THE JUNGLE BOOK
US, 1942, 109 minutes, Colour.
Sabu, Joseph Calleia, John Qualen, Frank Puglia, Rosemary de Camp.
Directed by Zoltan Korda.
The Jungle Book is the classic Alexander Korda production. Korda made his mark in England in the '30s with such films as The Private Life of Henry VIII as well as his ambitious I, Claudius. With the outbreak of war, he moved production to the United States and completed such films as Lady Hamilton, The Thief of Baghdad. The Jungle Book belongs to this period.
It was a family affair, designed by his brother Vincent Korda and directed by his other brother Zoltan Korda.
The film stars Sabu, who had appeared in The Thief of Baghdad - he is ideal as Mowgli, the jungle boy. An American and British cast take the supporting roles (which gives mixed accents for the cast of Indian villagers).
However, the film is very attractive with its stylised colour photography (so colourful it is almost an enchanted jungle). The shots of jungle animals are particularly well done and well edited into the film.
The film is based on a story by Rudyard Kipling, giving the animals of the jungle and their packs names and personalities and vitality. It is a variation on the wild child story. However, there is a human story about greedy villagers and their mutual destruction. The film has the tone of a moral fable.
The film was remade, quite delightfully, as a Disney animated feature in the mid-'60s.
1. An entertaining classic? Rudyard Kipling's story? The jungle, the background of India? The moral fable?
2. Colour production, the beauty of the jungle colour photography? The sequences with the animals? The Indian village, the lost village, the treasure? The emphasis on colour and beauty? Miklos Rozsa's musical score?
3. The title, familiarity with Kipling's story and characters? Adapted to the screen? The device of the animals having names, having voices and personalities? How credible for the fairy tale?
4. The framework of the Indian old man telling the story to the British woman? The Jungle Book in his eyes? The truth of the story? His making it up? Audiences being drawn in by the story?
5. The village, its way of life, the mother with her child and her care for him, the head of the village and his greed, control of the others? The child wandering off into the jungle? Taken by the tiger? Running into the cave with the wolves, being reared by the wolves, the jungle boy, the law of the jungle, language of the jungle, skills?
6. The background of the jungle - the beauty, the flora and fauna, the close-ups of the animals? A sense of realism of the jungle?
7. Sher Caan as the evil tiger, the enemy of the boy? The boy and his life in the jungle, going into the village, fascinated, caught by the people? The mother - recognising her son or not? The enmity of the head of the village? Cared for by his mother, taught and trained, language? The communication between them? His life in the village, buying the knife? The girl and their friendship? Going into the jungle, his taking her and showing her the animals, communicating with them? The lost city, the treasure, the warning of the cobra? His mesmerising the girl? Harmless? The warning not to take the jewels, taking one coin?
8. The father and his discovery of the coin, losing it, the barber and his customer, their plan, their taking Mowgli, whipping him? Taking his mother and tying her up? The expedition to the lost city, the dangers, the discovery of the jewels, their greed, fighting amongst themselves, the murders, the father returning without any jewels? Anger with Mowgli? Setting the jungle ablaze?
9. Mowgli and the girl, the escape, rescuing all the people and taking them to the island? Rescuing his mother?
10. Mowgli and the animals, the panther - and the men thinking that Mowgli had turned into a panther? The snakes, the crocodiles? The hyenas?
11. Family entertainment? Indian fairy tale? Fable about animals and about humans?
