South Pacific

Buy This Item South Pacific by 20th Century Fox  Available from Amazon  $19.98  on 11-15-2008     The dazzling Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, brought to lush life by the director of the original stage version, Joshua Logan. Set on a remote island during the Second World War, <I>South Pacific</I> tracks two parallel romances: one between a Navy nurse (Mitzi Gaynor) "as corny as Kansas in August" and a wealthy French plantation owner (Rossano Brazzi), the other between a young American officer (John Kerr) and a native girl (France Nuyen). The theme of interracial love was still daring in 1958, and so was director Logan's decision to overlay emotional moments with tinted filters--a technique that misfires as often as it hits. The comic relief tends to fall flat, and an overly spunky Mitzi Gaynor is a poor substitute for the stage original's Mary Martin. But the location scenery on the Hawaiian island of Kauai is gorgeous, and the songs are among the finest in the American musical catalog: "Some Enchanted Evening," "Younger than Springtime," "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair," "This Nearly Was Mine." That's Juanita Hall as the sly native trader Bloody Mary, singing the haunting tune that launched a thousand tiki bars, "Bali H'ai." Based on stories from James Michener's book <I>Tales from the South Pacific</I>. <I>--Robert Horton</I> Reader Reviews To my thinking, this is the best of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals on screen. With a lush tropical setting and rather odd dual love stories, plus a theme of racial tolerance and the beauteous Mitzi Gaynor, this dazzles the eye. But with all that, it would be a dud without the music. For the most part here, the songs are excellent, especially "Some Enchanged Evening," "Bali Hai," "You Have to Be Carefully Taught," and "Nothing Like a Dame." Once they enter your head, they never come out. There is one song I think is downright silly, however, and that's "Happy Talk." Why it was included is beyond me. It isn't even close to the others in melody and certainly not in lyrics. Mitzi Gaynor is the star of the performers, not Brazzi, Kerr, Nuyen, or Walston. She lights up the place that is already nice to look upon, and she sells every song she sings. It's unfortunate that she was not an even greater movie star than she was. I've seen her stage show, and she was sensational with that as well. A fine addition to the movie itself are the extras, especially the bit with Mary Martin and Ezio Pinza, stars of the original stage production. I've always liked Ms. Martin, but she was no match for Gaynor. And then there is the 60 Minutes segment when the author of the Pulitzer Prize winning book went back to the South Pacific where he had served during World War II. I often skip the extras. I'm glad I didn't here. They add much to the enjoyment of the movie. This is simply a better movie than "The King and I" or "Carousel." It's one to watch again and again--and I will whenever I'm feeling down about life.

South Pacific Available from Amazon Price: $19.98 Updated on 11-15-2008.

SPONSORED LINKS