I can only remember this film as seen through my child-eyes. Perhaps it would not seem so "excellent" to me now, after so many years. But I wholeheartedly agree with the general consensus regarding the sweet poignancy of this work. As one who never heard the legend before seeing the movie, I was enchanted by the simple dialogue, the profound reasoning, and the genuine wonderment expressed by the animals. So carefully crafted was this portrayal, that I was completely taken by surprise when the Christ Child was born and the animals rushed to share their gospel experience with the world.
Indeed, I cried when the animals lost their gift of speech, scattering out of the barn and into the night, "praising" God in their "native" tongues. My husband has a similarly fond memory of this film, and not a Christmas goes by that we don't recall it, ponder it, and long to see it again. Sadly, it likely would not withstand the politically correct climate in which we live today.
Indeed, I cried when the animals lost their gift of speech, scattering out of the barn and into the night, "praising" God in their "native" tongues. My husband has a similarly fond memory of this film, and not a Christmas goes by that we don't recall it, ponder it, and long to see it again. Sadly, it likely would not withstand the politically correct climate in which we live today.