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15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Whistle down the wind, August 7, 2008
I ordered this movie recently, it's region 0, so it plays on any DVD player, and it's format is NTSC, so it plays in the USA. I was so pleased with it, I've been waiting for this forever. It's about a little girl who finds a man sleeping in her barn. He is a wanted criminal, and when he's found by her, he wakes up and is startled. She asks him what his name is and he replies, "Jesus Christ" and then he faints. Because he's injured, she takes care of him, and sneaks food into the barn for him. She thinks he's Jesus and tells her brother and sister to keep it secret, they all think he'll be taken away by adults and murdered. It's a wonderful movie for the whole family. This movie is played in English, but can have Spanish or Portuguese subtitles if you desire. Also, the print on the outside of the box is in Portuguese since this movie is made in Brazil, and is an import. You can rest assured that it's in English and will play on all DVD players. A must see for any Hayley Mills fans.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
a whistle down wind, May 27, 2008
This review is from: Whistle Down the Wind [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - United Kingdom ] (DVD)
I have this movie on VHS, are they ever going to print it on DVD region 1 for US players? This is such a good movie that I would like my children to watch. It's a good, clean movie for all ages. Hayley Mills as you know always over-acts her parts, but did a good job in this movie. It's about a little girl that finds a man sleeping in her barn one morning and when she asks him who he is, he is startled by being awakened, and curses by saying "Jesus". Thinking this literally, the little girl runs out of the barn before he can explain himself, and assumes he really is Jesus Christ himself. In reality, he's hiding out from the police and was seeking cover from the winters storm in their barn. Very sweet movie about how children believe everything you say, and take things literally. Very good, but I wish they would make this DVD in NTSC Region 1 format for the US people that want to relive those good old days of innocent times. Very highly recommended.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Great film that should be better-known!, September 9, 2009
Despite the Portuguese title on the box, this is a very British film that strangely is not available in Region 1 format. Although made in 1961, it's still well-known in the UK, and its three principal actors all had long careers on the screen. It's especially well-known in Lancashire, where the exteriors were filmed. I was fortunate to see it in the USA on PBS as a child, and instantly took to it. I've been looking for this video for decades!
Wire synopsis: A young girl (Hayley Mills) finds an escaped convict hiding, exhausted and sleeping, in a barn on her property. When she innocently asks, "Who are you?" she startles him awake. He sees that she's just a kid, mutters the imprecation "Jesus Christ," and goes back to sleep. She and her siblings are now under the impression that "Gentle Jesus" has returned and is in their barn, and treat their far-from-deserving guest accordingly. Meanwhile, a police dragnet is closing in. A good deal of suspense results from wondering what the children and the convict will do when things come to a head...
Director Brian Forbes handles the subject matter quite skillfully, avoiding didacticism without losing emotional impact. The convict is obviously a clever, desperate man with an agenda quite different from what the children think. The children come across as honest, displaying acting ability that would serve them well as their careers progressed. (If you've seen the film of "To Kill a Mockingbird," that should give an idea of what you'll see here as far as child acting is concerned.) And the Lancashire countryside is at once gritty and breathtaking, even in black-and-white.
I'd like to see this film become better-known in the USA than it is. It may be regarded as "too British," or perhaps the Lanky dialect may be thought to be too difficult for Americans to comprehend. (As an American kid who had never been to England, I had no trouble understanding the dialogue when I saw it on TV.) The premise is wonderfully clever in its simplicity, and despite the religious topics that arise (including some touches that those familiar with the Gospels will recognize immediately), it's not preachy at all, and should be enjoyable to all regardless of one's own religious convictions or lack thereof. Ultimately, it's a comedy of mistaken identity, and a powerful exploration of the desire to do right versus the need for self-preservation.
I'd like to close with a funny story I read that should have been included as an extra on the DVD. The convict is played by Alan Bates, whom Mr. Forbes (the director) wanted on the set at all times even if he wasn't in the scene, so he would know his character's motivation. Mr. Forbes provided him with a "director's" chair that matched his, only with the name "Alan Bates" printed on the back. One day the children arrived on the set, and the boy, a very young Alan Barnes, noticed the chairs and informed the director that "They spelt me name wrong." Mr. Forbes said they would fix it right away, and the next day there was a third, child-sized chair, with the name "Alan Barnes" on the back!
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