Der gelbe Junge (1972)
28KDer gelbe Junge: Directed by Michael Powell. With Mark Dightam, Robert Eddison, Helen Weir, Brian Worth. John and his class go on a school trip to the Tower of London. While he is there he loses his pet mouse and vows to return and find her later. Back in school, he is not very attentive and falls asleep during a lesson about electricity so his teacher sends him home. On the ‘tube’ there is a sudden flash, and John, the train and all of the passengers turn yellow. With the help of Nick (short for ‘Electronic’) John learns about electricity, invades the Tower of London and saves his pet mouse … or was it a dream. This is the Powell u0026 Pressburger touch applied to children’s films.
“This simple childrenu0026#39;s film, made as a way of educating kids through u0026quot;funu0026quot; means, is a small-scale, very dated piece of fluff that would have long ago been lost to cinema history if not for one very crucial element — it was the final pairing of one of filmu0026#39;s finest partnerships, director Michael Powell and writer Emeric Pressburger. After a string of cinematic marvels in the 1940s (including The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp, Black Narcissus, The Red Shoes, and A Matter Of Life And Death), their fortunes faded. They kept up their partnership as The Archers until 1957, made one more film together in the mid-60s (Theyu0026#39;re A Weird Mob, which is probably the least seen and most elusive of all their work), and then surprisingly churned this out in 1972. Anyone hoping for a hint of the old magic will be disappointed. This is weak on all fronts, an odd and unhappy concoction from a pair of geniuses who were famed for their innovation and creativity. Fans will want to catch it anyway, just to be able to say theyu0026#39;ve seen it, but really this is a very minor PS to a fabulous career which had long since hit its peak.”
