Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14117 in DVD
• Released on: 2003-04-14
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 192 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
The Railway Children (1970) and Swallows and Amazons (1974) are perfect bedfellows: two classic children's novels, simply and faithfully adapted for the big screen. Together they evoke a poignant nostalgia for the periods in which they are set--Edwardian and 1920s England, respectively--and for the childhood of anyone who has grown up watching them. Sentimentality reigns, of course, but it's never cloying. The truthfulness of the juvenile performances, balanced with restrained sympathy from the adults, sees to that.

Flourishing under Lionel Jeffries' delicate direction, Jenny Agutter dominates The Railway Children as the oldest daughter of a family thrown on hard times when their father is wrongly sent to prison. They avert a train disaster, save an imperilled steeple chaser and reunite an exiled Russian with his wife, all with equal enterprise. Happy endings prevail after every crisis. And no number of repeat viewings can ever diminish the impact of father's return. One of the most expert tear-duct work-outs in film history, it hits the spot every time.

Perhaps the lack of such a pivotal scene has kept Swallows and Amazons in the relative shade. But its gentle appeal survives with equal charm, not least in the resourcefulness of the eponymous children and the period detail. Together this pairing makes a double bill to treasure, and a piquant reminder that Disney doesn't have a complete monopoly on the rich heritage of children's cinema.

On the DVD: The Railway Children and Swallows and Amazons is presented in standard 4:3 picture format, from so-so prints, and with acceptable mono soundtracks. Both films envelope the viewer in a comforting Sunday-afternoon haze. There are no extras, apart from scene indexes. --Piers Ford

Special Features
The Railway Children [1970]

• Colour
  
• PAL
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.66
  
• Widescreen

Swallows and Amazons [1974]

• Colour
  
• PAL
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33 (4:3)
  
• Full Screen
  
• Total Running Time: 192 minutes

Synopsis
In 'The Railway Children' three Edwardian children travel with their mother to live by a railway in Yorkshire, when their father is wrongly imprisoned as a spy. Based on the novel by Edith Nesbit. 'Swallows And Amazons' is the magical story of six young children on holiday in the Lake District during the peaceful summer of 1929. Based on the novel by Arthur Ransome.

Customer Reviews

Perfect, simply perfect!
There can be few people who have not been enthranced by The Railway Children. If you are one of those - shut the door, curl up in front of the fire and be transfixed by what is quite simply the best children's film there will ever be. Everything about the production is as perfect as a film can be.

Of course, the film is dominated by the divine (then and now) Jenny Agutter who stole everyone's hearts as Bobbie and made the part as much hers as Judy Garland had with Dorothy for a previous generation.

There will not be a dry eye in the house as the film reaches its climax and Bobbie's immortal words echo down the station platform - even as I think of it, I can hear that voice like dripping honey and a lump comes into my throat.

The end of civilisation will be nigh if the time ever comes when this masterpiece is no longer available.

Quite Simply, the BEST Children's Film Ever Made
The above summary says it all, really. "The Railway Children" is truly children's cinema perfection... but don't think this is one just for the kids! This film evokes an era of innocence, honesty and simplicity that maybe never actually existed, but does so without being saccharine-sweet.

The acting and the direction are first class, and the film is shot through with both extreme humour and beautifully moving moments. How hard-hearted would you need to be to fail to be moved by Roberta's birthday party, and not stifle a tear or a sob during the almost unbearable 'stop-motion' daughter and father reunion scene?

Whether "The Railway Children" can have an impact on children who have been raised on films such as "Toy Story" and "A Bug's Life" is open to debate. But to deny them the opportunity of seeing such a genuinely enchanting piece of film-making is little short of a crime.

So often, we hear the phrase, "this is one to treasure"; in this case, it truly is. Buy it... NOW!

A movie to be enjoyed by children of all ages, from 6 to 60!
Actually, make that from 6 to infinity! When I first watched this "flick" as a first run at the local movie-theatre I was enchanted by it. (I think I immediately developed a crush for Jenny Agutter that I've never actually lost!). The story, the cast and the setting just combined to produce a beautiful production. Much later it popped up on TV and once again I thoroughly enjoyed it. Recently I spent some time searching for a VHS copy so that my children could share my experience and I was delighted to find that "The Railway Children" is still available; I immediately ordered it. This is a movie that should be seen by everybody, no matter how old we are, and one that should be forever available for purchase. I gladly recommend it without any hesitation whatsoever. (BK)