Wonderful Movie

Good start, but then it gets ruined

Good movie but grossly overrated

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

This justly famous short story is surprisingly simple in its construction and densely emotional in its impact. There are familiar plot elements: ugly old man meets beautiful young girl, they develop a close relationship. In some ways one is moved to think of Silas Marner, there are both rich and rigid qualities in their love, never consummated, sharply constrained. The eroticism of Rhayader's relationship with the girl, Fritha, is almost totally suppressed but it is bursting out of the story repeatedly before the final scenes. It's like the sensual heat of Girl With A Pearl Earring, deeply heartfelt and almost completely unexpressed. Vermeer painted the girl from life; Rhayader painted his girl from memory, a symbolic reflection of his restrained character and the repressed relationship. The story line of Snow Goose is mostly mundane, Gallico easily sustains a dramatic tension, although the Dunkirk evacuation scenes are almost disembodied, almost a charade with the forced Cockney accents dominating the dialog. Snow Goose is eminently poetic, the ending that every reader can anticipate occurs with realistic sadness and realistic revelation. Fritha feels the words in her heart: "Philip, I love 'ee." The long-patient viewer is finally released to wordless exultation. Read more on my blog: Barley Literate by Rick

This is a movie that truly showed the talents of Richard Harris and a newer actor, Jenny Agutter. I used this in a class I taught in high school. The tape did not survive, and I too would like to see this on DVD if at all possible. When I taught this, I used it in a unit called "Love, Loneliness, and Alienation." All three elements of the unit are evident in this story First, the loneliness of Richard Harris's character, the alienation he felt from his community, and the love that develops because of the snow goose.The heartbreak that is the ending cannot be described in words, but the powerful message that is sent is worth the deep sadness that the viewer feels.

I watched this heart breaking film as a callow youth and was enchanted by it. Since the film is so rare, read the book. (It's a novella and you can read it in an evening) The film was a BBC and Hallmark joint venture and was an acclaimed success. Therefore the BBC has never repeated it and Hallmark, who has the rights apparently, have never considered re-releasing it. Considering the rubbish around today this is a little mystifying. Richard Harris plays the hunchback, Phillip Ryader brilliantly. The young Jenny Agutter nicely underplays the part of the girl leaving as much unsaid as stated. These two damaged, shy people are thrown together in their common cause to look after a wounded snowgoose. Time passes and their relationship grows but events impinge on their world as Europe descends into war. How will these events affect them? Have the hankies ready....

Those of us who were fortunate to have seen this made-for-television production from the Hallmark Hall of Fame have never forgotten it and continue to hope that someone, somehow will find a way to make it available on DVD or video. My understanding is that Mr. Gallico specified in his Will that it was not to be made commercially available, but why he would do such a thing is beyond me! He wrote both the book and the screenplay and the final product was an exquisite use of the medium. Richard Harris has never given a better performance in his career, indeed, all the fuss about his appearance in the Harry Potter movies only reminds me that this wonderful performance is virtually unknown to most people. It is not an exaggeration to say that you cannot watch this film and come away unmoved.