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Released by: Twilight Time
Released on: December 8, 2015
Directed by: James Hill (and an uncredited Tom McGowan)
Cast: Virginia McKenna, Bill Travers, Peter Lukoye, Geoffrey Keen, Omar Chambati, Bill Godden, Bryan Epsom, Robert Cheetham, Geoffrey Best, Surya Patel
Year: 1966
The Movie:
The year is 1956. Transplanted British conservationist George Adamson (Bill Travers) lives with his wife, Joy (Virginia McKenna), in Kenya's Northern Frontier District (today called the North Eastern Province). A Senior Game Warden working for the Kenyan government, George comes home from work one day with three of the cutest lion cubs in cinema history after having had to kill their parents in self-defense. Joy falls immediately in love with the smallest cub, a female she names Elsa after a fondly remembered schoolmate. The Adamsons raise the orphans to young adulthood, at which time the larger two are shipped off to a zoo in the Netherlands. Elsa remains with the Adamsons as a much-beloved pet, however, and for a while things go well. Unfortunately, her cuteness wears thin quickly among the locals when she causes an elephant stampede through their village. It's decided by higher-ups that Elsa must either be shipped off to a zoo (an option Joy strongly opposes) or released into the wild to fend for herself (which she's ill-equipped to do, having been thoroughly domesticated by her human parents).
A 1960 best-seller, Born Free was the first of three books written by Joy Adamson chronicling the real-life adventures of the Adamsons, their friends, Elsa the lioness, and Elsa's progeny. It was also the first to be adapted to film; a cinematic sequel hit theaters in 1973 with the title of the second book—Living Free—and the plot of the third one—Forever Free. There's also a 1969 documentary/sort-of sequel called The Lions Are Free, starring the real George Adamson, along with Bill Travers and a whole bunch of lions. A Born Free TV series with Gary Collins and Diana Muldaur also ran on NBC for a single season in 1974. (All of the aforementioned are available on DVD. A second series from 1998 is not readily available in any home-entertainment format.)
Whatever the merits of the various incarnations of the Adamson story (and they reportedly vary widely), the film that started it all is, to put it simply, a jewel. Yes, it veers at times into the preciousness that's part and parcel of any film about loveable animals, but you'd have to be an ogre to let that bother you much. It's also a beautiful film to look at, with the African landscape presented magnificently by cinematographer Kenneth Talbot (who turned in similarly excellent work for Hammer's Countess Dracula five years later). Husband-and-wife actors Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna are pitch-perfect as the Adamsons, radiating the easy comfort of a couple who shares not only their domestic lives but their careers as well; incidentally, the experience of making the film so moved them that they went on to co-found The Born Free Foundation, an international animal rights organization that remains active today.
Blacklisted Communist Lester Cole wrote the screenplay for Born Free, with friend Gerald L.C. Copley submitting the work under his own name. (Contemporary prints of the film do give Cole due credit.) The film was nominated for two Academy Awards and got both of them. The first was for John Barry's gorgeous score. He'd eventually take home three more statues for equally accomplished composing, one in 1968 (for The Lion in Winter), one in 1985 (for Out of Africa), and one in 1990 (for Dances with Wolves). Barry also shared that year's Best Song Oscar with lyricist Don Black; British singer Matt Monro's schmaltzy performance of the title song can be heard over the film's closing credits. The tune has since been covered by artists as diverse as Frank Sinatra, Ed ("Mingo") Ames, and Queen's Brian May. One version made the Billboard Top Ten in 1966, just as the film became an international hit. (It was a performance by pianist Roger Williams, not, understandably, the one from the film itself.)
Video/Audio/Extras:
Twilight Time has opted to place Born Free on a 50GB disc, with an MPEG-4 AVC encode in 1080p high definition utilizing a 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Once you get past the opening credits, the film looks resplendent in the format, thanks to a 4K transfer that brings out the detail of an image almost entirely confined to on-location Kenyan exteriors. Savannahs in the foreground, occasional trees and flowers in the middle ground, and snow-covered mountains in the background look gorgeous in hi-def. Colors, particularly living greens and dusty browns, appear natural and earthy. There's a strong depth of field, which is borne out by virtually every shot, and grain is organic. Artificial enhancement tools don't appear to have been used, at least not to any noticeable degree, yet there's little blow-out in the grain during dark scenes. This is a brightly lit film, so there are few instances of darkness, and what little there is suffers no crush. The only shots that don't look superlative are instances of stock footage of animals behaving badly, which tend to look a little faded and with duller color reproduction compared to the rest of the picture. But that's understandable and a small price to pay in what is otherwise a superb visual presentation.
The disc contains the film's original soundtrack in DTS-HD Master Audio Mono. This should please purists, even if the track is limited in its ability to wow. Regardless, there are no issues to mar one's enjoyment of the film, with sound that's clean and clear. Nor are there any fluctuations in sound levels that require constant remote-holding. English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired are included. On a positive note, TT has isolated the film's score on its own track in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. The company has also provided an audio commentary from film historians John Burlingame, Julie Kirgo, and Nick Redman. The three recorded the track together, with Burlingame focusing on the score and Kirgo and Redman focusing on the film and its background. A number of subjects are touched on, from conservation to animal rights, though John Barry is the focus more often than not. (Cecil the Lion and his dentist killer get a reference, too.) Perhaps the most interesting topic of discussion is the film's historicity, which lends the commentary a touch of pathos. (For this reviewer, who makes his living as a science writer and editor, this is Redman and Kirgo's best commentary.)
Extras are limited two trailers: a teaser, which runs one minute in length, and the original theatrical trailer, which runs three minutes and twenty-two seconds in length. Both understandably tout the film's connection to its literary source. Kirgo also provides her usual fascinating liner notes, which are a must read (though learning the fate of Joy and George Adamson will be disheartening to most).
Born Free is a limited edition of 3,000 copies.
The Final Word:
To quote a cliché, Born Free is fun for the whole family. It's a true story that has one purpose and one purpose only: to entertain with images of frolicking wildlife (mostly lions, but there are a few other species showcased at various points as well). The image looks terrific, the sound is fine, and there's a great commentary. In other words, there's nothing to dislike about this stellar presentation from Twilight Time.
Christopher Workman is a freelance writer, film critic, and co-author (with Troy Howarth) of the Tome of Terror horror film review series. Volume 2 of that series (covering the 1930s) is currently available from Midnight Marquee Press, Inc., with Volume 2 (covering the silent era) due out in June.
Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!
