Review of My Side of the Mountain (1969) by Monique-Elise D — 14 Apr 2011

This mis-understood masterwork has long been seen as a bad adaption of the Jean Craighead George's novel. This misunderstanding has long plagued the work, miring critical appraisal to a simply a forgettable failure.

By setting the film in Canada rather than Upstate New York James B. Clark has created a clear satire of the pioneering isolationist American Ideal which Sam Gribley typifies. In the fatalist universe of the Canadian wilderness, Sam's quest to survive alone in the forest fails based on Nothop Frye's concept of the Garrison Mentality .

A Canadian Classic in the tradition of Roughing it in the Bush this film is a must-see!