Kim

"Kim", based on a story by Rudyard Kipling and filmed on location in India in 1950, is a fascinating movie. It is the type of movie that you can watch over and over again and still be entertained. Essentially an adventure movie, it also has moments of drama, amusement, devotion, suspense, intrigue and action and you are totally absorbed in young Kim's wonderous world. It is a colorful display of life in India at the turn of last century when England ruled this vast empire. The story deals with the continuing infiltration into India of the Soviet Union and its satellites through the Kyber Pass in their attempt to dominate the northern provinces of India. Mahbub Ali "Red Beard" (Errol Flynn) works for the British Secret Service who are attempting to foil the plot. He enlists the aid of his young friend Kim (Dean Stockwell) who is an orphaned white boy and a product of the back streets and alleyways. Kim is used as a courier and a spy. He is also a devoted disciple of a Buddhist priest (Paul Lucas) and he helps him in his quest to find a sacred river. The priest returns the favour and for his friendship and devotion pays for the boy's education at a military school. The leader of the Secret Service is Colonel Creighton (Robert Douglas) and other members are Hurree Chunder (Cecil Kelloway) and Lurgan Sahib (Arnold Moss). One of my favourite segments of the movie is when young Kim is placed in the care of Lurgan Sahib who teaches Kim the art of observation and remembering what he has seen down to the last detail - to-day commonly called "Kim's Game". The entire cast is outstanding and in particular Errol Flynn, Dean Stockwell and Paul Lucas. Great entertainment.

The movie is based on a book by Kipling, and situated in India during the colonial era, so expect the good guys to be British, India to be loved and surprisingly, the Russians to be the bad guys. The tale is about Kim, a young British orphan born in India who escapes going to the British schools by pretending to be a young Indian. His knowledge of local languages and customs makes him a good candidate to become a spy for the British. Many aspects of the movie make of it a great find. First, it was filmed in India in 1949-14950, shortly after Indian Independence and not in studio like most Technicolor movies of the day. There are remarkable views of India before the great move towards modernity. You would need today a lot of special effects to do the movie, while 60 years ago, plain photography was good enough. Only a few scenes were shot in California. The actors are beautiful to watch, from a very young Dean Stockwell as Kim to Errol Flynn, flamboyant as a red-beard horse merchant with a taste for women, and Academy-award winner Paul Lukas playing a lama who becomes a companion to Kim. Many children become spies in war times, like Audrey Hepburn in world war 2. R.V. Jones says in his memoirs that many children were pretending to play on the roads while counting the number of tanks and troops in Holland and Belgium. But this story of a young spy has exotic charm as a plus and it does not have the rigid morality rules of the early Disney movies. For instance Flynn (as Mahbub Ali, the Red Beard) kisses a woman who turns out to be a spy for the other side and .... you got to see this film. It is as good as, say, Indiana Jones.

This DVD Movie of "Kim" portrays an immortal classic which was authored by Rudyard Kipling. The backdrop of this movie provides the viewer historic India, before the British Government relinquished rule as India became an independent country, which is in the past. More important is the acting of Errol Flynn and young Dean Stockwell which was superb and second to none. Kipling desired to draw attention to the fact boys of English military and civil service, were indeed orphaned and stranded in the commonwealth. It was essential for the British Authorities to have these waifs provided for in a Boarding School or Military School. Kipling's novel portrays a 12 year old boy, who like other youth as midshipmen on duty in the Navy, or boots on the ground in the Army, and in civil service, were very capable and reliable to their adult superiors. Adults often underestimate the character and abilities of the young to take on responsibility equivalent to a mature adult. Not only is the Movie a classic of adventure for the family to enjoy, but also a fine example for any American Boy to aspire to significance and maturity. This movie has a message for Western Civilization today, which needs to be resurrected - faith in the young who can be worthy of adulation by adult superiors.

As a huge fan of old war/adventure classics (especially those of the Errol Flynn genre), this gem was a 'must - have' for my collection. As the disc-case jacket states "A great family adventure by the author of The Jungle Book".

Un très chouette film avec Errol Flynn sur une superbe copie DVD sous titres français attention c'est un DVD zone 1.

Merveilleux film, très heureux d’avoir ce DVD avec la version française. Dommage que les éditeurs français nous privent de telles merveilles...!!!

The young boy Dean Stockwell has the leading role in this adventure movie, he is superb with also Errol Flynn who he is Kim`s protector. Together, it`s a great adventure based on Rudyard Kipling book. Great cinematography in India. I really enjoyed this movie.

Si le DVD a pris son temps pour arriver, ce qui est compréhensible car venant des USA, je n'ai pas été déçu. Si le DVD est d'occasion et le support intérieur du disque un peu abîmé, c'est néanmoins plus que conforme. Il était prévu en langue anglaise avec sous-titrage en anglais, mais la langue française de doublage est disponible. Le menu pour accéder au film est simple et clair. Pas de pub. et on trouve rapidement ce dont on a besoin. Ce film de 1950 est en couleur et n'a pas fait semble t'il l'objet d'une restauration. Détail amusant, la MGM remercie les maharadjas qui ont autorisé le tournage sur leurs terres.... Pour le reste chacun aura son avis sur ce film qui sera sans doute surtout visionné par des cinéphiles passionné de ciné-club. L'histoire se passe aux Indes et est tirée d'un roman de Rudyard Kipling. Le scénario se tient encore bien malgré les années passées et le jeu d'acteurs ne paraît pas démodé. Moins connu que les 3 lanciers du Bengale ou Gunga Din, il reste un film à voir ou à revoir.