Search - Jungle Book (1942) on DVD

It's a jungle out there kid!

The Night Falcon | 09/02/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As I review this film, I can't help but think back to when I was a boy and how this film affected me when I first viewed it. As a boy, the introduction actually bored me, but the introduction is necessary to the story if you are to understand the character of the animals that are to appear in the story and what they mean.

Who did fascinate me was Mowgli. First off seeing Sabu again as a adult, it's clear Sabu was obviously born to play this role. Physically, he is one beautiful male to watch on the silver screen; a simply lovely specimin of the male human animal. The young man's sex appeal goes without saying in other words. As a boy I was aware of his physical beauty; but equally attracked to his pureness of heart in the character he played. But beyond that, the character of Mowgli, a boy born in the wild, raised by the animals, with the ability to communicate with them, while then experiencing the contrast of the civilized human world, intrigued my mind and heart as a boy, asking the question; how it might have felt to be him, experiencing what he did, next to the world I grew up in.

While Disney's animated version of the Jungle book was more a musical, this adaptation did a great job trying to capture the real ambiance of the original story in my view. The book had an even darker ambiance to it than communicated in this film. You can read the Amazon review if you want a summary of the story. I'm simply trying to add in things in my review I think will be an addition no one else has mentioned when considering this film for purchase. I actually enjoyed it greatly both as a boy and nearly half a century later. In short, I see this as a good film for the whole family.

Allot obviously went into the making of this film. The animal scenes are just marvelous to watch and the lessons the story teaches, about the vices and virtues of human nature, are timeless.

By no means is Mowgli a simple character to be dismissed by the viewer. There are complexities going on in this character that defy description in this review and must be viewed to be appreciated.

So if you want a somber, but delightful story one evening, this is one to watch. A great job was done in restoring this old classic: Looks almost new, like the day I first saw it back in the 1960's."