When a man and woman leave their families to become one as a wedded couple, they’re not defying tradition; they’re honoring it. They are shaping the brand of masculinity and femininity they’ll make their own.
That’s at the heart of this yarn, “Swiss Family Robinson” (1960), about a 19th-century Swiss family trying to avoid being swept up by Europe’s Napoleonic wars.
Father Robinson (John Mills) and Mother (Dorothy McGuire) sail from Switzerland to a New Guinea colony with their sons. Fritz (James MacArthur), in his early 20s, is the oldest, Ernst (Tommy Kirk) is just shy of 20, and Francis (Kevin Corcoran) is a pre-teen.
After pirates attack them mid-sea, they’re marooned on an uninhabited island. Salvaging what they can from the shipwreck, Father and the two older sons build a tree house. They’re able to live on the island, ward off the occasional pirate attack, and hope to be rescued someday.
While otherwise content, Mother frets: What if they don’t find other people? How will her young men find wives and set up families? So, Fritz and Ernst are allowed to search for other settlements.
They stumble upon a ship captain, Moreland, and his cabin boy, held captive by pirates. Turns out, the “boy” is a young woman in her 20s, named Roberta (Janet Munro).
Moreland, her grandfather, had disguised her to protect her from leering pirates. Fritz and Ernst can’t rescue Moreland but they can guide Roberta back home with them.
Now, with a young woman around, Fritz and Ernst realize they’re no longer boys and must decide the kind of men they want to be. Meanwhile, the pirates regroup for another attack.
Growing Up
Such scarcely believable adventure films may seem frivolous. But, however subtly, and aside from the obvious entertainment value, they can help young adults grasp hierarchies, whether of lives, responsibilities, or mistakes.
If young people are allowed more leeway because of their age, mature adults are allowed less because of theirs. Age doesn’t always imply experience, but it certainly demands it.
Not that older adults aren’t allowed mistakes because of the graver responsibilities they bear. It’s just that they have fewer excuses to make the kind of mistakes or to take the liberties with their responsibilities that young people might.
When they’re alone, Father apologizes to Mother about the shipwreck. She knows the mess they’re in isn’t his fault. But it’s enough for her that he’s ready to take responsibility.
Warmly, she reassures him. Her empathy is all he needs to lead her and the children in transforming, as if by miracle, a spot of rough jungle into their home.
Value of Life
Fritz is a man, all right, not a child. But he’s yet to understand the hierarchy of the value of life. When abandoning ship, he wants to take their livestock along, fearing they’ll die if left behind.
But Father is firm. With limited raft capacity, Mother and her sons must take precedence. Once everyone’s safe on land, they can come back for the animals. Human life is more precious than animal life.
Later, when sharks have a go at the family’s livestock swimming ashore, the Robinsons keep the sharks at bay; not all animal life is equal, either.
When the two young men are alone, they sheepishly talk about young women, especially the one they’ll finally choose to settle down with. When they and Roberta are fleeing the pirates through tough terrain and thick jungle, their attitude transforms once they realize she’s a woman.
First, they’d insisted that “he” rough it out with them. Now, all they want is that “she” graciously accepts their protection, as they make the journey easier and gentler for her.
As the Robinsons flee the wreck, the men (Father, Fritz, and Ernst) load the raft, then work the oars. Mother and little Francis keep the cargo as safe and as dry as they can. No matter how she feels privately, she isn’t wrestling the oars out of anyone’s hands, imagining she’s inferior because she’s a woman.
Mother knows that her sons are half her age, but twice as strong. Francis may one day be twice as strong, too. But now, as only a boy in the middle of a disaster, he needs protection as she does.
All this happens wordlessly. No sulking, no tantrums; just humble acceptance that each one’s stage (and state) in life is different, even complementary. Feelings matter, but truth matters more.
Check the Internet Movie Database website for plot summary, cast, reviews, and ratings. You can watch “Swiss Family Robinson” on Prime Video, Disney+ and DVD.
These reflective articles may interest parents, caretakers, or educators of young adults, seeking great movies to watch together or recommend. They’re about films that, when viewed thoughtfully, nudge young people to be better versions of themselves.
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