Alexander Mackendrick - Sammy Going South (1963)

Alexander Mackendrick - Sammy Going South (1963)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056886

"A unique portrait of a time now gone, Sammy Going South takes the epic journey of a 10-year-old orphan across Africa and turns it into an in-depth look at the strange mix of people who frequented the far corners of Africa.

The film begins with a family caught in the midst of political strife. A British family living in Port Said are nervously discussing whether to send their young son Sammy to his Aunt in Durban, as the Suez crisis stretches relations between the British and Egyptians to breaking point. But then tragedy strikes. An air attack destroys Sammy’s home and kills both of his parents. With no-one to turn to, Sammy resolves to make his way to South Africa, and the home of his aunt, alone.

Needless to say that there are many adventures along the way, all of which reflect in some way the colonial world of the time. He is looked after by a Syrian man hoping for a reward, a collection of American jetsetters, and an eccentric (and illegal) prospector played masterfully by Edward G. Robinson.

The beauty of the film, however, comes in the way it’s shot. There are the predictable vistas of African countryside, of course, and plenty of heart-wrenching close ups. But rather than injecting these moments dramaturgically, they all reflect the point of view of Sammy himself. This way director Alexander Mackendrick removes much of the politicisation that can hamper stories in such volatile settings, and replaces simple sentimentality with the mesh of reactions and emotions you might expect from a brave young boy hurled into such a complicated situation.

As you might expect, the film has dated a bit. The music is occasionally corny to the point of distraction, and the acting sometimes leans toward the domain of pork products, but on the whole this remains an outstanding portrait of a unique period in history, presented in a way that is as intelligent and exciting as you could hope for."

This is a Spanish release. Audio track 1 is dubbed in Spanish. Audio track 2 is English. No Subs.