jmix2000
I've just re-watched this film yesterday when I'am almost 50 and I can say that "Juan Salvador Gaviota" is one of the best movies I've ever seen. And I can assure I've watched tons and tons of movies throughout my life. Photography is unbelievable. Also music from the Great Neil Diamond. The sequences of flight and the voice of seagulls. The depth of message. And it was made in 1973, when no digital effects were available... I recommend to everybody to see it. After much reflection, because life was presented to me, I understood that Juan Salvador Gaviota was, as the dedication of the book said, the film, the spirit that exists in each one of us and that to achieve perfection it only needs to be discovered.
Wizard-8
If you examine the opening credits of the movie "Jonathan Livingston Seagull", you'll see that there is no mention of Richard Bach, who wrote the book that the movie is based on. Bach actually sued screenwriter/producer/director Hall Bartlett for (among other things) supposedly distorting his story, so Bach probably demanded his name be taken off the project. Seeing the movie, I can understand Bach's reaction. To be fair, the photography and camera-work in the movie are first rate, and the locations are well chosen as well. But despite its good look, the movie is a bore, a chore to sit through. There are long stretches of the movie when the movie comes to a standstill, with endless shots of seagulls flying around and around. The character of Jonathan is thin - we learn little about him, and he has less dialogue than you may think, despite being the central character. And all the dialogue the characters has feels random, like it's being made up as the movie is going along. The movie's "messages" feel heavy handed. As for Neil Diamond's score, while I have enjoyed a number of his songs in his past, the songs and background music here are far from his best work. Stick with the book.
Omid Jahanian
It's an amazing view. A seagull just like the other ones suddenly decides to be different and this difference would affect his life. he should now pay more cost for the different life he chose. Jonothan is just like the Christian saints and his guidances are so like the St. Francis's. I see a lot of similarities with this film (an obviously the novel it is derived from) with Kzantzakis novels.I am so happy to see such a film without any actors or actresses and only see a clan of seagulls.The music of the film is so fascinating and set perfectly on the film story.Another fact that i must mention here is the difficulty of photography, editing and directing of such a movie. It is just hunting the moments because you can see a lot of shots in this movie that i know it took too much time to have such a sight.
SoylentGreenIsPeople91
This review is based on the first 45 minutes of the film - it is the only film I have ever walked out of. The single worst film I have ever seen. Pretentious drivel masquerading as some sort of art. Not even watchable in a "so bad its good" way. It is way, way below that standard. A seagull who wants to "fly" - not fly, "fly" (possibly with 2 y's). It is every bit as bad as the plot synopsis (and that is the entire plot) sounds. I thought that the book had had some interesting ideas, even if it was a bit on the twee side, but the film removed any vestige of charm from the book in favour of a literal interpretation of the book's message. All we have is a seagull who wants to "fly".(Please note that this review was not written by SoylentGreenIsPeople91, who has actually never seen this film)
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