Swallows and Amazons (1974)

Great Film overall

Great movie! If you want to be entertained and have a few good laughs, see this movie. The music is also very good,

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

Swallows and Amazons is a very pleasant film, it is nowhere near perfect, but it is very enjoyable. The film does look absolutely beautiful, with lovely views of the Lake District. What the film does lack is a narrative, it is a lovely story, based on Arthur Ransome's superior book, but personally I would have liked more narrative entwined into the story. Consequently, because the film wasn't to be that, despite some undeniably charming scenes, the film is a little shallow. What also let the film down was some of the casting. I had no problem with Virginia McKenna as the mother, she was lovely, and most of the children were very well done, especially Titty and Susan(a very young Susanna Hamilton). The two exceptions to this rule is Roger and Nancy, Roger being too gormless for my liking, and Nancy perhaps too old. Ronald Fraser as Uncle Jim was another problem. I liked his scene at the end with the children, when he plays the accordion, but on the whole he did overact, so I found it difficult to relate to his character. On a positive note, there are some really charming scenes with the children, like any scene on the water. Also the music score was lovely, and was careful not to overshadow the action. I had no problem with the script either, and on the whole the story made the film as charming as it actually is, despite its flaws, but there could have been more narrative. Overall, I really liked it, certainly not the best family film, but one worth looking out for. 7/10 Bethany Cox.

I watched this over the Easter hols and found myself surprisingly engaged in a film which had no major plot beyond two groups of siblings befriending each and just enjoying their summer. It was a nice insight into how people, in particular children, were in the early 20th century and, at times, I was almost envious of them to be living in a time without the pressure of exams, employment, the threat of nuclear war, terrorism, etc. It does leave you wondering if the price we paid for the joys of technology and advancement in general was a bit too steep.Still, I found it hard to believe a mother would just let her four children sleep on some island for nights on end; at one point the youngest of the girls, aged no more than nine, was left alone and the mother, when finally checking up on the children, didn't seem that bothered. I also thought the eldest of the Swallow boys and the two Amazon girls were a tad too old to be playing pretend games, particularly when at times they honestly seemed to believe there were pirates lurking around a river in the middle of England. And after about forty minutes, I was wanting more action than some make-believe game the children were playing of invading pirates.On the whole, it is a decent fare and an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours if there is nothing else on TV. I think it would appeal to older people in their sixties, who might easily identify their own childhoods with to children and their 'adventures', compared to younger people who want a bit more action and excitement in their films.

Although no one would accuse this film of being great art, it is a delightful, wholesome and reasonably accurate (albeit simplified) rendition of Arthur Ransome's wonderful book. It is nearly impossible these days to find any movies where the children are kind to one another, the parents are loving and the adventures are free of violence. If you love sailing, old boats, and a pleasant easygoing story, Swallows and Amazons isn't a bad choice. It is one of our family favorites.

This film is an object lesson in how to take an excellent children's book and ruin it. The child acting is dreadful, especially Titty and Roger, and the whole film is an embarrassment to watch. If you liked the book please don't watch this.