Kim

Rudyard Kipling's famous 1901 tale of a street orphan caught up in the British intelligence service's efforts to counter Russian designs on India—the empire's “crown jewel”—receives solid treatment in this 1984 TV movie, originally broadcast on CBS. Milwaukee-born teenager of Indian-American descent Ravi Sheth (who appears to have done no screen work since) is engaging as the resourceful young hero, and he receives able support from Bryan Brown as the dashing horseman Mahbub Ali, John Rhys-Davies as the quick-witted agent Babu, and—in a weird but strangely compelling bit of casting—Peter O'Toole, complete with bald pate and doddering air, as the saintly Buddhist lama to whom Kim becomes a disciple. As directed by John Howard Davies, this adaptation of Kim boasts a cheerfully old-fashioned, boy's own adventure spirit, while also remaining reasonably faithful to the original, even down to its subtle glorification of British imperialism. And while the pace may be a bit stately at times, overall this is slightly preferable to the opulent but rather pedestrian 1950 MGM Kim starring Errol Flynn, Dean Stockwell, and Paul Lukas (VL-1/04)—in particular because of the authentic Indian locations, which put the Hollywood version's combination of exterior backdrops and California foregrounds to shame. Presented with a fine transfer on an extra-less disc, this is recommended. (F. Swietek)