Bless the Beasts and Children

[Flick James]

A 1971 Stanley Kramer film, and such a little known film at that.  I looked it up on imdb and got some details.  I remembered watching the film in the early to mid 80's but the only thing I remembered about it was that at teen-aged Billy Mumy was in it playing an outcast stoner teen, along with a cast of other outcasts at a summer camp.  So I looked up Billy Mumy's filmography to get the title.  All I remember was that this was a pretty decent and unique film and was even up for some awards and I wonder how this little gem got so burried. 

It's about a group of misfit teens at a summer camp who, even though they are quite different from one another, their misfit status at camp bonds them.  They hatch some scheme to free a bunch of penned-up bison from a ranch, and there is alot of symbolism about he bison and the misfits, and alot of disjointed flashbacks about each of the kids and their problems both societally and at home.  A very interesting film in that it speaks volumes about the time it was released, the societal upheaval and disillusionment of a period in Americana when the hazy and naive idealism of the 60's was waning. 

Although I was a young boy in the early 70's, seeing that film in the 80's made me remember that time, a time that even my childlike mind recognized as dark and strange, conjuring images of things like the Manson trials, and Watergate, and Patty Hearst, and the Zodiac killer, and Dog Day Afternoon, and Vietnam veterans, young men who had returned home mere ghosts of the boys they had been only a few years before.  I need to find this film on DVD.  I'm sure if I watch it now there will be many flaws and I'm sure it's not a truly great film, but I'm sure it will retain some of what it had when I saw it as a teenager.  It is a hidden gem that, while far from perfect, was interesting in the context of when it was made, and effectively captured to some extent the feeling of that dark and desperate chapter in America and in film.

I would welcome any other comments, as well as any advice on where it find this film on DVD without too much hassle.

[The Burgomaster]

I remember wathcing this movie on TV when I was a kid in the 1970s.  I was surprised that they didn't cut out the swearing like they did for most movies when they put them on TV in those days. 

[Umaril The Unfeathered]

I remember wathcing this movie on TV when I was a kid in the 1970s.  I was surprised that they didn't cut out the swearing like they did for most movies when they put them on TV in those days. 

Same here: I saw it on some UHF channel. I remember the theme song too.  Billy Mumy was no longer Lost In Space (boo) and he was getting some heavy work as a teenager.

I remember the kids being an odd group too, the one wearing a U.S. military issue combat helmet.  I also remember crying about the buffalo too. I was around 13 or 14 when I saw it. A bit old to cry but I always loved animals and at the time I saw the movie, we lost one of our dogs, so I guess that had to do with it too.   

[Newt]

A very interesting film in that it speaks volumes about the time it was released, the societal upheaval and disillusionment of a period in Americana when the hazy and naive idealism of the 60's was waning. ...interesting in the context of when it was made, and effectively captured to some extent the feeling of that dark and desperate chapter in America and in film.

I think you have hit it right there: this one represents the state of its time.  Many films of that period do not stand up well to 'modern' eyes, but this one went that extra mile to get the emotional content and succeeded.  Even at the time it seemed a bit 'raw', as I recall, but that quality may be what gives it enduring value.

[GoHawks]

WARNING: My response is probably going to be atypical; please read other people's opinions about this film before judging it if you have not yet seen it.

I barely remember watching this movie, probably because I'm repressing any memories of it.  Back in the 80s I had to read the novel for an English class.  I found the book unenjoyable and all of the characters thoroughly unlikable.  After having read the book, we were shown the movie.  My opinion of the story did not improve.

In all fairness, I didn't really like any of the books I had to read for English class (e.g. The Turn of the Screw, The Scarlet Letter, A Farewell to Arms, The Good Earth, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, Ethan Frome etc...).  (Well, I did like Le Morte d'Arthur and Shakespeare.)

Additionally, the political statements made by this film (e.g. Kramer envisioned a statement about the "gun cult" in America and how "easy availability of weapons contributes to violence") were not ones I agreed with.

Finally, back then I was just a disagreeable jerk who didn't like 99.99% of everything.  Nowadays, of course, that's down to 99.9%.   

[The Burgomaster]

The Good Earth

Actually, I really enjoyed this book when I read it in high school.

[Flick James]

GoHawks,

That was funny.  Incidentally, I believe wholeheartedly in the right to bear arms as part of living in a free society.  I believe that living in a free society means many things, one of which is accepting that in a free society you are going to run into ideas and ideologies you don't agree with.  But the beauty of that is that everything from the best to the worst that humanity has to offer is possible, including good and bad movies.

In any case, yes, that message was there, but this film was about more than that.  I think my appreciation came more from the film's portrayal of the misfit, as I am a bit of one myself.  It is not a great film, but I thought it was pretty good for what it was, and had a more truly dark portrayal of the misfit that mainstream films seem to miss the mark on.

Anyway, I appreciated you comments and your acerbic wit.