Born Free (1966)

I thought I dreamt about these lions when I was a kid, but when I came to know about this film that made me realise I actually saw this film when I was a very young to remember anything. It was a few images remained in memory, that's how I tracked it. So while watching this now brought back those scary moments. Yep, I was scared like hell, like the character Kendall from it was. Childhood is like a dream, until we re-encounter those things we held, met, seen, which wakes up our memory after a long time and becoming adults.I really enjoyed watching it, because I love animals. But what I did not like was harming the animals. I don't think animals were harmed while making this film, and they even smartly censored story/scene that consists harming/killing them. Actually the film was inspired by the real story, in that, the animals were killed and that is what this film depicted, yet disappoints from that perspective. The time has changed, now it is different, we learnt our lesson, so I hope we focus on protecting this magnificent animal to be born free and to be wild.The Africa was very beautifully portrayed. One of the best films on the wild animal theme I've ever seen. It was a documentary style narration with a little story from the human couple. Hats off to the real Joy and George Adamson. It won a couple of Oscars in the category of music and song. But I think it deserved more than that. I can't believe it is rated PG, but I scared watching it as a kid and I believe the young children with the awareness of the true nature of the lions would do the same. But still highly recommended for all ages. We have now 'Duma', 'Two Brothers' and many more, but this film is something special and you will know it after a watch.8/10

Born Free is based on George and Joy Adamson and their raising of a lioness during their time living at a game reserve in Kenya. It's directed by James Hill, adapted to screenplay by Lester Cole, and stars Virginia McKenna and Bill Travers as the Adamsons. Music is by John Barry and cinematography by Kenneth Talbot.It's a classic case of a family film keeping everything simple for maximum results. A big hit upon release, as was the book written by Joy Adamson, the beautiful landscapes and emotionally swirling musical score marry up perfectly with the story being told. There's some liberties taken with the facts, both with humans and lions, but we aren't in to this pic for any sort of misery or grimy drama. We want, and get, feel good, a time for animal lovers to rejoice and wipe that fly from the eye. 8/10

George and Joy Adamson may not have been the first individuals to rehabilitate wild animals for release back into the wild, but they were certainly the first to garner world attention and inspire several hit books and a magnificent film.The beautiful score by John Barry opens the film and carries the film-goer into the world of Kenyan game warden George Adamson and wife Joy, a seemingly idyllic world at first glance. They have problems, however, trying to maintain a realistic approach to wildlife and its inevitable conflicts with human desires and interests. In one such instance, they have to help lion cubs whose mother has been killed. (Minor spoiler) They find homes in captivity for all but one, the smallest, whom they have named Elsa. George's supervisor says Elsa cannot stay with them and keeps setting deadlines for her to go to a zoo. Instead, the Adamsons make the momentous decision to teach her to be a wild lioness. It is a difficult and emotional experience for them.Even if you don't care for big cats one way or another, you will enjoy this fine film worth sharing with the whole family.

1st watched 9/4/2007 - 7 out of 10(Dir-James Hill): Fascinating study of lioness born free, but domesticated; then being trained to survive again in the wild. This is a unique film in that it deals with some real issues about making a wild animal a pet and the effect on it because of that. The movie begins with an African game warden, played by Bill Travers, killing an adult lion that is attacking humans but leaves behind three pups. The game warden and his wife, played by Virginia McKenna, decide to take in the pups since they lost their parents and would eventually starve to death in the wild. They are finally able to get them to feed off of their homemade formula and grow, but when it comes time to release them back to the wild the wife's attachment to the smallest that she named Elsa, has grown and they decide to keep her. Elsa quickly becomes their pet and attaches herself to them, but they know eventually she'll have to leave. They avoid the issue of sending her to a zoo because they want Elsa to be free, but then they must take on the challenge of re-training her for the wild. This turns out to be harder than they expected and their trials with this becomes the subject of the rest of the movie. This is all very well done and helps us realize the difference between pets and animals living in the wild and shows us the respect we should have of the differences. There is a good balance of sentimentality with reality as this couple thinks hard about every decision it makes thinking not just for themselves but for Elsa. This a unique movie that can be enjoyed by persons of all ages and also teaches us some things that we rarely see on film.