Tales Of Beatrix Potter (1971, live action ballet feature)
Picture:
B- Sound: C+ Extras: D Film: B-
How many
times have we seen a person dressed up like a giant animal, only for them to
turn out to be killers who commit violent murders? It has become an annoying cliché, so it was
with some extra pleasantness that I watched Reginald Mills’ 1971 live-action Tales Of Beatrix Potter, which offers
Royal Ballet Dancers bringing the classic children’s stories to life.
Their
dancing and choreography by Frederick Ashton is a terrific combination,
constantly having the feel of freedom and creativity, though this had to have
been meticulously planned out to work so well.
There is no dialogue and you do not have to know any of the books to
enjoy what has been created here. Unlike
most productions aimed at “kids” and the like, this one is never stuffy and
makes the arts more accessible to children than most recent such productions we
have seen. It is not perfect, but it is
impressive for what we get. There are a
few human actors briefly, but most of this is a world of animals and is a work
that deserves rediscovery.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.66 X 1 image is framed within a 1.78 X 1 framing for
widescreen TVs and just edges into its rating.
This was shot on actual film. Despite
some softness, there is also some good picture fidelity and color, though the
film was processed by Technicolor, this does not look like a three-strip dye
transfer print. Cinematographer Austin
Dempster keeps a very pleasant, naturalistic, consistent look that is high
class all the way, keeping in the spirit of the literary origins. The sets and costumes by Christine Edzard are
also impressive. The Dolby Digital 2.0
Mono is passable, though I wish John Lanchbery’s score was stereo or
above. This is an engaging music score
that never gets boring. The only extra
is the theatrical trailer, which is sad, as some of Potter’s work could have
been offered in a DVD-ROM format.
Producers
John Brabourne and Richard Goodwin would soon after go on to revive Agatha
Christie in a series of high profile feature films (Murder On The Orient Express, The
Mirror Crack’d, Evil Under The Sun)
that still hold up well a few decades later.
They are the kind of producers we rarely see anymore who know quality
when they see it and actually know what to do with it. There are several Beatrix Potter titles out
on the market, but none can outclass this one, so its 90 minutes are highly
recommended for children of all ages.
- Nicholas Sheffo
