A Child Went Forth

Name: A Child Went Forth
Genre: Documentary, Short
Duration: 20 min
Rating: 5.4
Cast: Lloyd Gough

1942
20m

IMDb RATING

5.4/10

YOUR RATING

Documentary Short

A line from Whitman, "There was a child went forth every day," starts this film: a visit to a farm that's a summer camp and progressive school for exploration and discovery. The children, as... Read allA line from Whitman, "There was a child went forth every day," starts this film: a visit to a farm that's a summer camp and progressive school for exploration and discovery. The children, as young as two or three, have room and time to question, wonder, and learn. We build a wadi... Read allA line from Whitman, "There was a child went forth every day," starts this film: a visit to a farm that's a summer camp and progressive school for exploration and discovery. The children, as young as two or three, have room and time to question, wonder, and learn. We build a wading pool, use tools, climb and swing, bath a dog - and learn to live together. There are sp... Read all

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

5.4/10

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Photos

Trivia
Composer Hanns Eisler arranged parts of the music for this film as the Suite for Septet No. 1, op.92a (Variations on American Children's Songs).

User reviews2

Review

Featured review

6/10

A CHILD WENT FORTH (Joseph Losey, 1941) **1/2

Who would have thought that, during his exile in Hollywood, Luis Bunuel collaborated (under the auspices of the Museum of Modern Art's film branch) with Joseph Losey, then just starting his own important(and turbulent) career? In certain aspects, this documentary about the education of war orphans – which sticks close to nature but pretty much leaves them to their own devices – evokes memories of the Spanish Surrealist's LAS HURDES aka LAND WITHOUT BREAD (1932), while looking forward to the film that saw his eventual artistic renaissance i.e. LOS OLVIDADOS aka THE YOUNG AND THE DAMNED (1950). On the other hand, while his Communist ideals were at the fore of Losey's preliminary work (the director's American phase), they would be much less prevalent during his refuge from political oppression in Europe. To get back to the film, or rather short, at hand: the kids' various antics – quarreling amongst themselves, letting rip in mud and water, or rendered curious by the presence of animals – make for generally pleasant (if hardly exciting) viewing, despite the grim undertones pertaining to their background. With this in mind, the distinct feeling which one takes from it is that these children grow up to be somewhat better prepared to face life's travails than ones whose parents may have unconsciously sheltered to the ultimate detriment of their character formation.