But if you aren't an animal lover, this tale about a lion cub adopted by a game warden (BILL TRAVERS) and his wife (VIRGINIA McKENNA) might be too hard to digest. For anyone who has ever felt the pain of separation that comes from parting with a beloved pet, the film will win a special place in your heart.
Vistas of African scenery (filmed entirely on location) and the very effective, insinuating musical score of John Barry are added compensations for a well-acted story about the taming of a lovable lion cub, its eventual growing up into a lioness (called Elsa), and the separation that comes when Elsa must be set free to take her place among the wild animals.
The early scenes with the young cub (two other healthier cubs were sent to a zoo after the game warden had to kill the parents), are amusingly depicted and perhaps the most arresting part of the story. But the final scene is cloaked in the kind of sentimentality that has echoes of "Lassie Come Home" with Barry's score emphasizing a final reunion with Elsa before the "Born Free" theme hammers away at the emotions.
Summing up: A nature film that animal lovers will adore.
Vistas of African scenery (filmed entirely on location) and the very effective, insinuating musical score of John Barry are added compensations for a well-acted story about the taming of a lovable lion cub, its eventual growing up into a lioness (called Elsa), and the separation that comes when Elsa must be set free to take her place among the wild animals.
The early scenes with the young cub (two other healthier cubs were sent to a zoo after the game warden had to kill the parents), are amusingly depicted and perhaps the most arresting part of the story. But the final scene is cloaked in the kind of sentimentality that has echoes of "Lassie Come Home" with Barry's score emphasizing a final reunion with Elsa before the "Born Free" theme hammers away at the emotions.
Summing up: A nature film that animal lovers will adore.