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Adam_S · 04-07-2008, 06:49 AM

Night of the Iguana - 9 of 10
Stars list - Ava Gardner

and costarring Richard Burton delivering another one of his magnificent performances. Deborah Kerr also enters not long after Ava herself does. this overwrought drama has superb dialogue and the performances bring it off with gusto. But the film is really elevated in the extensive final scenes between Kerr and Burton while she gently coaxes him back from a suicidal mania by simply talking. openly, honestly without judgement.

Burton opens the film as a reverand he fumbles giving a sermon then turns on his congregation and castigates them, running them out of the church. Cut to many years later, Burton is a tourguide in mexico for the worst tour company there is. He's taking a bunch of teachers at a private girls school around mexico and they aren't enjoying it much, and the lead teacher has a ward with her, a young girl who was brought along to get her away from a boy she was enamored with. being a young girl (about seventeen or so) she promptly falls in love with the next hunk of man flesh she lays her eyes upon and attempts to throw herself upon Richard Burton professing her undying love for him (quite like the young sunday school teacher that had gotten him in such trouble before). unfortunately for burton, all anyone else sees is him seducing her, not the other way around. and the matronly (butch-dyke, Burton calls her) woman determines he has molested her after she pulls the girl out of his room one night. distraught, Burton sees his world crumbling, hijacks the tourists and takes them to his favorite 'resort' run by Ava Gardner. He's convinced if only they have a few days to cool down the women won't insist on ruining him. No dice. A few moments later a woman (Kerr) and her 97 year old grandfather show up as something of a begging/performing artisan act, hoping the hotel might employ them. Soon enough Burton has finally rebuffed the young girl (and her lascivious attentions wander in rapid succession to some shirtless mexican boys to the younger busdriver of their tour) only to become ensnared in a sort of passive-aggressive love triangle between himself, Kerr and Gardner. The whole thing is quite fantastic and melodramatic, and as I said the script is tremendously good. John Huston's superb direction doesn't let you down, more and more I am convinced he is one of the most superb--and shamefully overlooked--directors of american film.

ETA I just realized this was a Tennessee Williams play, no wonder the speeches and monologues are so damn good.
I thought you were sexless. But you've just become a woman. And do you know how I know that? Because you like me tied up! All women, whether they wish to admit it or not, would like to get men into a tied-up situation.

04-07-2008, 06:49 AM	#338 of 460
Adam_S *Adam_S* Member Location: Marina del Rey, CA Join Date: Feb 2001 Local Time: 02:56 PM Local Date: 08-29-2008 Posts: 5,008	Re: AFI 100 Years Series Discussion & Challenges, vol. 2 Night of the Iguana - 9 of 10 Stars list - Ava Gardner and costarring Richard Burton delivering another one of his magnificent performances. Deborah Kerr also enters not long after Ava herself does. this overwrought drama has superb dialogue and the performances bring it off with gusto. But the film is really elevated in the extensive final scenes between Kerr and Burton while she gently coaxes him back from a suicidal mania by simply talking. openly, honestly without judgement. Burton opens the film as a reverand he fumbles giving a sermon then turns on his congregation and castigates them, running them out of the church. Cut to many years later, Burton is a tourguide in mexico for the worst tour company there is. He's taking a bunch of teachers at a private girls school around mexico and they aren't enjoying it much, and the lead teacher has a ward with her, a young girl who was brought along to get her away from a boy she was enamored with. being a young girl (about seventeen or so) she promptly falls in love with the next hunk of man flesh she lays her eyes upon and attempts to throw herself upon Richard Burton professing her undying love for him (quite like the young sunday school teacher that had gotten him in such trouble before). unfortunately for burton, all anyone else sees is him seducing her, not the other way around. and the matronly (butch-dyke, Burton calls her) woman determines he has molested her after she pulls the girl out of his room one night. distraught, Burton sees his world crumbling, hijacks the tourists and takes them to his favorite 'resort' run by Ava Gardner. He's convinced if only they have a few days to cool down the women won't insist on ruining him. No dice. A few moments later a woman (Kerr) and her 97 year old grandfather show up as something of a begging/performing artisan act, hoping the hotel might employ them. Soon enough Burton has finally rebuffed the young girl (and her lascivious attentions wander in rapid succession to some shirtless mexican boys to the younger busdriver of their tour) only to become ensnared in a sort of passive-aggressive love triangle between himself, Kerr and Gardner. The whole thing is quite fantastic and melodramatic, and as I said the script is tremendously good. John Huston's superb direction doesn't let you down, more and more I am convinced he is one of the most superb--and shamefully overlooked--directors of american film. ETA I just realized this was a Tennessee Williams play, no wonder the speeches and monologues are so damn good. I thought you were sexless. But you've just become a woman. And do you know how I know that? Because you like me tied up! All women, whether they wish to admit it or not, would like to get men into a tied-up situation. top 20 films 2008 film list My DVDs; S&S List 62...212 AFI lists: - DONE! Last edited by Adam_S : 04-07-2008 at 06:56 AM.