Bless the Beasts & Children (1971) User Reviews

This one has stuck with me for 30 years...

[skat-4 · 7/10 · 27 June 2005]

I saw this movie on TV when I was very young, only 7 or 8. The final scene was powerful, even though at that age I didn't fully comprehend what it meant. I remember seeing it several times afterward as I was growing up. I recently saw it listed on Comcast On Demand as a free movie, so I thought I would watch it. What an odd feeling to look back and realize how the meaning of certain movies dawned on you over time. I knew the first time that the kids were doing something good, setting the buffalo free. As a pre-adolescent and a teen, I understood that they were misfits, much like the buffalo they were trying to set free, and that their views weren't in line with the views of the authorities. They did what they thought was right, and one of them died doing it. What I remember as being so powerful about the final scene of the movie was not the sight of Cotton's being shot, but rather the image of the remaining boys standing on the hill and facing the hunters. The emotion of that moment was one of the most powerful movie moments I've ever experienced. I don't remember crying, but I remember the "feeling" of the first time I saw that scene – the only thing I can equate it with today as an adult is the feeling you get when all the blood rushes out of your face and you get a sick feeling in the pit of your stomach. I think it was one of the first times in my young life that I realized that there was a scary world out there beyond my yard and that there were bigger things than me out there and that people could actually die for believing in them. Seeing it now, 30 or so years after the first time, I see the campiness of it, the forever-70s-ness of it, but I still "get" the message at the end. I wonder, though, in this world of high tech and instant gratification if there are many people today who are as passionate about the things they believe in as the kids in that movie were about those buffalo. Sadly, I doubt it.

Still a touching story all these years later

[stalzz64 · 8/10 · 18 July 2005]

I finally saw this again after many years, and it still holds up as a good story! It's one of those 'forgotten' movies of the 1970's, and I think it's way cool to see the great Bill Mumy in a completely different role from Will Robinson!!

The killing of the buffalo is awful, whether they needed to 'thin the herd' or not!

I think there would be more Vegetarians in the world if we all saw how out meat is processed! (Not that i'm a Vegetarian or anything)

I was very touched to hear of the comment from the woman whose brother played 'Cotton' in the film. Too many great young men died way too young from AIDS, as well as too damn many died too young in the jungles of Vietnam.

Interesting movie I see years ago

[jose_trimble · 8/10 · 6 August 2006]

When I was a boy I see these movie. It show how boys protect bufalo. It is good movie, no? At times adults not think how our action hurt others. Good boys to protect the animals.

Good things about these movie is show how the boys grow up and have family problems. We all have family problems to grow up, no?

Other thing is good fotografy. Scenes of big land, mountains, cactus. Bufalo too. Big animals, but need to be protect.

Sad how the other boys treat the six "bedwetters" bad. Some boys is cruel to other boys who are different from them. The movie help to show that even boys who are different from other boys can be good.

Is old movie but message still is good. Funny haircuts. Look like hipis. Me too in 1971.

Thank you.

Symbolism and personal ties to this movie.

[elizabeth-49 · 12 October 2003]

Many of the comments written about this film do not even recognize the multitude of symbolic layers this movie encompasses. Of course it is clear that the killing of the buffalo and the killing of the human spirit of children is an apparent theme throughout the movie. One is symbolic of the other. We empathize with those who are shunned from society but who triumph against all odds to make a difference in this world. As the title song suggests "they have no choice, they have no voice". I find it especially interesting that this movie came out in 1971. Our country was enmeshed in a political upheaval from our involvement in the Viet Nam war. Well, children were sent to fight and kill whether they liked it or not. They had no choice, they had no voice. I was 5 years old when my brother, Alan, was sent to fight at Viet Nam. He would be there for a year and a half and return a completely different person. I believe Alan's spirit died in Viet Nam along with all the other "children". My other brother, however, would be, "Cotton", the starring role in the movie, "Bless the Beasts and Children". I was 7 when I saw the screening preview for the actors and others who worked on this film. I was so proud of Barry. The end made my mother and I cry every time. I knew it was just a movie (my mother assuring me "it's just ketchup, Elizabeth, not real blood")...but maybe, for me, it was a way to prepare. It was what was to become a reality for me. Only 15 years later, I would watch my brother die. The irony was that what surrounded his death was also that he was an "outcast", "different from others", "a societal reject" - similar to the character he played and the theme of Bless the Beasts. In 1986 Barry died from complications from the AIDS virus. It was pretty early on when people were diagnosed with this, so me and my mother told everyone it was cancer - fearful of their reaction at that time. But the true ending of the movie wasn't just that someone died. It is that he did what he believed in despite all odds. Even at seven I could see the triumph as the buffalo were set free. He did it! He accomplished his goal! And you know what? In my brother's life that ended too soon...he, too, accomplished his goal. He was an amazing actor and an amazing person who touched the lives of everyone who knew him.

Read the Book

[bjlevine-46885 · 6/10 · 10 September 2019]

The book is amazing. The movie suffers in two ways: first, the main character Cotton is badly miscast. You never really buy that he is the kind of kid who could whip a bunch of rejects into shape. Secondly, it has too much of a TV movie feel to it, where it should on a grander scale.

Memory's of the 70's

[cburns-31649 · 7/10 · 16 December 2020]

Saw this as a kid in the 70's on TV, from a child's perspective you cheer on the other kids and hold resentment for adults, somewhat of a mature theme for a child.

I WAS ONE OF THE STARS OF THIS MOVIE

[rmsclby · 10/10 · 4 April 2020]

My name is Robert Kramer. All I want to say is that I am very proud of this film. I loved working on it and even now I can't believe that I worked with Stanley Kramer. He has worked with most of the biggest stars that ever lived. Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, Spencer Tracy, Judy Garland. I'm not as talented as those actors but I am grateful he gave me the chance to be in his film and I guess I did ok. He told me that I did, so I guess it must be so. Bless the Beasts is available on ITunes in HD, and looks great. Also my reading the comments on here about what people thought about the film, I appreciate the kind complimentary ones and the ones who didn't like it. Stanley Kramer was a great Producer, Director. I was lucky to be able to work with him. Also, I am not at all related to Stanley Kramer. It was just an average regular guy, me, who got the job. Also, to find a great copy of the film in HD, go to ITunes, you can buy it or rent it. It looks great. Won't be ever in Dolby Vision but it still looks great.

Smashing! Boffo!

[TimmyChurch · 7/10 · 18 October 2004]

No, seriously, I really like this movie. It gives me the creeps and makes me feel uncomfortable. That's hard to do. I think a great double feature to show kids would be this and "The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea." Well, maybe not for kids but for people like me who were so young in the 70s as to have very nearly only sense memories of the time. Compare this to the treacly "Stand by Me" and the infantile "Goonies." I don't mean to suggest those are bad movies, but they don't treat kids or childhood very seriously. "Stand by Me" over-sentimentalizes and "Goonies" shrouds it in childish escapism (which makes it a very fun movie). There was a brief shining moment, now long past, when a significant number of adults gave youth credit for being human. This movie is flawed in many ways but it is a disquieting exemplar of a sadly missed philosophy of the arts of and for adolescence.

A seminal experience for a movie loving teenager

[JonSturgess · 10/10 · 23 February 2001]

The recent passing of another of the 'great' directors prompted me to look back at Stanley Kramer's career. And that lead me to reflect upon my teenage experience of sitting in one of Melbourne's grand old picture houses one Saturday afternoon and viewing this movie for the first of what has now been many times.

Perhaps it was my age at the time, or my love of the outdoors, or my regular weekend hikes, or my love of animals... whatever it was, that 2 hours looking at the enormous screen was one I can recall with vivid clarity even 30 years on.

I remember how awesome the cinematography was it captured the beauty of the environment in those scenes where the misfit teenagers headed out across the plains to rescue the bison.

The music also evoked the essence of the outdoors for me. For many years after whenever I came up over a hill in the forest the Carpenters' music seemed to play in my head. It is just a shame that someone let the theme be [mis] appropriated to other less noble ends.

I have shown this movie to many teenage groups in the years since it opened. Although time has certainly moved on and much, especially the dress and manners has changed I have rarely found any teenager who has not been able to identify with the movie and the themes it seeks to explore.

Stanley Kramer made some wonderful, no some great movies. And while this may not rank as his greatest, for me it was and 'is' great as it allows this writer to revisit his teen years and relive a truly memorable period of his life.

The young and the restless

[safenoe · 7/10 · 2 November 2021]

I remember seeing this as a teenager, and remembering the haunting Nadia's theme (which later became the theme for The Young and the Restless) playing in this movie of teenage awakening. Bill Mumy and Barry Robins starred as troubled teenagers who do their bit for the wild beasts.

I was saddened to learn that Barry Robins died of complications from AIDS in Los Angeles on 1 April 1986.

To this day, I just don't know

[slackline70 · 5/10 · 13 March 2020]

I remember seeing this movie in high school as part of a freshman English class.

And it was by far the most memorable movie I saw as part of my high school curriculum. To this day I still don't know if it was particularly good, but wow was it memorable.

First of all, I don't think I've ever seen so many young boys in their underwear in any movie - much less one that was part of a high school curriculum. It almost struck me as something akin to child pornography - only with just enough of the bodies clothed for the filmmakers to avoid jail time. I've heard some say it was to convey vulnerability rather than to be exploitative - but I couldn't help but notice the director devoted almost as much screen time to parading the bullies around in their skivvies as he did the victims. Was it on artistic grounds - or just exploitation? I still just don't know.

Second of all, you would be hard pressed to find a movie that presents its heroes in such an unflattering light. Self-absorbed, and often obnoxious and just plain weird, these boys really got on your nerves. I would feel sorry for them one moment, and then want to beat them up myself the next - and I'm saying that as someone who got bullied himself in high school. They did of course have a noble mission - to save a herd of buffalo - but even that seemed a little strange and hard to accept given their penchant for being losers with essentially no redeeming qualities. Again, I don't think I'll ever know if the true purpose of this in-your-face presentation of protagonists you would really rather never meet in real life was done to challenge us - or simply to make us feel uncomfortable?

I will always remember this movie. Just don't particularly ever want to see it again.

Forgotten Masterwork from Stanley Kramer

[Enrique-Sanchez-56 · 10/10 · 6 August 2002]

Yes...a masterwork. I don't throw that term around carelessly. But it is so much more than what meets the eye.

I saw this at 15, alone, one Saturday afternoon in a dark movie theater and my life was transformed. This is a coming-of-age movie that more people should watch at that turning point of their lives.

I know it gave me the feeling for the first time, that I wasn't alone feeling geeky, weird, and a stranger to the world. We can probably all relate to at least one of the archetypes Kramer used to tell this story. And that's a good thing, because it made me feel for the first time, that I was OK..that I did belong...that we all had something to contribute.

But it's not just about teen angst, it's about finding a place, a reason and a purpose to live for and finding the strength to follow through in the face of all adversity.

Much praise should be extended to the acting which was natural and never seemed forced....and of course, the music.

The Botkin/de Vorzon score (which went on to famous and infamous heights as 'Nadia's theme' and then the theme to 'The Young and The Restless'). The score highlighted with the Carpenters and Billy Mumy's song in the forest.

Highly Recommended.

Stanley Kramer is an underrated director, though just barely

[Chris-94 · 7/10 · 4 November 2000]

Stanley Kramer was one of the great directors of the 60s and 70s. Yes, he was a hack, but like most hacks he possessed great skill. Bless the Beasts and the Children was a consummate piece of hack work. No, it's not a great picture. But it's a damned good one. Kramer directs the cast of children with considerable grace. Viewers looking for a feel-good film should rent this one immediately. Those looking for immortal film-making should go elsewhere.

I found it trite

[sandg · 2/10 · 25 June 2006]

This movie is too sentimental without the substance to provide a payoff. The music is too syrupy and again lacking a real emotional edge. It is amazing that this movie is shown in school as there are far better examples of movies that provide glimpses into the topics that this movie "tackles". The characterizations are poor and trite and the situation is simplistic and there just isn't enough going on to warrant a full length feature. It appears as if 1971 critics lauded the movie with praise but I don't think that it will necessarily stand the test of time. It would be interesting to see how a remake would be critically reviewed.

A diverse group of teenage boys struggling to find their identities

[navrm-1 · 11 March 2004]

I saw this movie in our school auditorium, as a high school classroom requirement back in the 1980's. I remember the girls crying, while a few of my male classmates sat quietly; perhaps being able to quickly identify themselves to one or more of the characters. The movie may not have interpreted the true spirit of the book, but I do think Stanley Kramer did as best a job he could in evoking both the struggles of male adolescence and the cultural patterns of the American family in the 1970's. There were many sobering messages despite the redundant metaphors throughout the film. Now, I am more interested in the "Where Are They Now" aspect of the film when I recently came across this title. I've found very little information on any of the main characters, with the exception of Bill Mummy. Also was saddened to hear about the death of Barry Robins (Cotton) back in 1986.

Crazy means good

[lasombra-71282 · 7/10 · 15 October 2023]

I really liked this idea for the film. I myself love and protect animals very much, so this film is like a balm for the soul.

The film successfully shows the uniqueness of the characters. They are all so different and strange in their own way, in a good way. Boys' kindness, empathy, sincerity, empathy for each other and animals. They are inspired by a common high goal, which helps them overcome their personal internal barriers and external circumstances. They accept each other and treat each other with respect. Here we can talk about absolute acceptance. This state of affairs gives them courage in front of elders and in front of fate. Confidence in your good intentions, clearly distinguishing good from evil and not doubting yourself and each other. Declaring this to the world and people. Their sincerity, fairness, friendship, and team spirit are very inspiring.

We need to show this film to all the children of the world so that they are impressed by these ideas of the film. This film will help you reconsider your picture of the world and think about life more deeply.

Bill Mumy with shoulder lengthed, unwashed hair!

[littlenemo · 7/10 · 30 September 2000]

Just to see what Bill Mumy (Lost in Space) looked like at 17 is worth the value of the rental. He also wrote a song for this movie!

If you were a misfit dweeb growing up as I was, you'll enjoy this film. Although the 'Bar scene' seemed unnecessary to the plot and its a film that will be hopelessly trapped in the 1970's. The Carpenters had a minor hit single with the title track. 7/10

Get "Bless the Beasts & Children" to DVD!!!

[ChuckeeO · 10/10 · 25 May 2008]

Like so many others, I saw this movie in school. I was in the 7th grade and a "dink" like the Bedwetters. I was also in the closet and wouldn't come out for another 20 years but I was already being called, "fairy" like Goodenow and the others in the Bedwetters' cabin. I connected so well with this movie when I saw it that it will ALWAYS be at the top of my favorites list.

Most favorites aren't usually the best that cinema has to offer but ones that strike a special chord in one's life. It helped that the Carpenters were my favorite music group at the time (still are) and "Lost in Space" had been my favorite TV show as a kid and now there was an older "Will Robinson" in this movie (doing a very good non-Will performance).

I have a very poor VHS copy of this movie recorded from a late-night TV showing back in the late 80's. I am holding on to that copy until (hopefully someday soon) the DVD version is released (and hopefully again) with lots of special features.

I am waiting to show my partner this movie on DVD because I want him to know more about who I was (and am) by seeing probably the most important movie of my adolescence.

Re: Actors' real ages. Who cares, adults have been playing teens in movies and TV since the beginning of cinema and still do. If they can pull it off, who cares.

LET'S PULL TOGETHER AS FANS TO GET THIS MOVIE FINALLY RELEASED ON DVD!

One of the best films ever made.

[JCisneros · 10/10 · 28 December 1999]

Bless the beasts and the children is in a nutshell, a masterpiece. The movie cleverly develops each character brilliantly. Anyone who has ever felt like the odd man out can make an emotional connection to the plight of the characters. Director Stanley Kramer does of great job of showing the parity between the teenagers and the Buffalo. Its a movie about freedom, growing up, and most importantly, its about the beauty of innocence.

Okay but very dated

[CabbageCustard · 4/10 · 22 June 2021]

I really wanted to enjoy this film and end up holding it in the same regard that I know many others do. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. I didn't hate it though and I'm glad I have now seen it, many years after it was made. I do applaud the film makers for avoiding all the plot cliches and stereotypical characters usually found in this sort of movie. Nothing about this is run-of-the-mill. Congratulations also for casting actors who are at least close to the ages of the characters they portray. That doesn't happen much these days. The only exception is the actor who plays Cotton, one of the leaders of the group. He is obviously in his mid twenties and, alone among the cast, overacts terribly. Speaking of the cast, one of the main reasons I had for watching this was to see Billy Mumy as a teenager. I grew up watching the original 'Lost in Space' you see. He was good in his role here, despite having some silly lines to deliver.

One complaint I did have with this movie was the music. This movie has one of the dreariest soundtracks I have ever heard. The tedious dirge of a title song is just excruciating and made me wonder why The Carpenters ever rose to popularity. To think it was nominated for an Oscar! The field must have been slim that year.

To summarise, this movie probably had a lot of resonance in its day, but that day has passed. Now it's more of a curiosity, but it's not a bad one. I was never bored by it and do think it's worth a watch.

A moving and grossly underrated movie

[markie-10 · 9/10 · 23 February 2001]

Although often bypassed in the critics' reviews of Kramer's best movies, "Bless the Beasts and the Children" (1971) shows Kramer's compassion of the underdog and his dislike of injustice with great emotional impact. Kramer directed many outstanding films including such classics as "High Noon," "Inherit the Wind," "The Defiant Ones," and "Judgment at Nuremberg" to mention only a few, but I believe that "Bless the Beasts and the Children" deserves to be listed along with them.

Worse Than The Book

[bigverybadtom · 1/10 · 30 May 2011]

We were assigned the book in English class, and had to watch the movie too. I didn't care for either one, but while the book had some merit, the movie did not.

Yes, both were a trite story about misfit kids banding together on a mission and growing up in the process. The book at least did a better job of explaining the misfit kids and what motivated their mission to free the buffalo. Also the "mission" in the book took place under cover of night; the movie was entirely shot during daylight, presumably for technical reasons another review mentioned but it spoiled the whole effect.

The movie was presumably meant to be anti-gun (not the case with the book), but really, the camp counselor having pistols in his locked locker? And unlike the book's ending, where Cotton dies when his truck crashes (he served his purpose in the story), in the movie Cotton gets shot to death-accidentally? And then the movie abruptly ends.

If I were a schoolteacher, I could and would find something far better to use as a class assignment.

I cried

[prolific64 · 22 October 2003]

I read the book when I was just 12 years old. I loved it. Then I saw the movie...and loved the movie just as much. This is NOT your standard coming-of-age movie. Anyone who claims otherwise is full of buffalo doo (!) because there is no comparison here. As for statements that troubled kids aren't tender-hearted when it comes to animals, again, buffalo chips! This movie is dead-on when it comes to adolescent worry and the way that young people (and older folks too) treat one another. Swarthout has it right.

I have just now re-read the book and am dying to see the movie again. It's been at least 15 years or more (probably closer to 20) so everything is fresh again. Ironically for me, I now live just down the road from Prescott and Jerome and Flagstaff. All those locations from the movie and from the book are right down the road.

"Beasts" one of the best "coming-of-age" movies I've ever seen.

[bikercubma · 10/10 · 5 March 2007]

As a young kid of about 9 or 10 I saw this movie for the first time. It was one of those movies that just happened to be on TV on a Sat. afternoon and I just couldn't take my eyes away from it. I always felt "different" even at that young age, and to see a movie where kids who were considered different were teased and tormented for it was something I could identify with. I remember being so depressed over the ending of the movie, but then realizing that this young cast of "misfits" were actually hero's. There was a part of me as a kid that wanted to be there with them. Being gay and understanding some of the sub-texts of this movie now it makes sense why it had such an effect on me as a kid. I saw this movie a few more times in my teens and older and it still captures me. Hard to find it on video these days, but would love to own this movie.

I've read there are some people who did not identify with or like this movie. That's certainly understandable. This wasn't the greatest film of all time, but it was a wonderful and honest story about teenagers told in a hard hitting way...and also the actor's were not the boy band "pretty" kind of actors you get in today's teenage movies. It was also made in the pre-special effects/loud music/MTV & Vid Game generation. This film was not made for those with an attention span shorter than that of a flea.

GREAT MOVIE - HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Back to the Basics what ever happened to compassion?

[galsafety · 10/10 · 16 February 2007]

I first seen this movie in 1971 and I was 15 years old. I am a major animal advocate and did have trouble with the slaughter of the buffaloes. I recently located this movie and had to pay 69.00 for it. I can understand why. Thank God now days we can not exploit the animals in our movies. I can relate to how this group of misfits felt and what drove them to try and make a difference. This WAS MY GENERATION and we had a heart and purpose. Maybe more of our generation should share this with our children who are the age of "ENTITLEMENT" and desensitized from all the violence in our world through video games and media. It's what's in it for me and who cares about you?