A bored Bachelor (played by Bill Travers) in London one day adopts an otter from a pet shop but finds that his flat cannot possibly contain him physically, so he decides to purchase a rundown seaside cottage in Scotland where they both thrive in their new surroundings, even finding mates (of a sort) though things will eventually take a dark, unexpected turn indeed...
Much remembered animal film from 1969 based on a true-life novel by Gavin Maxwell is beautifully filmed on real London and Scottish locations, with the viewer coming to care about the playful otter and his episodic escapades with his human friends will get a horrible shock involving the death of poor Mij by the ignorant fool ditchdigger that could have derailed the film, but despite the sorrow, is handled as well as possible, as the otter did really suffer a needless, tragic end, which could have been altered to be happy of course for the purpose of film, but the adherence to harsh reality was a conscious choice to be respected, and one still debated today, since it does cast a somber pall over the rest of the film, right through the end credits and haunting title song.
Regardless, animal lovers should still watch this, as it is indeed a reminder of why those precious few people care about animals and nature in the first place, turning away from their own kind.
Much remembered animal film from 1969 based on a true-life novel by Gavin Maxwell is beautifully filmed on real London and Scottish locations, with the viewer coming to care about the playful otter and his episodic escapades with his human friends will get a horrible shock involving the death of poor Mij by the ignorant fool ditchdigger that could have derailed the film, but despite the sorrow, is handled as well as possible, as the otter did really suffer a needless, tragic end, which could have been altered to be happy of course for the purpose of film, but the adherence to harsh reality was a conscious choice to be respected, and one still debated today, since it does cast a somber pall over the rest of the film, right through the end credits and haunting title song.
Regardless, animal lovers should still watch this, as it is indeed a reminder of why those precious few people care about animals and nature in the first place, turning away from their own kind.