A strange film, set in rural Lancashire, where Hayley Mills is the daughter of Bernard 'M' Lee and comes across a bearded stranger in her barn. Thanks to a throw away remark from a Salvation Army woman at the beginning, who says that Jesus will look after the child's kitten, Mills' Kathy immediately concludes that this man is Jesus. It turns out that he's actually wanted by the police for murder, but the children don't find this out and are adamant this tramp is Jesus.
brilliant...
Despite the odd premise (and the puzzling title), Whistle has many charms, not least in the precocious young children starring alongside Mills, whose broad Northern tones and idiom stand out in a film landscape of cut glass British accents. I wasn't really sure of any message the film was trying to convey, possibly a warning about the gullibility of children. Or maybe the difference between the innocence of youth and the harsh reality of adulthood, if I'm being less cynical. Although released in 1961, long after the advent of colour, the black and white images give an authentic old-fashioned feel to the location, while the music has a haunting, hopeful quality. At the end when 'Jesus' is finally apprehended by the police, there is a nice touch when his arms out pose for a pat down forms the shape of a crucifix.
but...
Alan Bates' 'Gentle Jesus' is perhaps a bit bland. He has close-ups where clearly 'Jesus' is supposed to be wrestling with his conscience after the children treat him so kindly, but this doesn't come across in the performance.
briefly...
A charming piece of British filmmaking with an outstanding cast of child actors.
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