The Little Ark (1972)

Wonderful Movie

Very well executed

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

I don't remember how long ago I saw this but I certainly found it memorable. Theodore Bikel played the Captain of the "little ark" and, as I recall, he was one of those actors who let his makeup do much of his work! Otherwise, I recall, maybe unfairly, how hammy he could be.The two children (Philip Frame and Geneviève Ambas) who are rescued from the church tower, were very good as I recall and the final scene with the Academy Award nominated choral song by the Karlins ("Come Follow, Follow Me".) was very upbeat as the kids are taken off to school to resume their lives after the tragedy. What preceded it, which showed bodies of drowned victims of the actual historical flood, though, was anything but upbeat, leading many at the time to wonder what audience the film was intended for.If you get a chance to see this, I would certainly recommend it for mature audiences, but I think it's too horrific for children.

The last time I saw this was when it was originally released and I was seven years old. I remember it being a great movie for that age, but it's a film that still haunts me.For some reason, the scene when the kids see the floating body of their foster mom (or grandma?), formed a permanent, haunting impression on my young mind. OOoh..dead body!And I remember hard-to-understand accents...but it's one of those old movies I'd LOVE to see again, if not for nostalgia's sake. Most movies that I loved from my young (Willie Wonka, The Love Bug..) I now own copies of on DVD, but this one eludes me. And it's the only one that I haven't seen SINCE it's original release.

While "zapping" through the channels on just another rainy autumn day I came across this film.And I immediately liked the story, it goes about the big flood in 1953 which struck a big part of The Netherlands. And for me, as a Dutchmen, this off course was a reason to keep watching.It's pretty good, with off course some small downsides to it, for starters, the Dutch actors have an pretty bad accent while trying to speak English, and on the other hand, the American actors have some trouble with pronouncing the Dutch names. Overall it's an OK youth film, with some "historical value" because it deals with such an disaster.a 7 out of 10

I saw this movie when it was released in 1972 and I was 6 years old. It was forever burned into my memory, and when I finally found the book upon which it was based, I was thrilled to rediscover one of those haunting memories of childhood.The book itself brings back dim glimpses of the movie; until I see the movie again, it will still be a dream. But the memories it left are uplifting, happy and magical. A must-see for kids of all ages.