Swiss Family Robinson (DVD)

...degree course is Robinson Crusoe, Swiss Family Robinson is one of the films that the suggest we see and so being a good student (most of the time) I dutifully bought the film and settled down to watch it. As the film progressed I vaguely remembered seeing parts of it before, probably when its been on TV, but have never seen it all the way through. I am glad however that eventually I have managed to watch the entire film as I found it to make very ...
.../> OK so what is Swiss Family Robinson actually about? Well the film begins when the Robinson family is shipwrecked on a deserted desert island. It becomes immediately apparent that the family must use a blend of teamwork, ingenuity and downright courage to skillfully overcome all the obstacles placed in their way and ultimately survive on the island. To begin with mother isn't particularly pleased about the prospect of spending any extended period ... more

Due to the fact that one of the novels I have to study for my English degree course is Robinson Crusoe, Swiss Family Robinson is one of the films that the suggest we see and so being a good student (most of the time) I dutifully bought the film and settled down to watch it. As the film progressed I vaguely remembered seeing parts of it before, probably when its been on TV, but have never seen it all the way through. I am glad however that eventually I have managed to watch the entire film as I found it to make very enjoyable viewing.

Swiss Family Robinson is a Disney film and was released in 1960. It is 121 minutes in length and stars John Mills, Dorothy McGuire, James McArthur and Janet Munro. My DVD has a variety of special features including an audio commentary and a montage of Disney studio happenings from 1960. I cannot however comment on these, as I have only watched the film. Subtitles are also available on the DVD and can be viewed in the following languages; English, English for the hearing impaired, Spanish, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Portuguese.

OK so what is Swiss Family Robinson actually about? Well the film begins when the Robinson family is shipwrecked on a deserted desert island. It becomes immediately apparent that the family must use a blend of teamwork, ingenuity and downright courage to skillfully overcome all the obstacles placed in their way and ultimately survive on the island. To begin with mother isn't particularly pleased about the prospect of spending any extended period of time on the island but after her husband and eldest son's Fritz and Ernst transform a tree into a wonderful and exquisite home and start to create a civilized community on the island she begins to come more around to the idea that the family maybe stuck on the island for a while.

Still wanting to find passage off the island however mother agrees to allow Fritz and Ernst to try and sail around the island. After them being gone for a considerable amount of time however the family begin to fear for the worst but when they return with a girl, Roberta, in tow that they have rescued from the pirates the families spirits are raised once more especially when Roberta is adamant that her grandfather will come back and rescue them all. Although hope seems to be on the horizon the family cannot afford to rest on their laurels as the rescuing of Roberta has put the family in danger of a pirate invasion that threatens to destroy the makeshift paradise that the Robinson's have carefully created.

Swiss Family Robinson is in my opinion a fantastic feel-good film that encapsulates the magic of Disney in a film packed with thrills, romance and fun. The acting in this film is in my opinion exceptionally good. Of course there are the cheesy moments that you would expect with such a film but on the whole I am of the opinion that the general standard of acting is quite high. James McArthur as Fritz however is probably the person that I would say put in the best performance, as I felt throughout the film as if he was giving his all to the role he had been given to play.

The general sets for the film are also fantastic, as they really help to capture the tone and feel of the film. They are quite subtle and simple at times yet manage with ease to place the family in the surrounding best suited to their situation at that time. The shots out at sea are filmed exceptionally well and grab your attention from the start as well as plundering you into the families troubles from the very beginning. It is however the magnificent tree-house home which I will long remember. The design of it really is brilliant and captures the imagination of all who watch the film. It's delicate lighting yet rugged structure contrast with one another to produce a fairytale dwelling that stays in the minds of all who see it.

All in all I must say with great conviction that Swiss Family Robinson is a film that I thoroughly enjoyed. It's energy and spirit was constant throughout the films length, the acting of a more than decent standard and the general story conveyed with a real flare. If you haven't seen this wonderful family film then you really should. It has a 'U' certificate and therefore is suitable for everyone giving you no feasible excuse for not sharing the Robinson's courageous exploits. 

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