Run Wild, Run Free (1969) - Gem of a Film - Worth a Watch

Sometimes channel hopping can bring you something of a gem to watch and that was what Happen today when I stumbled upon "Run Wild, Run Free" the 1969 film starring Mark Lester and Sir John Mills. Beware it is a tearjerker.

It is a sensitive and beautiful film with music that matches the sensitivity of the young child Phillip played by Lester. He has some sort of psychological block and hasn't spoken since he was very young. His parents play by Sylvia Syms and Gordon Jackson are loving but struggling to understand their son with the mother seeming hard than the father. 

Phillip loves the moors and soon finds friendship with a wild white pony and with the aid of Mills (The Colonel) a completely new world begins to open up for him. He soon befriends a girl from the neighbouring farm (Diana) Fiona Fullerton who gifts Phillip a pet young falcon while he temporary losers his pony. Both the girl and the colonel know Phillip can talk and it’s not until the end of the film his parents spectacularly find out.

When Diana and Philip are out riding, they become lost on the foggy moor, Phillip is spooked, and both him and his pony ride into a bog where the pony becomes bogged down in mud. His parents and the colonel search for Phillip and Diana and the weather deteriorates.  When the rescue party find them they struggle to pull Phillip's pony out of the bog and after giving up Phillip dives in calling for his pony also called Phillip. Everyone jumps back into action and slow the pony is pulled out  …. The film ends.

My Rating