end. Born Free is the wonderful true story of the raising of Elsa, the lioness, by Joy and George Adamson (sorry to correct another reviewer, but Virgina McKenna was the actress who played Joy Adamson, so it's not the story of Elsa and the McKenna's). The story is heart warming, can be seen by the whole family, & will make you want to book a trip to Kenya when it's all said and done. No question, this is one of my favorites of all time!

The scenery is wonderful, and the music is outstanding. The acting is a bit stilted, but you soon forget that and start enjoying the playful quality of the film. The lion footage is wonderful, and brings a tear to the eye!

As this timeless classic opens, George Adamson (Bill Travers), a game warden in Kenya, brings three orphan lion cubs home to be cared for by his wife, Joy (Virginia McKenna). Raised as pets, two of them are eventually sent away to zoos, but the third, Elsa, was especially loved and they decided to keep her. Of course, that soon became impossible, so they set about rehabilitating her back into the wild knowing she might not survive, but feeling she must have the chance to live free.

In the 1950s, no one had ever reintroduced an animal to the wild, and the Adamses were the first animal lovers to do so. Travers and McKenna are wonderful as the couple and went on to become animal activists after the filming of the movie. Geoffrey Keene (the 'Minister of Defence' in six James Bond movies) gives able support as George's boss. The Kenyan landscape photography is simply breathtaking and the lions, at various stages of development, are adorable.

John Barry won Academy Awards for both his score and song, which are truly iconic and guaranteed to have you reaching for the tissues. This beautiful, inspiring, and unforgettable movie is a must-see for animal lovers.

This is one of my favorite movies. I first saw it as a child, and recently ordered the DVD version of the movie from Amazon.com. The movie brought back alot of memories, and I believe it has lost little impact from the time it was originally released in the mid-1960s. The story is a great one, the scsnerey in the movie is beautiful, and the acting is very good. The performance of the lioness in the film is spectacular.

What I find particularly pleasing, in comparison with the movies of today, is the absence of human-on-human violence, sex, car chases, explosions, special effects, etc. This movie stands alone on its own merit - the power of the storyline and the heartwarming, though sad, story of the lioness named Elsa. People of all ages and backgrounds who have a great appreciation for nature and life will definitely enjoy this movie.

"Born Free" is a true story about the adoption of a wild lion cub by a game warden in Kenya and his wife who are eventually confronted with two choises, either carrying out the tedious task of introducing the cub back to the wild in three months, or sacrificing her freedom by giving her to a zoo. The two people go through everything that is inevitable when you have a large cat for a pet. The film has its share of emotional moments like when the Adamsons get the cubs to lap up milk for the first time, and the time when the adolescent Elsa is isolated for a few days and is found wounded and unstable. But they are well balanced out with the amusing situations like Elsa riding on the hood of the truck and her bringing a two year-old elephant calf to the camp etc.

The film is so polished and of high quality that unless one is aware that it was made in '66, he/she will undoubtedly be lead to think that it was made in at least 1980. I was really surprised. I will add however, that I watched the film on TV yesterday for the first time and that is what my review is based on. Anyway I doubt the VHS is any different. So clever is the film in getting its points and objectives across that even people who aren't into wildlife movies will enjoy this, as I observed while I was watching. You have to admit, you don't often see a lioness swimming in the ocean and playing "foot" ball, do you? Also, the film runs for around 1 hour & 40 minutes. Long enough for you? I strongly recommend this film to anyone.

I saw this movie 25(?) years ago and cried as a little girl. Now that I am 38 and I watched it again from a completely different perspective, I think I cried even more. This is a movie that ALL must see!! It is the most heart-warming story ever written. I am so glad that Joy and George Adamson shared their story of Elsa with the rest of the world!!!!

I love Elsa as a child and I still love her today. I showed this film to my class for character education. It brought out the sentiments in even my trouble makers! The movie encompasses a aura of beauty and unconditional love between man and creature.

Thank God for people like Ian and Virginia McKenna and for the beauty of the African Bush and her animals which is, in this story so magnificently demonstrated. The beauty, both glorious and heartbreaking of the story of Elsa and the McKennas will stay with you forever.

I used to watch this movie all the time when I was little and love it. It has remained one of my favorite movies through out my life and always well be. It is a very powerful true story, the acting is excellent and it has a lot of emotion. It is a film that I recommend highly. A very beautiful story that will cause to fall in love with Elsa, the lioness. Definitely a film to see.