The Secret Garden (1949)

I finally got around to watching the 1949 version of The Secret Garden. This was the first film version that was not a silent movie.

I heard about this  version in a podcast episode of Beneath the Hollywood Sign, which discusses classic film. That episode was devoted to stories that featured very bratty children. One of the hosts brough this movie up and while I agree that Mary Lennox is not a very agreeable child, I didn't see her characterization here much worse than the 1993 version that I grew up watching.

The story is mostly in black and white, which lends itself well to the tone of the dispiriting mansion located on the desolate moors. The wind howls, the candle lights flicker, and shadows seem to play tricks with your mind. It feels more Bronte than Burnett.

The mood inside the house is contrasted by the technicolor scenes inside the garden's walls. The movie was made a decade after The Wizard of Oz, but it definitely utilizes the same effect because the aim is to transport the viewer to another world.

I enjoyed it because it's one of my favorite stories, but it's not a movie I see myself re-watching anytime soon. It didn't seem to have the emotional depth of the 1993; it was just actors walking me through the story's events.

I looked to see if the 1918 version is available anywhere, but it's unfortunately a lost film.