Movie based on part of James Michener's massive novel.
In the 1860s Father Hale (Max von Sydow) and his wife Jerusha (Julie Andrews) go to Hawaii to bring religion to the Hawaiian people. This movie follows their lives through about 20 years and involves rape, disease, death and incest (pretty taboo for 1966).
LONG, lumbering "epic". It's 3 hours but felt more like 30 hours! The pace is very slow and von Sydow's character is very annoying. He's always preaching and von Sydow overacts to an embarrassing degree. More than once I wanted to take his Bible and hit him over the head with it. Andrews is a wonderful actress--but not here. She seems to be constrained by her role and very muted.
The film has some good things about it. It is well-directed on location in Hawaii with beautiful cinematography. The score is very good too--it matches the images perfectly. And it's fun to see Carroll O'Connor and Gene Hackman in early roles. Also there's a superb performance by Jocelyn LaGarde (Oscar-nominated) as the island ruler. Also von Sydow's two real life sons play his sons in this movie! I watched to the end because I was interested in some of the characters and the scenery was gorgeous--but I was mostly bored by the slow pace and von Sydow's histrionics. I can only give this a 6.
In the 1860s Father Hale (Max von Sydow) and his wife Jerusha (Julie Andrews) go to Hawaii to bring religion to the Hawaiian people. This movie follows their lives through about 20 years and involves rape, disease, death and incest (pretty taboo for 1966).
LONG, lumbering "epic". It's 3 hours but felt more like 30 hours! The pace is very slow and von Sydow's character is very annoying. He's always preaching and von Sydow overacts to an embarrassing degree. More than once I wanted to take his Bible and hit him over the head with it. Andrews is a wonderful actress--but not here. She seems to be constrained by her role and very muted.
The film has some good things about it. It is well-directed on location in Hawaii with beautiful cinematography. The score is very good too--it matches the images perfectly. And it's fun to see Carroll O'Connor and Gene Hackman in early roles. Also there's a superb performance by Jocelyn LaGarde (Oscar-nominated) as the island ruler. Also von Sydow's two real life sons play his sons in this movie! I watched to the end because I was interested in some of the characters and the scenery was gorgeous--but I was mostly bored by the slow pace and von Sydow's histrionics. I can only give this a 6.