To Walk with Lions (1999)

Perfect cast and a good story

Best movie ever!

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

The story of George and Joy Adamson and the lioness, Elsa, they raised and gave back to the wild was told in Joy's book and later in the film, 'Born Free', starring Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers.'To Walk With Lions' takes up the story some years later. George still lives on Kora, surrounded by his ever-increasing brood of lions rescued from circuses and zoos and rehabilitated for survival as nature intended. Joy has left Kora, presumably for a more conventional life elsewhere in Kenya. George's brother Terence dreams of a conservation park where he can nurture and care for his beloved elephants and keep them safe from ivory poachers. And to this strange pair of men comes a new assistant, Tony, who at first cares little for the spirituality of man-animal communication but simply wants to make money.As George Adamson, Richard Harris puts in another towering performance as the stubborn man who sees the lions as blood brothers, kindred spirits who have as much right to exist and be left alone as humans do. Ian Bannen plays Terence very well; a blustering, sarcastic old man in the early part of the film and a broken spirit following the slaughter of his beloved elephants by Africans greedy to sell their tusks. Honor Blackman makes a fleeting appearance as Joy Adamson (who was murdered by her servant in Kenya). John Michie is Tony, and Kerry Fox is Lucy, a doctoral student who befriends the tribesmen but grows to understand the life of the lions.'To Walk With Lions' is a deep film with much to say on the protection of wild animals, the changing face of Africa, and the greed and intolerance of those who only seek to do good. George Adamson's murder at 83 because he refused to leave Kora to the poachers has had a lasting effect - in real life, Tony and Lucy continue to build a sanctuary for the animals in Africa, and were eventually invited back to Kora to continue the work the Adamsons started in the 1950s.This film is about the forces of nature and the passage of time. It is a quiet, understated, and effective piece of work.

All I can say about this movie is...wow! Its a fascinating retelling of the later years in George Adamson's incredible life. Richard Harris is a spitting image of the ageing Adamson and the supporting cast (particularly the late Ian Bannen) are excellent. There is nothing to fault with this film....an absolute classic! Its criminal why this film suffered a very limited release. Hopefully it will do a Shawshank Redemption and enjoy the praise it deserves, now its out on video.

This film is very true to actual happenings toward the end of George's life. He was a remarkable man and this movie is very well done indeed. It is funny, sad, heart wrenching and just a wonderful film to watch. I I know I am going to have to watch the story of Elsa If I can find it. I have read the bon free series as well as the biography of George by Gareth Patterson (who somehow was left out of this story including the 3 new cubs that George received just before his murder).The film also shows the true situation in Africa of the cruel slaughter of animals and the systematic corruption that plagues the governments.A truly inspiring movie, everyone should watch.

Director Carl Schultz has made an extraordinary film with the help of some vastly talented and brave actors who overcame their fears to work with lions in Africa."To Walk With Lions" was featured in the 1999 Toronto International Film Festival and presented by the director, some actors and producers of the film, all of whom should be very proud of a triumphant and majestic film. The landscapes are magnificent and breathtaking, and prove to be an intriguing backdrop to an even more intriguing man who became something of a legend in our time.Thirty years ago, "Born Free" told the story of the Adamsons from its inception. This film carries on their story it until its tragic end in the late eighties. It mostly concerns the wildlife preserve "Kora", run by George Adamson, played incredibly by the wonderful and distinguished Richard Harris. The troubles in Africa continue even still as the corrupt Kenyan government and poachers prevail in the slaughter of the African wildlife, threatening extinction without much concern for the consequences. The story is told through the eyes of Tony Fitzjohn, as played by John Michie. Fitzjohn continues the Adamson crusade to preserve wildlife and rehabilitate lions from captivity back into the wild even today. The film was followed by an interesting Q&A where it was revealed that the majority of scenes with lions were real, which is astonishing considering the close proximity to the actors in many of the sequences. It would come as no surprise to me if this film was nominated for Oscars. If not, it would only be a testament to the high quality of the other nominees. When your opportunity presents itself, do not pass this one up.