Black Jack

Set in mid-18th century England, this adventure follows a young boy named Tolly who is forced into a journey with Black Jack, a French criminal who miraculously survives his own execution. The unlikely pair travels through the countryside, encountering body-snatchers and carnival fairs. Along the way, they are joined by Belle, an aristocratic girl who has escaped from a private asylum where her family imprisoned her. As the trio navigates various mishaps, a romantic connection develops between Tolly and Belle.

Directed and written by Ken Loach, this production represents the third of 20 films in the director's career, following Kes and preceding Fatherland. The cast features Jean Franval as Black Jack, Stephen Hirst as Tolly, and Louise Cooper as Belle, with supporting roles played by Pat Wallis, John Young, and William Moore. Produced by Tony Garnett through Kestrel Films, the movie has a runtime of 105 minutes.

Audience reception has been generally positive, as reflected by the ratings. The film holds a score of 6.7/10 on IMDb based on 844 votes, while it has a slightly higher rating of 7/10 on TMDB from 22 votes.