The Little Prince (1974)

its purpose - to discover the book. the tool - a nice film, almost charming, about a boy and a pilot and few meetings, a search and questions with not real answers. result - a film about childhood as the space/age of honesty. far to be great, it is touching. for the lovely manner to reinvent a universe who seems be alive only in book. for the performances who are not memorable but interesting for a form of rediscover of lost joy. for the portrait of individualism. and, sure, for the young lead actor. for many generations, it is just a classic. not for artistic value but for the generosity of a director to translate in images an unique book . that is all. a prince. and his selfish flower. a fox. and a pilot.

The Little Prince which released in 1974 is a rare and beautiful gem. So artfully rendered that modern audiences tend to miss it (based on IMDb replies). The beauty of the tale is not lost (for those who have read the novella), but is the core from which nearly all of the performances spring. The casting is perfect! See it for yourself. The script holds tightly to the novella. Perhaps a little too tightly, as in the case of the planet hopping. But, of course, in 1974 computer graphics were mere dreams. From an intellectual standpoint this is one of the beautiful gems that will endure, not only in spite of the fact that the main message is subliminal but possibly BECAUSE the main message is subliminal. That being said, there is yet another gem of the story that is whispered for those who will never find the subliminal gem. *No spoilers. Furthermore, for those who seek only to be entertained by films there is also symbolic gratuitous sex. Certainly even that audience can see the age of the little prince bespeaks his complete innocence. This movie - in spite of the tedious planet visitation scenes (they are necessary to the beginning of every trip)- is one I have watched several times and always get more from it.

nice, out not very great ambition, a drawing ad usum delphini more than adaptation, charming, honest, with not inspired songs, prey of its time, not great, not impressive but subject for good entrainment. the tale of Little Prince is only soul of a book. the letters, the drawings, the delight of reading are secrets to feel the profound message or the sense of this extraordinary trip. because the work of Saint - Exupery is not comedy, drama or musical. it is a mirror. so, the great virtue of this small film is to be invitation to discover Sain-Exupery masterpiece.and Steven Warner is perfect road sign. just an instrument to a fabulous castle. out of that, a boy and his need of root. a flower, a snake, few planets, a plain and a dialog with mystics nuances. tale about truth. and freedom of elephant from hat.

Stanley Donen's cinematic adaptation of Antoine De Saint-Exupery's The Little Prince is a delightful musical that will appeal to children and adults alike. The film is adequately paced at 88 minutes and will hold the attention of its young audience. The cinematography of Christopher Challis does justice to Saint-Exupery's original art work in the novelette. The stark beauty of the desert and the crisp brilliance of the night sky provide a beautiful backdrop to the sweet interaction between The Pilot and The Little Prince played by Richard Kiley and the adorable and competent Steven Warner. The film remains faithful to much of the original story except for a 1970s upgrade of the inhabitants of the Prince's neighboring planets. The drunkard, the lamplighter and the vain man of the novel are replaced by more contemporary representations of frivolously driven grown-ups. There is more than just a hint of Cold War era futility and fear flavoring these characters. In the novel, The King ridiculously rules over no one on a small empty planet. In the film, he has been replaced by a boarder patrolling royal figure demanding "Where are your papers. Where is your passport?" Another planet is home to a general commanding an army without soldiers who proudly lectures on the virtues of military discipline. In a world 30 years into the Cold War and exhausted from a decade of Vietnam, these were much more appropriate symbols of pointless and aimless grown-up affairs. In viewing these planetary visits, Challis' work is technically impressive. A majority of the scenes are shot through a circular, fish eye lens adding a claustrophobic feel to the action played out on these tiny worlds. Bob Fosse's choreography is impressive. I wish the same could be said of his performance in the film as The Snake. I wondered how he would work some of his trademark accessories into the portrayal in a subtle and intelligent manner. Instead, he looks ridiculous in chapeau, black gloves and spats dancing well worn steps from "Cabaret" among the rocks and sagebrush. I'm certain young viewers will enjoy the movie regardless but Fosse is an actor with average delivery skills who truly shines by creating in the dance studio or directing behind the camera. Several years later, he wisely turned portrayal of the thinly veiled biographical character Joe Gideon in "All That Jazz" over to actor Roy Scheider and the result was 9 Oscar nominations and 4 awards. Gene Wilder is excellent as The Fox. His gentle voice and appearance is wonderfully suited to roles in children's film and he taps into the same spirit he brought to Willie Wonka in "Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory". No child would fear taming this gentle creature.In all, the film is cinematically beautiful, wonderfully told, sweet, sad and endearing. Like the novel, it should be enjoyed by film-goers of all ages.