Island in the Sun (1957)

Island In The Sun

This is a movie about relationships - interracial, parental, romantic - set in the beauty of the Caribbean. The visuals in this film are just spectacular. Harry Belafonte and Dorothy Dandridge are sparingly used; Dandridge's character is never really explored. I enjoyed watching this film although all of the relationships were not clearly developed. The story moved along at a good pace and the ending left me quite satisfied. I found it amusing that with all of the passion the Dandridge had for her paramour, they weren't allowed to kiss. Glad to have this in my collection. December 23, 2007

A place like this can hide many things!

I had the chance to watch this film last night and even though "Island in the Sun" was produced in 1957 it should be recognized as indisputable breakthrough! There have been plenty of movies like this, but keep in mind that interracial relationships were political detonate at the time - and yet some of the film's observations remain upsetting even today.

In this film the wealthy whites are ridicule here once again, lording their money-driven power over the black Caribbean field workers in this timely but talky issue-film. Belafonte also stars here as a native son on the fictional West Indies island of Santa Marta who wants to wrestle control of the government from the ruling white British regime, here embodied by political candidate James Mason (who harbors a deep, dark secret of his own -- pun completely intended). Joan Fontaine essays a white woman who happens to be in love with Harry; Dorothy Dandridge plays a local girl in love with a white man (John Justin); and Joan Collins portrays Mason's sister, trying to get English lord Stephen Boyd to fall for her.

The location (Barbados/Grenada) of this film was just beautiful, and so is Harry Belafonte's voice, singing Jamaican songs at sunset. His relationship with Joan Fontaine is fantastic--if not especially romantic. The love story sidebars are soapy but not dull and they give the film what passion it has. Personally what I really wanted to see was more of Belafonte. He was at a peak here, and since he didn't get to use his own singing voice in "Carmen Jones", this is a great chance to watch and hear him perform unfettered.

I also recommend is "Stormy Weather" because it is a important piece of history, being one of Hollywood's first pictures to star an entirely African-American cast. Though some racial stereotyping is on-hand here and there.
January 6, 2007

Island in the Sun

A Review of Island in the Sun
By: Noran L. Moffett

In an era for which the racial hegemony was challenged by the liberation struggles of the formerly enslaved Africans, the complex circumstances of life, love and legalities were centrifugal in the movie.

In the initial scenes of the movie, the primary characters surfaced on the screen with tacit commentary and documented tension over social, political and economic life forces, love choices and legal limits.

For the viewer of Island in the Sun, the social dynamics of racial taboos over love choices were confounding the characters who were engaged in legal and social polemics. Yet, the movie rapidly explores the dynamic political leadership of the African and Multiracial majority against the established socially, politically and economically powerful European minority.

The movie ends with the emergence of the true love for the political realities facing the Afro Caribbean population by the Afro Caribbean leader (played by Harry Belafonte) over the obvious passion for him by the Euro Caribbean woman. As a result of the movies multifaceted mood, tenor and tone, the viewer can recognize historical evolution and the introduction of interracial romantic revolution.
November 11, 2006

DOROTHY DANDRIDGE IS THE REASON TO WATCH!

Interracial romance is just one of the topics covered in "Island in the Sun", a Darryl Zanuck production,directed by Robert Rossen(The Hustler).Politics and political crime are also covered,especially those areas that touch the Fleury family of James Mason,in a so-so performance.The REAL star of this film is the utterly fantastic Dorothy Dandridge,who sizzles EVERY moment she is on screen!The rest of the cast Stephen Boyd,Joan Collins, and Michael Rennie is just average.The "other" interracial romance between John Fontaine and Harry Belafonte is a bore.Included in the DVD is at he original theatrical trailer,a fine documentary from A&E concerning Dorothy,and a poor commentary,on the film, by John Stanley,who is listed as a film historian. May 13, 2006

Interesting, but frustratingly slow-paced race-relations soap opera

Set on a fictional West Indian island under British rule, Island in the Sun has all the elements to be a great 1950s soap opera: exotic locations, all-star cast, jealousy, angst-ridden male protagonists, racial tensions, sex, interracial desires, political intrigue, murder. What a great movie someone like Douglas Sirk (Written on the Wind, the 1959 Imitation of Life) would have made with the same cast, location and storylines!

Unfortunately, producer Zanuck and director Rossen spend more time showing off the West Indian locations than developing the characters and speeding the pace so that we can keep up with the different storylines. By the time you get back to some of the characters, youve lost interest or forgotten what happened the last time we saw them. Of the all-star cast, only James Mason (as the angst-ridden male) and Harry Belafonte (as the angry black man) get to have showy scenes and make an impression. Joan Fontaine (as a wealthy woman who falls for Belafonte) and Dorothy Dandridge (as a sassy West Indian who falls for a white man) are criminally wasted in this film. Even though their storylines got the most publicity (the interracial romances) when the film was released, all the two actresses are made to do is look good (which they do) in their costumes. Joan Collins is just okay as James Mason's sister and Diana Wynyard has one good scene as their mother.

Overall, the most interesting aspect of the movie, and the only reason worth watching it nowadays, is the 1950s Hollywood depiction of interracial romance, although there were so many compromises made that none of the two couples really seem to have much sexual chemistry or desire for each other.

The film's Cinemascope location shots look great on the DVD transfer and the DVD also features the Biography episode on Dorothy Dandridge. (I skipped the commentary track.)

March 26, 2006

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