Movie Notes: South Pacific

November 20th, 2009

South Pacific

= 3 stars

Starring John Kerr, Mitzi Gaynor, Juanita Hall
Directed by Joshua Logan

Synopsis

During World War II, Lt. Cable (John Kerr) arrives in the South Pacific to learn of a mysterious island, Bali Hai, and meets Nellie Forbush (Mitzi Gaynor) who has fallen in love with French expatriate Emile de Becque (Rossano Brazzi).

The Good

Filmed on the Hawaiian island of Kauai.
Rogers and Hammerstein wrote the music, containing a long list of familiar songs that I didn’t know came from this musical – Some Enchanted Evening, Bali Hai, I’m In Love With A Wonderful Guy, I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair, – which I more recognize from the television commercials. The musical style varies based on the character singing the song, and the lyrics are witty and unfold magically – try to guess the next rhyme and the inventiveness will astound you, especially There Is Nothing Like A Dame.
Romantic backdrop of World War II and the chaos and isolation of the islands from the United States.

The Bad

Several scenes are marred by strong color filters (red, yellows, and blue) that are distracting and ruin the image – the beautiful island of Kauai doesn’t need any enhancement.
Racist undertones – the film’s depiction of island natives is certainly a product of its time. One crucial (and today very wince-inducing) plot point is Nellie’s worry over Emile’s mixed-race children. Eventually, the movie earns some back with the song You’ve Got To Be Carefully Taught about learned racism. But still, the racist basis for dramatic conflict comes off as rather ridiculous.

Conclusion

Because of the color filters and ultimately underwhelming drama, the film somehow fails to do the incredible music justice.

IMDB: South Pacific
Wikipedia: South Pacific
Rotten Tomatoes: South Pacific