Product Details

• Actors: Hayley Mills, Bernard Lee, Alan Bates, Norman Bird, Elsie Wagstaff
• Format: NTSC
• Rated: Unrated
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00004RE8N
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #194,896 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

From Wikipedia: The plot follows the lives of three Lancashire farm children who discover a fugitive hiding in their barn. The bearded man, referred to as "Blakey" by the police, is mistaken for Jesus by the children. The fugitive makes no attempt to correct their mistake, especially when he discovers the eldest child, Kathy, is determined to protect him from discovery by the local police. We learn from a poster that he is wanted for murder. Most of the children in the nearby small town eventually become aware that "Jesus" is living in the barn, complicating Kathy's attempt at keeping it a secret. When the news finally reaches an adult, Kathy's father, the police are called in to apprehend the criminal. The child inhabitants of the village, perhaps 100 of them by now in on the secret, converge on the barn. Convinced that she has let Jesus down, Kathy sneaks behind the structure and apologizes to Blakey that she could no longer protect him. He forgives the girl and, after much prompting from Kathy, promises she will see him again. Resigned to his fate, Blakey tosses his revolver out of the barn door and surrenders to the police. Once Blakey is taken away and the crowd disperses, Kathy is approached by two very young children who ask to see Jesus. She tells them that they missed him this time, but he will be back.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An arty, thought-provoking UK cult classic, May 7, 2003

By 

DJ Joe Sixpack (...in Middle America) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Whistle Down the Wind [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Alan Bates plays opposite a teenage Hayley Mills in this odd parable about a band of rural English children who mistake a fugitive criminal for the second coming of Jesus Christ. The indeterminate nature of the ending, which is open to subjective interpretations, makes this a difficult film to pronounce judgement on: non-Christians may not totally get the theological implications, but the dynamic between the aloof, dismissive adult villagers and the flock of children who readily revere the dishelvelled, dangerous Bates is an interesting precursor for the 'Sixties generation gap that was to come. Beautiful B&W cinematography, and excellent performances by all the child actors, who, amazingly, act like real kids do: petulant, competitive, and able to believe the fantastic.

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Ever, August 12, 2001

By 

An 11-year old viewer (Ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Whistle Down the Wind [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This film is excellant. It's quite funny but it's sad as well. It's about three children and one day they find a man in their barn. The man is actually an escaped murderer but they don't know that. When he see's them he shouts out Jesus Christ and they think he's Jesus. I went to the theatre to see it with my parents and my brother. It was brillant.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Movie You Will Never Forget, August 11, 2001

By 

M "ireland19" (Lighthouse Pt, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Whistle Down the Wind [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I had a lot of trouble getting a hold of this film. It was worth it. You can't miss this one. This film taken from the original novel by Mary Hayley Bell. It is the story of 3 children who believe the man that is hiding in their barn is Jesus. This isn't just a children's film. It is a thought provoking film. You have to see it to understand how good it really is. I would recommend that you order the original book from Amazon UK. The book has a slightly different ending. This film has spawned a popular musical and is still popular today. All they have to do now is make the book available in the US. We would also like to see more availability of the video in the NSTC format. The UK also has it available on DVD.