jc-osms As my wife termed it, a perfect rainy Saturday movie. From the "kitchen-sink" genre of British film-making, famous for their black and white photography, contemporary, usually working-class settings, characters and dialogue, this appealing film differs from celebrated contemporaries like "A Taste Of Honey", "A Kind of Loving" and "Billy Liar", amongst many others by not being about avowedly adult themes. Instead we get a modern day fairy tale with three young, God-fearing Lancashire children improbably confusing an on the run murderer, secreting himself in their barn, for Jesus Christ.That's basically it for the plot, but helped by debut director Bryan Forbes' sure touch, amusing, vernacular dialogue from the celebrated Willis & Waterhouse team, sparkling music from Malcolm Arnold and some engaging acting, particularly from the three young principals, modern day cynicism is suspended into disbelief as you follow the movie through to its conclusion.The depiction of present-day Lancashire is brought home firmly with a combination of convincing exterior and interior sets and Forbes is smart enough to ground the picture firmly in its time with pop references in the background to stars of the day like Cliff Richard and Marilyn Monroe.Young Hayley Mills, Britain's then popular child-star, demonstrates her ease in front of the camera with a wholly natural performance, full of expression. However the two youngsters playing her kid sister and brother also shine in debut roles, with the Clitheroe-type little lad getting most of the best laugh-out-loud lines; funny as they are, he delivers them like a veteran. Of the adults, the late Alan Bates, as the villain, handles an awkward part deftly, as the horde of curious kids win him over with their adoration.One can delve deeper into the themes of the movie and see in it an allegory for the loss of innocence and a lament for the passing of Christianity in workaday England. The religious symbolism is inserted with restraint, just enough to keep the story going, without doing it to death. Its layers are certainly there for the perusal of film-students but its many charms will probably set aside more serious critical examination, especially if you're caught indoors of a wet Saturday and this delight is playing on the TV schedules.

rhoda-9 What creates the terribly poignant mood of this movie is the continuing contrasts between Christian teaching and acts, right from the beginning, when the little boy asks the Salvation Army lady if she will take care of the unwanted kitten. She fobs him off with "Jesus will look after it," which of course is worse than useless because it gives the child false hope and makes him feel that loving Jesus is useless too. Couldn't she have made SOME effort to find someone to care for the kitten instead of dispensing vapid promises of universal love? When Hayley Mills asks the Sunday-school teacher what would happen if Jesus came again, the teacher keeps avoiding the question and, when Mills asks, Would they do to him what they did before? is told, they might, because there are still bad people.As the film shows, the adult world is composed of some people who are bad and many others who are thoughtless and insensitive and have no trouble with saying one thing and doing another. They tell the children to be good but are themselves mean-spirited, harsh, and cruel, and would see no conflict between the two. The Hayley Mills character is so touching because she is just reaching the age at which children stop taking things literally and start turning into adults. We want her to believe that the murderer is Jesus, even though it is a lie, because the "real" world she lives in is so soulless.Perhaps the most troubling scene is the one in which the local bully, a boy not much older or bigger than the other children, knocks one little boy down and twists his arm while all the others stand and watch. Why do none of the others interfere? Just a few of them could overcome the bully. Hayley Mills arrives, and the bully hits her. She does not fight back, or even react--one must assume because she knows none of the others would help her. These children go to Sunday school, but they just watch, as if they had no sense of right and wrong, only the law of the jungle. They have, in a sense, become adults already--the ones we read about all the time who stand and watch someone being attacked and do nothing.

Reckless Monkey A charming film about the importance of Spiritualism in a cynical jaded world. Although misguided, the children's belief in JC was heartfelt and sincere, and for an atheist, it touched my soul (assuming I have one) This was juxtaposed to sour, world-weary attitude of the adults in the film, from the greedy farmhand, who's only passion was his traps, to the aunt, embittered by the fact she's forced to help bring up her children of her brother, after his wife has passed away, and of course in a clever swipe at the religious establishment, with the vicar, who doesn't really get it.The innocence and charm of the children reminded me of the original Lord of the Flies, another 60's classic, and you can't helped but be enchanted by the young characters, as they interact, often to great comic effect.There is a moral message behind a fairly straightforward story, and you can take that to heart, and analyse it at length, alternatively you can just enjoy a lovely tale of life seen through children's eyes.

sapphire4810523 I've watched this brilliant movie a few times and never get sick of seeing it. Hayley mills is a marvellous actress which we see in this film. Alan bated is a powerful actor, and his part in this film goes to show .more films should be made like this for viewing. the ending is very sad , but there was no escape for him. Hayley's dad in the film comes across a caring considerate father , looking out for his family. the little boy and his sister contributed to the performance , there face when they thought they had found Jesus in the barn was a look of astonishment. great viewing and a brilliant performance from all the cast.