A Dog Of Flanders: Review By MOVIE MAGE

I am frightfully fearful of admitting that when I first saw this film, I was at the tender, (perhaps too tender), age of six, seven or eight. Unfortunately, my memory does not serve me well from that period and for that I apologize. Here's what I do remember: I was never aware of this film ever being released or even garnering any attention, nor was I yearning to see it. Nevertheless, my parents had brought it home for me to watch during the Golden Age of VHS, and the promise of watching a cute dog on screen seemed reason enough to warrant a viewing.

I am not afraid to admit that it was the first and last time I would ever see the film, until today, April 4, 2010, on the Family Channel. Now it is 1:00 a.m. and I am writing a review for A Dog of Flanders.

I'm ashamed to say that the death of Jehan Daas, (Jack Warden), our young protagonist's grandfather, was enough to traumatize me at that impressionable age, prompting me to avoid the film like a plague whenever I saw it on t.v. or at the film store. His grandson's mistreatment and tribulations were difficult to watch, his own death was awful to view, but worst of all, the scene in which he, being an old man, is forced by a younger and more vicious man to pump a well increasingly faster to put out a fire is what 'did it for me.' It was unbearable.

When I speak of our young protagonist, I am of course referring to Nello, the innocent and incorruptible hero of our story. He will always remain in my mind as the Oliver Twist in this tale of noble youth in the face of adversity, purity against corrupt adulthood, and it is a social criticism on the division of social classes. Dickens would be proud.

This review marks the first of its kind for A Dog of Flanders on MovieWeb. Perhaps that's the problem. People tend to disregard films like these - classics of recent cinema that touch the heart and soul in such rare ways than we care to admit. In using the word 'disregard,' I am not accusing anyone of any neglect that they may have shown this modest movie. But the mere fact of this film is also a sad truth. It is a film budgeted at 7 million, and earned only 2 million. This must be evidence of something.

I am writing this review for two reasons: One, being that the critics who have seen this film have denounced and criticized it. Two, being that I am perfectly capable of setting my personal attachments to this film aside, (contrary to the opening paragraphs of this review), and observing why this film warrants artistic merit. Third, and this follows as a result of the first reason, but I hope that this review will wake this movie from the dusty pages and the ash-heaps of long, forgotten cinema history.

The pacing is certainly something to be recognized. Director Kevin Brodie allows for the plot to progress at a steady rate without ever being meandering, while still allotting time for shots of nature and the changing seasons. The characters have time to breathe and the audience can sit back and enjoy the splendor.

This is a story of hope and would aptly be called, A Son of Reubens, if I had anything to do with it. But the star is Patroche, a loyal friend to Nello, and this performance only proves how crucial the relationship is between man and his dog. This film and My Dog Skip are the two best examples I grew up with.

*(As I am an aspiring film critic, I would appreciate positive feedback and constructive criticism on this review. Please note that for this specific review, having been completed late at night, I am prone to a few grammatical errors I will correct in the future and that my writing is usually much more eloquent than what you see above. Thank you.)*