Anhalt's excellent script deals with issues that censors would have forbidden that help keep the film "modern" in a good way. It also deals with faith but not without questioning what that is. The story even goes into briefly the still heinous practice of removing parts of the female genitals in tribal africa in efforts to make the women not enjoy sex but want to be good mothers instead. This element, especially coming from a major studio film in the early 1960's I'd of thought would be the first thing taken out of the story. This is one of several such frank and still contemporary issues in the screenplay and film.
Now, yes, most of the film takes place in a sort of Gilliban's Island "jungle" meaning interior "fake" outdoor African sets, but you soon get over this and ignore it as the acting and the characters are vividly done.
The focus of the story is on Rachel Cade, and her sins which aren't exactly what you'd expect either. Director Gordon Douglas keeps it all moving along well and visually the movie from time to time uses extreme close ups on her reactions something that is done only for her character, none of the others. The cast is largely black and though Woody Strode's character sort of vanishes, several of the other supporting "native" parts are well written and performed and a real part of the story, not just primitives being saved by the white man, or woman in this case. The "natives" actually save Rachel in a way.
There is an excellent scene between Finches character and a local religious figure where they smoke and quietly agree that they can be friends privately though they must be enemies publically.
Now, yes, the story is just as much a romance than it is about faith or culture clashes. This romance is between a nobel woman and two men, one the young hot doctor, the other the older bitter military figure. But what's wrong with that? Nothing if it works and fits into balances the rest of the story.
Max Steiner's score is also a major asset, obviously a story he cared much about, a few music cues are melodramatic, but many very effective and unexpected sounding, coming from him in the later part of his career.
Angie Dickinson does really well as the center of the film, Finch is also very good, Moore does a decent American accent though it may stiffen his performance a bit, still he's well cast. Cade is really the central character in ways that are in the mold of the great, by then fading, major female stars of Holllywood in years before this, like Hepburn, Davis, Stanwick, Crawford--all of whom were by this point to young to play this type of role. Dickinson would often in her pre police woman films be a supporting or decorative character, not so here.
It's kind of odd actually that the film hasn't been remade, not that it needs to be, but it would serve modern actresses well.
Now, yes, most of the film takes place in a sort of Gilliban's Island "jungle" meaning interior "fake" outdoor African sets, but you soon get over this and ignore it as the acting and the characters are vividly done.
The focus of the story is on Rachel Cade, and her sins which aren't exactly what you'd expect either. Director Gordon Douglas keeps it all moving along well and visually the movie from time to time uses extreme close ups on her reactions something that is done only for her character, none of the others. The cast is largely black and though Woody Strode's character sort of vanishes, several of the other supporting "native" parts are well written and performed and a real part of the story, not just primitives being saved by the white man, or woman in this case. The "natives" actually save Rachel in a way.
There is an excellent scene between Finches character and a local religious figure where they smoke and quietly agree that they can be friends privately though they must be enemies publically.
Now, yes, the story is just as much a romance than it is about faith or culture clashes. This romance is between a nobel woman and two men, one the young hot doctor, the other the older bitter military figure. But what's wrong with that? Nothing if it works and fits into balances the rest of the story.
Max Steiner's score is also a major asset, obviously a story he cared much about, a few music cues are melodramatic, but many very effective and unexpected sounding, coming from him in the later part of his career.
Angie Dickinson does really well as the center of the film, Finch is also very good, Moore does a decent American accent though it may stiffen his performance a bit, still he's well cast. Cade is really the central character in ways that are in the mold of the great, by then fading, major female stars of Holllywood in years before this, like Hepburn, Davis, Stanwick, Crawford--all of whom were by this point to young to play this type of role. Dickinson would often in her pre police woman films be a supporting or decorative character, not so here.
It's kind of odd actually that the film hasn't been remade, not that it needs to be, but it would serve modern actresses well.