Rudyard Kipling is the author of “If,” one of my favorite poems. It just happens to be the first thing I ever posted to my reading notebook, long before blogs existed. I also recently posted his The Law for the Wolves poem, which is fitting since I’m an NC State Grad (wolfpack). But beyond that, I have to admit I have not read much of his work. (I have of course watched Disney’s version of the Jungle Book with the kids, but I’m sure that takes liberties with Kipling’s.) So now, after watching this, I have added some of Kipling’s other work to my Amazon wish list.

This movie is based on the poem of the same name:

“Have you news of my boy Jack?”

Not this tide.
“When d’you think that he’ll come back?”
Not with this wind blowing, and this tide.
“Has any one else had word of him?”
Not this tide.
For what is sunk will hardly swim,
Not with this wind blowing, and this tide.

“Oh, dear, what comfort can I find?”
None this tide,
Nor any tide,
Except he did not shame his kind—
Not even with that wind blowing, and that tide.

Then hold your head up all the more,
This tide,
And every tide;
Because he was the son you bore,
And gave to that wind blowing and that tide!

I have to admit, it took some time to get used to seeing Kim Cattrall in this role… And it will probably be that way for any other role she plays for some time, for that matter! And I’ve only see one Harry Potter movie, but Daniel Radcliffe will be Harry to me for some time!

I’m not exactly sure why, but my recent movie list is dominated by World War 1 era movies for some reason — Legends of the Fall, A River Runs Through It, Atonement… (I think I’m missing one there…)

Finally, this movie goes along with the Wild at Heart book (which I have now finished, but have not posted about yet), in terms of how that book portrays being a man, even though I heard about this movie from an entirely different and unrelated source.