Customer Reviews
Bless the Beasts and Children (Stanley Kramer, 1971)
Stanley Kramer was one of the great unheralded filmmakers of the sixties, perhaps because while his contemporaries have been known to churn out film after film, Kramer compositions were Moses from the mountain every few years or so placed during its heyday . But the sheer number of classic films from his work, the number of films he directed it faces is impressive to say the least. PraiseBeasts and Children, is much less visible and much less announced that beach or movies like 'one, Mad, Mad, Mad World. This is a crime.
Based on Glendon Swarthout winning novel of the same name (which was assigned reading when I was in sixth grade, my how the world has changed), Bless the beasts and Children opens with a memorable opening credits: the six main characters written Others The pin is open, and start the hunters shoot and kill to save them allCotton (Barry Robins). Targeting the hunter pulls her scarf, and found her mother to pull the trigger - at which point he wakes from his nightmare. Remember, this is the opening scene of the film, we no reference point for These images yet. It 'at this stage of the game, RAW image, and brute force. And 'from the get-go, who knows what Kramer was behind the camera, while obvious, even if you are not quite a film buff his name linked with his three OscarNominations for Best Director (for Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, Judgement at Nuremberg and The Defiant Ones).
The rest of the film is between the creation of the framework in which to measure the opening scene and stories back to the six main characters balanced. While most people have sung the score (Carpenter remember the song title, was nominated for both an Oscar and a Grammy), the actors deserve much credit here. Children are excellent, every one of them. Adultsaround them all acting at least above average quality. This was an investment casting job entirely. They had to work a solid script (it's a bit 'simplified if they are in the finished book, although this is expected, with adaptations, it would also have a faithful adaptation of the book received an R-related, at least by the MPAA), and Kramer's direction and stunning photography by Michael Hugo (Bob Rafelson notorious leader is probablymost famous work), the whole package is huge.
Each film by Stanley Kramer has been forgotten is a farce. This is one of those that still the case. Deserves rediscovery. ****
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