Black Jack

Synopsis

Some adventure stories are all about action, but this one pays attention to the characters. Made by Ken Loach, the director of Kes, it's a tale set in 18th century England, where a Frenchman known as Black Jack is helped to escape by a boy called Tolly, and then the two of them free Belle, a girl being sent to an asylum for the insane, before they all join up with a circus. Adapted from writer Leon Garfield's novel, it's a movie full of great little episodes as the three friends make their way across the country.