Sandokán

I was very pleased to find the 1974 RAI-Italy series SANDOKAN complete on DVD. While the picture quality is such that it appears to originate simply from video (cassette), the story and themes with conflicting characterizations is certainly there.

Lord Brooke, the villain of the piece, likens himself to Sandokan: he feels that he is acting in the best interests of England, just as Sandokan works similarly for his people. Of course, Brooke with his private empire in Borneo/Sarawak together with his private army of dayaks is more like a precursor to Joseph Conrad's KURTZ in HEART OF DARKNESS.

The power accorded Brooke and his allies the second ruling class - the EAST India (TEA) COMPANY seems absolute, and corrupting in its absolutism.

Some of director SERGIO SOLLIMA's best films explore the nature of authority and the struggle of those under a harsh and unforgiving authority (eg. THE BIG GUNDOWN; FACE TO FACE; THE FAMILY, the corporate nature of the underworld, and even REVOLVER (the links between politics and crime).

SANDOKAN makes for an admirable hero, and though his romantic with the very young MARIANNA, not yet 18, fresh and idealistic, seems trite, it forms one third of the triangle that keeps his world in balance. The other is his men and the community on his island stronghold of MOMPRACEM.

Some of EMILIO SARAGLI's works including SANDOKAN are finally available in English. I was amazed to see that you only have need of a reading ability of 9-12 years.

Not to belabour the point but SANDOKAN is a children's adventure story with wonderfully exotic locations (India and Malaysia were used) and characters, which actually should be watched by the parents too.

(I used to be proud of the British Empire and all its exploits, but over the years it is clear that their methods and their goals were not that noble; and of course, one only has to watch the television and read the newspapers - sometimes between the lines - to realize the problems still exist

Excellent mini-series, filmed on location in Asia with lots of indigenous people as extras, lending the series a feel of authenticity and enhancing credibility.

Leading man Kabir Bedi looks like he was born to play the role, radiating charisma and possessing major screen presence.

Also notable is the great soundtrack, with the catchy theme by Oliver Onions.

Originally this mini-series was also on Dutch television , somewhere around 1976.It was a major success; almost divine pictures and a true romantic story. I looked for Sandokan, first on Video much later also on DVD. When I found it, all the stores on the internet could not deliver this item. Finally got my new copy through Ebay; the whole series , plus the '63 release of the young Sandokan, and the '96 return of Sandokan.

for those of you not remembering all; He does get away in the end together with Yanes de Gomera and three other loyalist... In the return, 20 years later (both Kabir Bedi and Philippe Leroy are still the same!!!)they fight their way back to Mompracem...

Watching this series again made me feel proud to not be an Englishman.

After sailing the seas with Sandokan, you might wonder what life on earth still has to offer us. Sandokan's charismatic and heroic behavior is brought to us with colorful exotic images and the most beautiful soundtrack, combining sitars with steady seventies grooves. I watched this series with a four year old kid, who can't read and doesn't understand a word Italian, but he was screaming along with me Sandokan!, whenever the title song started again. The fighting and the many exotic animals are also enjoyable for the very young, though I can imagine not for the most sensitive of them. Some people get killed pretty nasty. To nowadays standards the speed is slow, but that's OK, so you have more time to enjoy the eastern environments. This series must be inspired by Serge Leones spaghetti western moods and I know that the writer of the Sandokan story was a favorite of Ché Guevara. Sandokan is against the western imperialism, a fighter for freedom... and nice to watch with the kids on a lazy Sunday afternoon.

To begin with, I recall catching a re-run of this on Italian TV as a kid (apart from an earlier cinematic adventure featuring the titular character as incarnated by popular muscle-man Steve Reeves). Incidentally, I had recently rewatched the big-screen follow-up to the serial under review called THE BLACK PIRATE (1976) – which I enjoyed quite a bit, and was actually reminded of this one even back then. Besides, a reduction of SANDOKAN – which was released to theaters under the lengthy title LA TIGRE E' ANCORA VIVA: SANDOKAN ALLA RISCOSSA! – has just been shown on Italian TV: I taped it but, knowing the serial was readily available for rental on DVD, I opted to watch the entire thing (I had intended to check out the film as a companion piece but, being currently swarmed by titles on various formats, I thought better of leaving this for another day!).

While somewhat leisurely-paced, SANDOKAN is never boring; its classical serial structure makes for sheer old-fashioned fun, with good action sequences (director Sollima had cut his teeth on Spaghetti Westerns and Gangster flicks) and a rousing score by the De Angelis brothers (several variations on the main theme are heard throughout). It also maintains a nice balance between literariness, local color, and the thrilling/romantic requirements of the genre – and is very well cast besides: Kabir Bedi (at once dashing and commanding in his signature role), Carol Andre' (one of Euro-Cult's loveliest starlets), Adolfo Celi (making for a formidable villain) and, especially, Philippe Leroy (as Sandokan's witty but resourceful sidekick).

With respect to the quality of the Yamato DVD edition I watched, it's not as bad as comments by disgruntled fans on the 'Net had led me to believe (for the record, the serial is also available as a 3-Disc Set from a different label); I do have one qualm, though, about the decision to use the reduced English credits (but, then, the originals are available as part of the bonus features). The latter includes a biography of the character's creator, Emilio Salgari: I was surprised to learn that he led a short and tragic life, but also that a later exotic serial I had watched – and in which Bedi was featured – called THE MYSTERIES OF THE DARK JUNGLE (1991) was based on his work.