 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Posted: |
Jan 24, 2015 - 1:00 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Regie
(Member)
|
the great Leon Shamroy photograhed South Pacific.
Something Fox vid should try sometime.
The color filters were supposed to be subtle.
Sadly, when the film was finished shooting, director Joshua Logan did not stay for post production ashe was to begin a play on broadway.
Fox always had a history of pumping up the color on all of their musicals.
They did so, without Logans knowledge. He said he was aghast at how heavy the color was.
when watching on the blu ray, just turn your color way down during those filters and they look perfectly fine.
The roadshow version on the blu, is still missing one scene, joe cable singing a reprise of Bali Hai as he is on his way to the island for the first time. The commentary person says this was never shot and never part of the film, but his is not true.
the cutting ocntinuity shows that it was there and actor John Kerr told me it was there.
So did Fox vocal director, Ken darby.
Yes, of course, Shamroy. A quick check of Wiki would have told me that. I loved the look of that film, but I think it the weaker of all the R&H musicals, but that's another topic.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Feb 7, 2015 - 4:52 PM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Howard L
(Member)
|
The ignoramus within has been knockin' on m'door. I've been aware of this film for too long. It has now been reserved from the library and I'm finally going to watch it for the first time. Will report back down the road.
I thoroughly enjoyed it. The cavalry suddenly bursting on the scene followed by the face-off was breathtaking cinema. And I was bowled over by the sweeping series of vignettes at the barbecue. These moments instantly cast me into the directorial prowess of King Vidor that made me just want to stand up and applaud the man behind the great Hallelujah! all over again.
But man, there was weirdness, too. Of the inner tug-of-war kind. And it started with the Prelude. My reaction was Mr. Tiomkin sounds like he's channeling his inner M. Steiner a la GWTW. Next, the Overture. It reminded me of an epic western sound on the order of Red River. I must confess—for a brief moment I had actually forgotten who composed that one. Just a moment, that's all. Silly me! And then the opening credits had me smiling at something that sounded like what he did a few years later with the underscoring of “Winchester Pictures” before the incomparable dissolve into The Thing From Another World's main title and score proper. But then unfolded the story that must have used a GWTW template, especially the way Ms. Jones appeared to be channeling her inner Vivien Leigh. It was just...well, weird! And I won't pile on and mention the whole Selznick connection. Including the gossipy parts. Oops.
I'm not gonna fault her interpretation of the role, at least not too much. The problem was she struck me as something like a visual cross between a dark and alluring Kathleen Quinlan and Cyd Charisse—not the dancer, the “actress”. Mannerisms included. Oy.
Perversity is not limited to sexual manifestations in Chicago. Scarlett and Rhett—oops again—that is, Pearl and Lewt, had a classic drawn-to-each-other-while-repulsed-at-the-same-time relationship. Sweet ethereal Jennifer Jones and straight as an arrow Gregory Peck, though? I loved it. Perversely. Despite its weirdness and my perverse suspension of disbelief, damn the torpedoes I was pulled into the production full speed ahead. Thank you, Walter Huston, even if you were some sort of faux hellfire and brimstone non-preacher preacher. Thank you, Charles Bickford, for adding dignity to a role that had you just showing up, an anti-Maguffin of some kind that had you moving the plot forward with the exposition of your character undoubtedly having ended up on the cutting room floor [somebody tell me if I missed something, I'm kinda confused if you haven't figured it out already].
The finale was marvelous, due in no small part to a stirring piece of underscoring. No joke. I was deeply impressed.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
