Search - The Well on DVD

DEFINITELY CAUGHT MY ATTENTION!

Nanette Sims | Detroit, MI United States | 01/09/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I can remember at age 9 sitting home in my living room all alone watching this movie. It caught my eye because of the racial issues involved. The disapperance of a black child caused a huge uproar in a small town. She was last seen talking to a white man who was later accused of kidnapping her. The turn of events are really interesting. I purchased this movie last year and watched it again for the second time. This is a very captivating classic. I am glad I was able to add it to my video collection."

A timeless classic

balbes@arch.umsl.edu | St. Louis Mo. | 12/24/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"A Black child slowly walks across a field picking flowers. As she appears in full view, she seems to drop off the bottom of the screen. The camera now move up and focuses down on a small well that she has fallen into. Dimitri Tiompkin's music profoundly enhances this scene and the rest of the movie. When she is reported missing, the police determine that the last person to see her was a white man (the actor is Henry Morgan, later known as Harry Morgan from Dragnet and MASH). The scenes of racial turmoil, interspersed with the scene of the field where the girl fell into the well, produce a feeling of disquieting intensity in the viewer. Even 40 after seeing The Well for the first time, I still get chills watching it."

Classic Black and White Film (In more ways than one)

Andre M. | 05/12/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This movie was filmed on location in Marysville and Yuba City, CA in 1950. The towns were supposed to portray a town in the deep south such as Georgia or Mississippi. The students in the class room scenes were kids from the Marysville Elementary School, first grade. I know because I was in the scenes. As extras, we were paid the sum of $15.00. Another scene was taken next to the school where a black lady was almost run down by a car. The school students were in another scene playing on playground equipment at the park. Many of the historic buildings shown in both Yuba City and Marysville are still standing today, 1999.For an enjoyable movie with a good ending, watch it!"

Interesting and underrated

Andre M. | Mt. Pleasant, SC United States | 09/29/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a pretty fascinating little film. The other reviewers have pretty much told the story , so I won't be repetitive on that.But what is really interesting is the portrayal of the Black characters. The film aviods rank stereotypes of the time and most of the Black characters are shown as decent, intellligent, and well-spoken (aside from the thuggish rioters, who are not the main characters). Similarly, it's also good that the film makes differences between the wild White rioters and the decent White characters who try to stop the madness. Overall, a very anti-racist film for it's time that deserves to be better known. Yeah, some of the dialogue and actiong are corny by modern standards, but it's still a good film that is really more about good vs. evil than Black vs, White."