SOUTH PACIFIC (1 Viewer)

[OliverK]

The filters, whether a directorial artistic choice or something imposed by the studio, leave me angry every time I try to sit through this (I keep wanting to like it)...here the director had some of the most gorgeous, richly-colorful vistas in the world for his backgrounds, and onto them he throws these often sickening (but in every case very distorting) colors over the musical numbers as if he was Jason Pollock with a paintbrush. I want to see Bali Hai in all its natural tropical-paradise glory, not as though I was viewing it through the window of a house that had been smoked in (cigar smoke, mind you) for fifty years.

It is unfair to the director to say this as more than one source agrees that studio people told him he could experiment with color filtering and if he did not like it it could be reversed. Apparently he hated the effect and contrary to what had been said it could not be reversed so this is how it looks now.

 

[Rick Thompson]

What perplexes me is that Joshua Logan was an experienced film director. Why didn't he just say "Why don't we film it straight and add the color filters afterward?" Doing it the other way had been done before, and would have allowed for easily removing the added color. He could also have shot those sequences twice, once with filters and once without (Oklahoma! is a prime example of shooting every scene twice -- Cinemascope and Todd-AO in that case).


I very much doubt Logan's version of events. I think he wanted them and this was something to say after the filters were roundly criticized as a huge mistake and a blot on the film.


A personal note: I hated the filters on the VHS and DVD releases, but the Blu-ray is so well done that they don't bother me near as much as before -- though I still think the scenes are better without them.

 

[RolandL]

My only wish is that the roadshow version be in 1080 instead of 480.

 

[WilliamMcK]

I have a love/hate relationship with the 1958 film version of SOUTH PACIFIC... I think some of the decisions were correct (the slight restructuring of the Act 2 opening), the casting of Ray Walston, Juanita Hall (wish she had sung for herself though... Muriel Smith's voice is gorgeous, but it doesn't quite match up with Hall's deeper timbre), France Nuyen, and yes, Rossano Brazzi (he may have been miserably unhappy having to perform back to Giorgio Tozzi's vocals... but *to me* it doesn't show in his performance... and Tozzi's vocals are glorious and match beautifully with Brazzi's speaking voice). And given that, for whatever reason, Doris Day was a no-go, then Mitzi Gaynor is at least appropriate if not inspired casting (and she does well with her big scenes at the end).


But some serious missteps as well... The restructuring of the Act 1 opening scenes; the casting of John Kerr (which is made even worse by the mismatch of Bill Lee's vocals); the pairing down of "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outa My Hair"; and just the generally uninspired direction (Logan was a stage director... I don't think any of the movies of his I've seen are particularly well made). Of course then there are the color filters... a mistake? Yes, I agree with the majority here... but you know what, they're not *that* bad... if that were the movie's only problem it could still have ranked high on the list of movie adaptations of Broadway musicals!


But compared to the emasculated film version of CAROUSEL, the movie SOUTH PACIFIC is a triumph. However, having a good hi-def copy of the recent Lincoln Center revival as presented on PBS makes the movie a bit superfluous.

 

[Aaron Silverman]

However, having a good hi-def copy of the recent Lincoln Center revival as presented on PBS makes the movie a bit superfluous.

Now that would be nice to have on Blu.

 

[John Maher_289910]

So glad to meet a kindred spirit! I am not a fan of this film, either, but I own it as part of the box set. The filters, whether a directorial artistic choice or something imposed by the studio, leave me angry every time I try to sit through this (I keep wanting to like it)...here the director had some of the most gorgeous, richly-colorful vistas in the world for his backgrounds, and onto them he throws these often sickening (but in every case very distorting) colors over the musical numbers as if he was Jason Pollock with a paintbrush. I want to see Bali Hai in all its natural tropical-paradise glory, not as though I was viewing it through the window of a house that had been smoked in (cigar smoke, mind you) for fifty years.

So true! Imagine dragging all those people and expensive equipment to those incredible locales, then ruining the beauty with horrid filters, and staging everyone as if their feet are bolted to the sand!? It's so poorly conceived.

 

[KPmusmag]

I recently watched the Reba McIntyre version again and it always touches me at the end when Reba is wiping away tears. She looks so invested in the story as well as so thrilled to be a part of it. She gives a very heartfelt performance, the orchestra is great and the audience is very appreciative.

 

[RolandL]

South Pacific and Oklahoma! are $7.99 each on Amazon.

 

[Allansfirebird]

South Pacific and Oklahoma! are $7.99 each on Amazon.

It's saying Oklahoma is out of stock, though. I had to go through one of their sellers to get a copy last week for $16.

 

[warnerbro]

I've never understood the criticism of the casting of the 1958 film. I think it's perfect. I must admit, this film grew on me over the years and now I treasure it. At first I hated the color filters, now I love them. They make it special and give it a whimsical dreamlike quality. I wish Fox would give us a bluray in HD of the restored road show version. I know it's on the supplement disc but it's in SD. But the bluray of the edited version is stunning. One of the best ever. I can't imagine ever seeing any richer colors.

 

[AnthonyClarke]

It's a glorious transfer ... mind you, the DVD was spectacular as well.

And I don't mind the colour tints at all ... in fact, I was totally enraptured by the whole magic of the movie, including the colour filters, when I frst saw it, as a young teenager, on its original Australian widescreen cinema release, circa 1959-60, I guess.

 

[Race Bannon]

I took advantage of the sale price -- picked up all three (South Pacific, King and I, and Oklahoma!).

 

[Will Krupp]

I've never understood the criticism of the casting of the 1958 film. I think it's perfect. I must admit, this film grew on me over the years and now I treasure it.

I can LIVE with the casting but I would have preferred a "warmer" Nellie (yes I'm talking to YOU, Doris Day!)

 

[AnthonyClarke]

Yes, Doris would have been wonderful in the role. And she would have made a fab Annie in 'Annie Get Your Gun' too ... though I think Betty Hutton was a lot better than her detractors said .. given that she had the unenviable task of taking over from the great Judy Garland!

Still, Mitzi Gaynor has grown on me over the years .. the 'Wonderful Guy' sequence on the beach is stunning.

I got a real thrill visiting Vanuatu a couple of years back where the landscape, vegetation etc was exactly 'South Pacific'. God, I'd love to live in Emile de Becque's little clifftop shack!

 

[Mike Frezon]

.. the 'Wonderful Guy' sequence on the beach is stunning.

Ugh.


I've got the same kind of love/hate relationship with this film as many others here do. I love some parts, yet hate other parts.


I love "There is Nothing Like a Dame"(especially the roadshow extended version). And while I loooove the song "Wonderful Guy", I have always felt that Logan's staging of this particular number resulted in the dumbest, weakest, most boring musical number ever committed to film. A wasted opportunity. (I have always imagined a HUGE smile on Hammerstein's face as the words of this song left him and found their way onto paper. Bromidic, indeed!)


This is definitely a film which evokes strong opinions from people...THAT'S for sure!

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I saw this for the first time last year, when I had the flu no less. I really enjoyed it and found it to be a profoundly moving experience. I have no idea how much of that was the movie, how much was the flu, and how much was the cold medicine, but I'm looking forward to seeing it again someday.

I'm a huge fan of the song "This Nearly Was Mine" - I had forgotten it was originally from this and was pleasantly surprised when it started playing. Lindsey Buckingham did an instrumental version about 15 years ago that's just beautiful, and was my first exposure to the song:

 

[bujaki]

Josh,

I first heard This Nearly Was Mine in Pinza's original 78 recording; then Tozzi's from the soundtrack; and of course, countless other covers. But then I went to Barbara Cook's Lincoln Center's show (what, well over a decade ago?), and she sang it, and she owned it. I wept like a child, as if I were hearing it for the very first time. She has made it impossible for me to hear it again with the same ears. Her version remains unforgettable, so lived, so hushed, so full of rue.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

Is there a recording of her version available? That sounds incredible.

 

[bujaki]

Yes, Josh. Barbara Cook's Broadway Live from the Lincoln Center Theater. I was visiting NY, and had to see it twice. That's how good it was. There's also a fantastic joke on Glitter and Be Gay. Still available through Amazon.

 

[benbess]

I've never understood the criticism of the casting of the 1958 film. I think it's perfect. I must admit, this film grew on me over the years and now I treasure it. At first I hated the color filters, now I love them. They make it special and give it a whimsical dreamlike quality. I wish Fox would give us a bluray in HD of the restored road show version. I know it's on the supplement disc but it's in SD. But the bluray of the edited version is stunning. One of the best ever. I can't imagine ever seeing any richer colors.

I think the parts of the original negative were thrown out when it was edited down from the Raodshow version. I don't think it's possible to do an HD version of the longer Roadshow for South Pacific.


I've never seen the play, but I think the movie version is magnificent. I think the surreal colors add something to it, a dreamy quality that fit with the fantasy involved with people breaking out into song right in the middle of WW2.