The Secret Cave

I saw this as a child 60 years ago and was even then amazed by the great natural drama of man innocently experimenting with nature with no idea of the consequences. These are only children who don’t know what they are doing, but at least they have the good sense to restore order in the last minute before war breaks out between the two villages about the water. Grown-up men are known to cause much worse havoc in nature out of sheer irresponsibility with no sense to avoid wars.It’s a delightful film really putting the children in the centre of the action as protagonists with even some sense of responsibility, while the leading grown-ups are only foolish, mean and angry. Richard Addinsell’s music adds the final touch to this small but undeniable masterpiece of a charming children’s play mirroring the great problems of the world and environment in a microcosmos of irresistible thought-provoking complications of trifling with nature leading even on to thriller excitement.