South Pacific

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Toni A The 1958 cinematic production of ‘South Pacific’ remarkably aligns with the year of my birth. The narrative’s ethos, addressing the intricate issue of racial discrimination, remains strikingly relevant in contemporary society. Despite its extended duration, the film is meritorious of viewing for its enduring thematic significance. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/23/24 Full Review Jim P I have seen this movie five times now, and it gets better with each viewing! An amazing musical with clever catchy songs, two parallel love stories and breathtaking scenery. Try it, you may love it too! Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 04/21/24 Full Review harwee h One of the better musicals of that time. Handsomely shot, and the songs are snappy. Happy Talk being one of the most amusing that will keep you smiling. It still felt like 2 movies in one that are clashing (a musical and a war film), but somehow in the end it did work. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 12/25/23 Full Review Joshua H Although not a lot for the songs worked as well for me as maybe they should have done it makes up with an really well told story tackling some big themes making it a fantastic watch. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/03/23 Full Review Audience Member "Most people live on a lonely island Lost in the middle of a foggy sea..." So begins the song "Bali Ha'i" as sung by Bloody Mary in "South Pacific". I'm assuming when Mary says "most people" she means most people that she knows. For me, most people I know live smack dab in the middle of a huge continent where winter snow can drive you indoors for months at a time. We often wish we lived on an island in the middle of a sea. "South Pacific" is the film version of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical set in some islands in the middle of a sea. The movies stars Rossano Brazzi (singing voice dubbed by the outstanding Giorgio Tozzi) as Emile de Becque and Mitzi Gaynor as Nellie Forbush. The Italian Brazzi does a decent job as the "cultured Frenchman", but it is the beautiful and talented Gaynor who steals the show as the "little hick" from Little Rock. Her singing, dancing, and acting are all first rate. The supporting cast does not fare so well, with the exception being Ray Walston. He does a great job as the conniving "businessman" Luther Billis. Lieutenant Cable is played by John Kerr. Why the producers chose this guy to play one of the heroes of the story is beyond comprehension. Kerr tries to make his character seem like a no-nonsense admirable tough guy, but he comes across as just a snarky joyless jerk. The producers certainly didn't hire Kerr for his singing prowess. His voice is as tinny and squeaky as Mr. Peepers. So, when he goes from spoken dialog to a singing voice (which is dubbed by the quite capable baritone Bill Lee), it's as jarring as if Bloody Mary had gone into a dance and demonstrated leaps, pirouettes, and pointe technique to rival Anna Pavlova. Director Joshua Logan decided for, some reason, to shoot several scenes with colored filters. Apparently the final resulting look was harsher that what he had hoped for, but he never had time to correct it before the film's release. The resulting scenes do have a kind of dreamy quality, assuming your dream is that you're viewing the world from the inside of a giant lemon Jell-O mold. Besides Gaynor, the main attractions of the film are the superb songs. They don't write 'em like that anymore, right Lin-Manuel? I will grant though that the lyrics are quite dated. "There is nothin' like a dame". Indeed. Remember however that this was written in 1949. Because of its few flaws, there have been a number of people who have suggested that it might be a good idea to do a remake. Well, I disagree. No one, I mean no one ever, can better Mitzi Gaynor as Nurse Forbush. Besides, there was a remake; a TV movie from 2001 which I had the displeasure of seeing. Holy Bloody Mary! I'd rather swab the entire deck of an aircraft carrier with a toothbrush than to subject myself to another viewing of that flotsam. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Liam D This is a epic musical in all the best way Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/22/22 Full Review Read all reviews

South Pacific

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