Christian the Lion / The Great Dan Patch
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DVD details
DVD: Region Code 0Published: 2006
Studio: PC Treasures
DVD Reviews of Christian the Lion / The Great Dan Patch
DVD Review: Christian: King Of The Beasts, Friend To Man
Summary: 4 Stars
Although this DVD contains two movies, I only bought it to see "Christian the Lion," having read the book by John Rendall and Ace Bourke years ago. Christian was purchased in Harrods Department Store in London in 1969 by Rendall and Bourke, who raised him in a boutique in the city until he became too big to keep in captivity any longer. Not wishing to put him in a zoo, they made contact with noted lion expert George Adamson of "Born Free" fame through actors Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna. Ultimately Christian was flown to Africa where he was acclimated to the wild for the first time in his life (his parents were in a zoo) by Adamson.
The film documents Christian's life up through Rendall and Bourke's now-famous reunion with a very grown up Christian, film footage of which is ubiquitous on the Internet. The film is genuinely touching and speaks to the power of the human-animal bond, even in animals like giant predatory cats. I have always loved big cats, and greatly admire the work Adamson did until he was murdered by Somali bandits on August 20, 1989 at the age of 83. He was trying to help a tourist. Adamson was buried on his preserve in Kenya next to his beloved lion "Boy," who is heavily featured in this film and became Christian's mentor and friend as much as was Adamson himself.
I think the world owes a debt of gratitude to Rendell and Bourke for trying to do the right thing for Christian, even though they knew it would mean a shorter and more strife-filled life than if he lived his days out in a zoo. They understood that lions need to be free, and although I cannot imagine letting an animal I loved as much as they loved Christian move halfway across the world and enter such a savage life, they understood the importance of big cats in their natural habitat and I salute them. I couldn't stop thinking about the selflessness of their decision and the lifetime devotion of Adamson to the lions when I watched this film, and while the movie is sometimes painful, it is a wonderful tribute to these men and all the others who helped Christian realize his full potential.
As an afterthought I did watch "The Great Dan Patch," and while I realize that Dan Patch was a genuinely amazing racehorse, the film was nothing out of the ordinary: there's a lot of horse racing, some romance, a barn fire (of course,) and an endlessly-repeated and extraordinarily grating song called "Mixed Team" gracing the soundtrack. It's a perfectly charming little film for what it is, but in no way measures up to "Christian the Lion." "Christian the Lion" unquestionable deserves five stars, but due to the relatively lower quality of "The Great Dan Patch," I gave the DVD a four star rating overall.
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