Gates to Paradise (1968) - Jenny Agutter; complete, English subtitles

Directed by acclaimed and prolific Pole Andrzej Wajda, this historical drama is one of Jenny Agutter's earliest and rarest cinema appearances. This is the 78 minute German language version with English subtitles. Apparently the original version was in English and 89 minutes long.

The film tells part of the story (almost entirely fictional historians now believe) of the Children's Crusade of 1212. Eschewing violence, a group of children led by shepherd boy Jacques de Cloyes (John Fordyce), and supported by Maud (Jenny Agutter), hoped to win the Holy Land back for Christendom by their faith and innocence alone. A guilt-wracked former crusader, now a monk (Lionel Stander, Max from Hart to Hart), joins the new crusaders to hear their confessions. It turns out the motivations of the youngsters are not always as pure as they first appear.

This piece is primarily of interest for Jenny fans, so it seems like sacrilege to dub her precious voice into German! But it's a rare film, so never mind that for now, the visuals don't disappoint. Note that Jenny's role is confined to the first half hour. After that the storyline becomes more unsavoury than you might expect - definitely missable in fact.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Jenny Agutter
• Andrzej Wajda
• Lionel Stander
• crusade
• Christianity
• middle ages
• mediaeval
• costume drama
• religion

[pfl95]

awww... Jenny Agutter was so cute... reminds me of a little sister I never had.... ok that's a bit weird

[juankenon]

I was just reading about the crusade, thanks for posting this film, I can't imagine I'd ever would hav had a chance to see it otherwise

[silenceseaandsky]

The wordly motives behind spirituality: The loss of innocence, unrequited love, jeleausy. And behind that a manipulative count. I wonder if it was this turn that got F. Mayne the part of Krolock in Polanskis Dance of the Vampires. And of course it is a pleasure to see a Film by A. Wajda and the young Jenny Agutter and Matthieu Carriere in it. Thanks a lot for posting.

[Hendrikdevuile]

Was ihre Bewegungsgründe auch sein mögen, ob fromm oder lüstern, würde es die Handlung realistischer machen, wenn wir wüßten, wie diese große Schar von Kindern gefüttert wird. Laut Napoleon marschiert eine Armee auf dem Magen. In der ersten Hälfte wenigstens, gibt es keine Erklärung dafür, wie ihre Grundbedürfnisse erfüllt werden.

The first half at least does not explain at all how these children are fed etc.

Self-refilling baskets of loaves and fishes and manna from heaven seem unlikely.

[mespursongles]

Matthieu Carrière is simply wonderful.

[mariomarianof]

Nice movie, thank you very much! :)

[mikeMCSG]

@Fellwanderer

Hi FW you're obviously a man of good taste appreciating both Jenny and the great AW. There is of course a reason for the flattery. I have a blog on which there's a long but incomplete post on Jenny. If you could point me towards those films I'm missing that would be much appreciated.

[Fellwanderer]

Excellent - been looking for this for years and now I've got every one of Jenny's films!