This film deals with subjects such as the value of money, greed and despair for money, selfishness, obsession, compulsion and ruin. It's not the easiest film to rate due to its complex nature in many ways. It's not Hitchcock but its level of suspense (frightening for its time and still surprising even today) has a hitchcockian feel to it. It doesn't have that much of suspense, but when it has it convinces. And all of that coming from a simple and apparently harmless rocking horse!
I guess the film has good morals and lessons to teach us. Learn from it or not is entirely up to us. This film is creepy and often unpleasant. It's a strange combination of things which result in... an awkward combination, to say the least. One thing that bothers me about it is the constant talk about money.
John Howard Davies is superb in this role, just like he was in 'Oliver Twist' previously. His eyes are so expressive, even almost creepy, such is the intensity in them. The character he portrays is very nice, polite, loving and cute, but also strange and obsessed by money and the rocking horse.
This boy wasn't plagued with the curses that took so many child actors to disgrace and grew up to be a successful producer of British sitcoms such as 'Mr. Bean'.
I guess the film has good morals and lessons to teach us. Learn from it or not is entirely up to us. This film is creepy and often unpleasant. It's a strange combination of things which result in... an awkward combination, to say the least. One thing that bothers me about it is the constant talk about money.
John Howard Davies is superb in this role, just like he was in 'Oliver Twist' previously. His eyes are so expressive, even almost creepy, such is the intensity in them. The character he portrays is very nice, polite, loving and cute, but also strange and obsessed by money and the rocking horse.
This boy wasn't plagued with the curses that took so many child actors to disgrace and grew up to be a successful producer of British sitcoms such as 'Mr. Bean'.