Ninety years later (+), this pre-code south sea adventure is still delightfully audacious, and hot, hot, hot. In fact, I felt I needed sunscreen while watching it (again), especially any time that Dolores Del Rio and Joel McCrea are alone on screen together. The film is controversial for not only the exotic dances, sensual love scenes and racy dialog, but for the fact that McCrea is so overcome by lust for Del Rio that in their first scene alone together, she objects to being touched by him...at first..., then really begins to get into it.
I could imagine going back to 1932 and seeing this, perhaps in a double bill with "Rain", as they are both celebrations of sin in the tropics. Both daring, pre-code, adventures, and both based on old plays. The young characters played by Del Rio and McCrea do not play by any rules, and they can barely even communicate. But when you're young and barely covered in a movie tropical setting, who needs words?
It's obvious that they will be allowed to have some fun, but that twists will come along to threaten that, leading toa shocker of an ending. Lots of dancing, scantily clad extras and comic relief by Richard "Skeets" Gallagher and Bert Roach, with Lon ChaneyJr. In a small role. Most memorable for its sets, photography and Max Steiner score, and some sensational special effects at the end.
I could imagine going back to 1932 and seeing this, perhaps in a double bill with "Rain", as they are both celebrations of sin in the tropics. Both daring, pre-code, adventures, and both based on old plays. The young characters played by Del Rio and McCrea do not play by any rules, and they can barely even communicate. But when you're young and barely covered in a movie tropical setting, who needs words?
It's obvious that they will be allowed to have some fun, but that twists will come along to threaten that, leading toa shocker of an ending. Lots of dancing, scantily clad extras and comic relief by Richard "Skeets" Gallagher and Bert Roach, with Lon ChaneyJr. In a small role. Most memorable for its sets, photography and Max Steiner score, and some sensational special effects at the end.