This movie about young Peter Fry (Dean Stockwell), orphaned during WWII, is special to me as it is the fist movie I can remember having seen - I was six years old. After almost sixty years I still remember this movie and have wanted to see it as an adult. As a kid I have to admit that the messages of the movie pretty much flew over my head. I remember being puzzled by the sudden transformation from black hair to green and felt that it wasn't explained to my satisfaction. I also remember picking up on Peter's question, "The world isn't going to be blown up and everybody killed, is it Gramp?" and finding Gramp's answer not terribly consoling.
At least I can now appreciate the symbolism of the hair color. I find the plea this movie makes for tolerance much more affecting than its "War is bad for children" message. Sure Peter's story is a sad one, but his being an orphan did not involve me as much as I think the movie was striving for. (If you want to see a movie that shows that war is bad for children, rather than just talking about it, see "Ivan's Childhood.") The theme of being ostracized for an inconsequential, innate difference did get to me. I suppose things have changed a bit for the better since 1948, but even green hair would still be cause for concern in some circles. And to no small extent people are still judged by the color of their skin, or their sexual orientation, or their religious beliefs (or non-beliefs), and so on, ad nauseam.
I got the DVD through Netflix. The picture quality was not good on the copy I got - the colors were faded and fuzzy. This had the effect of not making the green hair stand out very dramatically.
Dean Stockwell is a major reason this film succeeds - I think a less charming and less talented kid would have sunk the whole thing. The talents of Robet Ryan and Barbara Hale are not utilized at all, but it was good to see Hale in all of her 1940s wholesomeness. The insertion of O'Brien's little song-and-dance number I found to be rather odd and unnecessary.
Then there is the letter that Peter's father wrote to him that was not to be opened until Peter was sixteen. In fact the letter was read to Peter, some six years early, toward the end of the movie and its contents were rather simplistic and nothing that Peter could not understand and accept. The letter was a hook to keep your interest, but the payoff was a letdown. And the letter could be viewed as contradicting the anti-war theme of the movie by its mentioning that Peter's parents were to die in the war for a "fine and worthwhile" cause - there are some good wars. And I doubt that Hitler would have been turned into a pacifist by his having seen this movie.
But there is enough here of interest to make this worth viewing for most people: Losey's first major film, Stockwell's performance, a historical perspective, the opening song (Nature Boy), and the unusual storyline.
At least I can now appreciate the symbolism of the hair color. I find the plea this movie makes for tolerance much more affecting than its "War is bad for children" message. Sure Peter's story is a sad one, but his being an orphan did not involve me as much as I think the movie was striving for. (If you want to see a movie that shows that war is bad for children, rather than just talking about it, see "Ivan's Childhood.") The theme of being ostracized for an inconsequential, innate difference did get to me. I suppose things have changed a bit for the better since 1948, but even green hair would still be cause for concern in some circles. And to no small extent people are still judged by the color of their skin, or their sexual orientation, or their religious beliefs (or non-beliefs), and so on, ad nauseam.
I got the DVD through Netflix. The picture quality was not good on the copy I got - the colors were faded and fuzzy. This had the effect of not making the green hair stand out very dramatically.
Dean Stockwell is a major reason this film succeeds - I think a less charming and less talented kid would have sunk the whole thing. The talents of Robet Ryan and Barbara Hale are not utilized at all, but it was good to see Hale in all of her 1940s wholesomeness. The insertion of O'Brien's little song-and-dance number I found to be rather odd and unnecessary.
Then there is the letter that Peter's father wrote to him that was not to be opened until Peter was sixteen. In fact the letter was read to Peter, some six years early, toward the end of the movie and its contents were rather simplistic and nothing that Peter could not understand and accept. The letter was a hook to keep your interest, but the payoff was a letdown. And the letter could be viewed as contradicting the anti-war theme of the movie by its mentioning that Peter's parents were to die in the war for a "fine and worthwhile" cause - there are some good wars. And I doubt that Hitler would have been turned into a pacifist by his having seen this movie.
But there is enough here of interest to make this worth viewing for most people: Losey's first major film, Stockwell's performance, a historical perspective, the opening song (Nature Boy), and the unusual storyline.