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| Gulliver with the Lilliputians |
In 1699 Dr. Lemuel Gulliver (Kerwin Mathews) sets sail to find his fortune over his fiancee, Elizabeth's (June Thorburn), objections, but discovers that she's a stowaway on board. During an argument on deck, Gulliver is washed overboard, and finds himself in the land of tiny Lilliputians, where he gets involved in their insane politics. Later he winds up in the land of Brobdingnag, where the inhabitants are giants, and he and Elizabeth are the playthings of the king. Gulliver is right to contemplate the fact that eventually the king and his cohorts may tire of their dolls and he and Elizabeth are soon fleeing for their lives ...
The 3 Worlds of Gulliver may be a kid's film in many ways, but Jonathan Swift's satiric jabs about pettiness and hypocrisy, especially of politicians and "important" people, still hit home. Director Jack Sher keeps the picture moving at a swift pace, and Ray Harryhausen's effects are good (the process work of older movies was never meant to stand up to the scrutiny of High Definition, which is why some shots seem comparatively shabby today). Harryhausen's stop-motion creations include a squirrel that pulls Gulliver into its burrow, and a gator that nearly makes a meal out of the doctor. The gator is perhaps not Harryhausen's best work. 
Gulliver in the land of giants
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| Kerwin Mathews and June Thorburn |
Verdict: Colorful satiric fantasy is fine for both children and adults. ***.
You’re hitting all my childhood favorites this week, Bill. This movie led me to read the book by Jonathan Swift, which I also adored. This is a pretty faithful version....
ReplyDelete- C
Yes, I read the Swift book years ago and liked it very much. Very entertaining movie as well.
ReplyDeleteI agree on almost all counts with you--and I think this is a lot better than its critical reputation suggests. It may not be in the same league as Harryhausen's more famous monster-fests, but it's a solid, entertaining film. When I first saw it, it must have been on a re-release, because I sat up, riveted, when Herrmann's thunderous music began, recognizing that it was likely by "that good musician" I was already familiar with. The familiarity repeated itself with Kerwin Mathews appearance, and then again when the stop-motion effects came into play--I almost died with pleasure when the animated alligator was introduced. The scene where giant Gulliver rose up from behind the rocks on the beach floored me--and the juxtaposition of Herrmann's jewel-like "tiny" music with his "big" music impressed me no end. I could've done without the jolly Gulliver song the Lilliputians sang later, however. I think the second half of the film worked better than the first half, mainly because Brobdingnag was a MUCH darker place than Lilliput, and the tone of the film shifted completely when Gulliver arrived there. When he found the toy people on the beach, it was really creepy--TWILIGHT ZONE creepy--then his confrontation with the giant girl--wow! Great, ominous stuff! I remember being confused by the way the movie seemed to end so abruptly, and by how Gulliver and Elizabeth got back to England. I'm STILL confused, actually--I mean, it couldn't have been a dream, but what WAS it, exactly? Did they hit their heads before falling overboard? Hmm! I think this one's about due for a rewatch.
ReplyDelete--Mark
It may have been a dream or they may have been lucky enough to catch a wave that took them both back to England safely and in record time, ha! This is another one I didn't catch until years later, possibly in a revival house or sci fi/fantasy festival. Yes, the bit with the toy people reminds one of the classic TZ episode "Stopover in a Small Town," with the hungover couple and the giggling giant girl. (That episode always gave me the creeps!) Anyway, thanks for your interesting comments which I very much enjoy!
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