The Riddle of the Sands

Tags

1970's, Adventure, Alan Badel, Jenny Agutter, Michael York, Simon MacCorkindale, Spy, The Riddle of the Sands, Thriller, Tony Maylam

Film Title

The Riddle of the Sands

Director

Tony Maylam

Starring

• Simon MacCorkindale as Arthur Davies
• Michael York as Charles Carruthers
• Jenny Agutter as Clara Dollmann
• Alan Badel as Dollmann

A ripping adventure/spy thriller, The Riddle of the Sands is delightfully old-fashioned and brimming with just the right amount of charm and excitement.

It is the very early years of the 20th Century and the adventurous Arthur Davies is on a boating holiday in the Frisian Islands. He comes into contact with a German man by the name of Dollmann, who seems very curious to know where he is going. Davies is more interested in his daughter Clara, who is sweet and wistful. Yet things take an unexpected turn for Davies when it appears that during a storm when he was trying to reach one of the islands, Dollmann tries to crash his boat into his. Wondering why this fatality nearly occurred, Davies writes to his old college friend Charles Carruthers, who works as a clerk for the Foreign Office, and asks him to join him. Carruthers himself has been bored so decides to join his friend. Initially, the cramped conditions on the boat are a bit much for the posh and privileged Carruthers to handle, but he eventually gets the hang of things. Both men become very curious about intentions of Dollmann for hiding the island, his inquisitive nature of their plans and what he could be planning himself. The smart Carruthers believes that is hiding something to do with the German fleet as he is always seen with officers. But as the duo do some more digging, what they uncover is something entirely different. They stumble onto a plot by Germany to invade Great Britain, with the help of boats that they can heavily disguise and passages in the sea that aren’t that well guarded to the east of England. Shocked by what they have unearthed both men know they must put a stop to the nefarious and dastardly plan. But can either of them foil it?

Right from the start, The Riddle of the Sands sets up a real sense of atmosphere and adventure that can’t be faulted. Director Tony Maylam keeps the pace remarkably engaging yet languid, taking in the scenery and uncovering that both Davies and Carruthers finds themselves coming across. Modern viewers may be surprised at how leisurely the film’s pace is done, and there are times when it meanders, but winning verve and old-fashioned enthusiasm make sure the movie isn’t swept away by it. I mean while The Riddle of the Sands is a thriller in one respect, it is just as much an adventure too which audiences should remember. And speaking of scenery and visuals, the hues of gold, brown and misty white compliments this adventure with danger and a lot of excitement. Whoever did the location work for this movie was a really talented person because all of the locations add something to the story and bring airs of mystery. A splendid score, filled with a repeating motif of intrigue, further compliments this treat of a movie.

The Riddle of the Sands contains a very well assembled cast. As the two dashing heroes of the narrative, Simon MacCorkindale and Michael York are brilliant. They have a natural way with one another and it is good to see them work together, even though the characters are at opposite ends of the spectrum. Davies is adventurous and eccentric, whereas Carruthers is disdainful and entitled. Both actors bring out these necessary characteristics to their roles and do it with charm and style. The duo emerge as both likable and amusing as their adventures takes them into something that never saw coming. Jenny Agutter is beautiful and innocent as the daughter of one of the men suspected of being involved in the elaborate invasion and who captures the attention of Davies. Alan Badel makes the most of his role as the mysterious Dollmann, who is heavily involved in the huge plan.

So despite some shortcomings in terms of the pace and a longer than required running time, The Riddle of the Sands is jolly good fun for everyone.

Walkabout

Tags

1970's, David Gulpilil, Drama, Jenny Agutter, Lucien John, Nicolas Roeg, Walkabout

Film Title

Walkabout

Director

Nicolas Roeg

Starring

• Jenny Agutter as Girl
• Lucien John as Brother
• David Gulpilil as Aborigine

A mesmerising and lyrical movie of many different interpretations, Walkabout is a film that will stay in your mind for a long time due to its visuals, experimental style and vast array of themes.

An unnamed teenage schoolgirl and her younger brother living in Australia. Their father one day takes them into the desert for what is supposed to be a picnic. He then goes berserk and begins shooting at his children who manage to hide behind rocks. The father then burns his car and shoots himself in the head. The girl shields her brother from the truth and takes him deeper into the outback with only a few supplies. After much travelling through the wilderness and barely surviving due to dehydration and starvation, they come across an Aborigine who is in the middle of Walkabout. According to the tradition, it is the separation from the tribe in which a young man must fend for himself to become a man. Although he doesn’t speak a word of English and the girl has no patience, her brother manages to at least get their points across through noises and various signs. The Aborigine takes them on his journey and they hope back to civilisation. As they travel further, none of them realise how much this moment will change their lives forever.

Nicolas Roeg is a master of the camera and his skills are on full display here. He creates a dazzling yet dangerous landscape that these characters must survive in and shoots it with unusual lenses and takes. Images overlap for a dreamlike effect, zooms into the natural but harsh beauty of the wilderness are heavily featured and choppy inter cutting between civilisation and primitive means of living. All of these give Walkabout a hypnotic pulse of ambiguity and elusiveness. Sparse on dialogue but heavy on awe-inspiring imagery, Walkabout holds symbolic meanings and subtext that are impossible to miss. What is most impressive is the use of juxtaposition; especially the Aborigine killing prey inter cut with a butcher slicing meat. By using these techniques, Roeg weaves a film that engages your senses but also your brain. At first glance, the movie could simply be taken as a traditional fish out of water story. But by delving deeper into Roeg’s masterful tapestry, the story is actually quite complex and leaves you with a lot of questions. Do these children, with their manners and English reserve, have what it takes to survive the harsh desert? Are we that different from our scavenging and hunting ancestors? Has civility eroded away our chance to survive in a place we are unfamiliar with? That is the beauty and power of Walkabout, there are no easy answers to it. On one hand it seems to be something of a coming of age story but also a drama about the difference in cultures because of background and upbringing. There is a definite erotic pulse to Walkabout in its examination of the girl and the Aborigine’s relationship. Although she doesn’t have the time to learn his language no he to learn hers, there is a definite spark there. The erotic frisson is further enhanced by a scene in which she swims naked as if surrendering herself to nature as the Aborigine hunts for food. An unusual but beautiful score is provided by John Barry that aids Walkabout in its exploration of culture clash, misunderstandings and failure to communicate. It could be said that the score becomes the voice for the almost silent characters as they journey on and it mixes a traditional orchestra with electronic noises.

Jenny Agutter is delightfully good as the unnamed girl, who finds that her prim and proper upbringing are useless in this place. Taking on the role of protector of her brother and the part of the grownup since their father left them to fend for themselves, Agutter’s soulful eyes give voice to her character when she doesn’t speak and shows us the hardship of these tasks and her crucial but unintentional misunderstanding of their Aborigine guide. Lucien John, who in real life is Nicolas Roeg’s son, despite having no acting experience gives the role of the brother wide-eyed wonder, childish adventure and open-mouthed awe. David Gulpilil although barely speaking a word brings joy for living, the need to survive and the tradition of his ancestors to his part and delivers exceptional work.

A haunting, unusual and multi-dimensional movie, Nicolas Roeg’s Walkabout is a hard film to forget.

The Railway Children

Tags

1970's, Bernard Cribbins, Dinah Sheridan, Gary Warren, Jenny Agutter, Lionel Jeffries, Period Drama, Sally Thomsett, The Railway Children

Film Title

The Railway Children

Director

Lionel Jeffries

Starring

• Dinah Sheridan as Mrs. Waterbury
• Jenny Agutter as Roberta “Bobbie” Waterbury
• Sally Thomsett as Phyllis Waterbury
• Gary Warren as Peter Waterbury
• Bernard Cribbins as Albert Perks

Heartwarming, nostalgic and told with quiet intelligence, The Railway Children is a classic children’s film that adults can also enjoy. Focusing on the adventures of three middle class children in Edwardian times, it is sure to bring a smile even to the most cold-hearted person.

In Edwardian times, the three Waterbury children, Roberta ( commonly referred to as Bobbie), Phyllis and Peter live an idyllic life in middle class London with their mother and father. Their lives are changed forever after their father, who works for the Foreign Office, is arrested for allegedly selling state secrets. After his arrest, their mother takes them to live in a cottage in Yorkshire that is located near a railway. Although vastly different from their middle class existence, the three children soon learn to love the place and have many exciting adventures whilst befriending many of the local people, including a kindly station porter called Perks. The siblings enjoy their days in the countryside and by watching the various trains go past on their journeys. Among these adventures are saving a train by waving petticoats to the oncoming train after a landslide, taking in a Russian man looking for his family and caring for an injured grammar schoolboy. Nostalgic and poignant in equal measure, and handsomely directed and cast, The Railway children is a pleasure to watch for any age.

Lionel Jeffries directs with a loving attention to period detail and keeps the story both filled with joy and an underlying melancholy. The music of the film is a beautiful listen, capturing the adventures of childhood and the importance of family. The scenery of the Yorkshire countryside is stunning to look at, as is the many scenes in which the children wave to passengers on the trains in the hopes of their love passing to their incarcerated father. Abounding with memorable scenes, it is hard to highlight just a few. The two that stay in my memory are the ones that highlight the closeness of family and the bonds it has. In one scene, it is Bobbie’s birthday. She enters the living room and is greeted by family friends who all give her small presents that mean more than any rich finery. Bobbie seems to glide on a wave of happiness as you see how the little things in life mean more to her. In the other scene, Bobbie is reunited with her father. He emerges through the steam of a train and the look on Bobbie’s face is just so lovely, you see the love and utter joy at this as she runs towards her father. The moment she cries “Daddy, my daddy” is one of the most beautiful and heartfelt things I’ve ever seen. If this scene doesn’t make you shed at least one tear, then you clearly have no heart.

Above all, it is the cast that makes The Railway Children such a lovely film to watch. Dinah Sheridan is a kind and soulful presence as the mother, obviously sad at the events that have transpired with her husband but focusing on the positives and caring for her children. As the eldest child Bobbie, a young Jenny Agutter is perfectly cast. She movingly encompasses her character’s love for adventure with the eventual knowledge that the responsibility of adulthood is slowly arriving. Sally Thomsett and Gary Warren are well cast as the adventurous Phyllis and Peter. In the supporting cast, Bernard Cribbins is excellent as the kindly porter who befriends the three children. The Railway Children is the kind of film that never seems to get old, it just comes back fresh as ever when you watch it and all those nostalgic memories come flooding back.

A heartfelt period drama with adventure, moving music and engaging characters, The Railway Children is a film that will never run out of steam.