Forever Young, Forever Free (1975)

Gripping story with well-crafted characters

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

It was in December of 1974 during a fuel shortage or embargo. We were driving down the Sani Pass on vapors in a VW micro bus from Lesotho into South Africa. From my memory, they didn't film in Lesotho but in the Drakenstein Mountains in South Africa. We hung out with the crew for a bit, played with the dog and its double and then bought some petrol from them and continued to the Natal Coast. We did go see the movie when it came out in Cape Town and later I saw it on TV in the States. Very different endings. It is a good little moral tale playing to decent sentiments in a country that was beginning to come to terms with the reality of apartheid only to come unstuck in 1976. The American version wasn't as effective.

I will never rate something a ten without really believing that is what it is worth. The acting may not have been the best, the story had holes and there are technical issues. But this movie was released in 1976 in (Apartheid) South Africa. It was filmed and funded in South Africa at a time when no money was going to be given to something that was not going to appeal to the main-stream. With that taken into account it was a brilliant effort. The story is memorable, entertaining, thought-provoking and very touching. Viewed as 90 minutes of entertainment created with a budget of X against something like "Day After Tomorrow", created with a budget of X + $100million, then this is truly worthy of a rating of ten against a rating of somewhat less!

I saw this movie as a 13-year-old boy as E' Lollipop. At that time I was wrapped up in Star Wars and other entertainment films. I went to see this film and it was the first time I cried in a movie--I was practically balling, secretly of course so I wouldn't be made fun of. I couldn't help it. This was the first time I actually had an appreciation for filmaking and seeing the deeper meaning a director has worked for. Forever Young has had a profound influence on me and the simple story of two boys sacrificing all for each other in a deep, nonsexual, relationship caused me to re-examine my boyhood friendships in a new light. It is not simple entertainment and carries a very serious message at many levels. Show it with care--it's not a movie to be seen by children by themselves or without any comment afterward; if they are paying attention at all, they will be affected by this powerful story.

I saw this film about fifteen years ago and was overwhelmed by the enchanting fairytale story of a young child abandoned to the nuns and is raised by them in South Africa. He befriends a native child and they become inseparable. Add a fluffy puppy called Snowball and just allow yourself to watch. The film doesn't watch like a Disney film, the children are never precocious, when the adventures get serious, they aren't far-fetched. You see yourself doing those stupid things as a kid.One accident brings the white child to America, and the native child journeys to visit him. The disastrous results of his arrival are spell-binding to watch unfold, as well as his rescue. Then New York is all theirs.The film is so subtle, you don't realize it is Jose Ferrer and Karen Valentine in the movie. Even Bernadette Peter's song is gentle. Definitely watch this film if you are in a depressed mood. It will cheer you up. I would love to see it again, but believe it or not, I recorded Peter's song off on an audio cassette and still have it. What a charmer this film was.