The Night of the Iguana (1964)

Interesting characters

We watched this movie when we vacationed in Pureto Vallarta where it was filmed. It was fun to find the statue in town of the director and travel to a more remote location where it was filmed. The Bonus sections added to the interest. August 10, 2008

An Existential Grand Slam

Who knows how many films were made that address the deeply troubled and compelling existential questioning of the years roughly 1890 - 1980. The fantastic and the real worlds, as pondered by Richard Burton - only the native Mexican innocents have not reached the bonehead point of having separated them. And, of course, the iguana. Freedom to do what? Have sex, get drunk, write poetry? PREACH THE GOSPEL? Something is rotten, and not just in Denmark.

Ava Gardner's panic attack near the end of the movie is probably the high point, as she tries to convince herself that she can run away from her drunken, lost existence. She overacts a lot, but, here, it's a very real and frightening moment. (Her character is not realistic either, as this vixen suddenly "gets" Dodo's final poem. Vixen's don't do this: her appreciation needs to be more superstitious than knowing.) Anyway, the only thing more untenable than living in a depressing over-the-hill vixen present is trying to dash forward to grasp opportunities that were really only an erotic mirage in the first place, e.g. Sue Lyon's very sexy, very mindless, very vindictive character. Unless you extend yourself to blend with others' selves at the pecularly human level, i.e. grow up, where addictions and compulsions are kept to a minimum, you are doomed to spending the night with the iguana, or worse. This iguana is screwed if you think about it - it is doomed to fatten itself and in effect strangle itself, as the drunken Shannon merely cuts the rope the Mexican boys have tied it to without untying the noose around the animal's neck. Humans doing God's work usually screw it up: reverends almost always do. The iguana's slow exit brings home the point like no other visual could: it is an innocent creature merely following its instinct to be free, which is no sin and, for the most part, the best one can do. This some of the loonies in this movie come to learn and all's well that ends well, as long as you are comfortable in your own skin and try not to hurt anybody. Freedom is broke though and needs some cash to keep it going. Love and kindness are unlimited once discovered, so there is no problem. Shannon's crucifix serves Christ's purpose in "feeding" the enlightened Mrs. Jelkes so that she may continue to be a fisher of men. Shannon will stay with Maxine for some sanity, but Mrs. Jelkes is the real hero, not tragic, but close enough.

The play is different, with downpours of rain and upheld hands - Shannon is black Irish (Spanish blood) but he's Protestant and on the wagon. Williams must have been totally blitzed when he concocted this character. At least he isn't gay too. Anyway, the movie's Shannon is a comic figure, possibly because tragedy works better in plays than in movies and possibly because Huston and Co. couldn't keep Burton sober so they went with what they got. What they got is worth watching. July 8, 2008

Richard Burton, fans this movie rocks!

Okay, I love this movie. He was the most sexist animal out there. The movie is great, and a great cast to go alone with it! Girls those eyes! besides that it is a wonderful move and I recommed it highly. He was a great actor and should of been noticed more for his acting abilities. On stage he was great as well! March 29, 2008

"I defy you! Shannon defies you! Get out your tomahawks!""

I love this movie. I check it out of the public library every chance I get.

I need it. It refreshes me.

First of all, think of all the heavyweight talents involved in this movie.

... John Huston -- arguably the best director of his time.

... Deborah Kerr -- the classiest actress ever to puff tobacco between two ears.

... Richard Burton -- sui (and-I-don't-mean-Ellen-de) generis.

... And Ava Gardner. Ava, Ava my love! To think you could have had me instead of Howard Hughes, Artie Shaw, Frank Sinatra and the entire backfield of the UCLA football team (1946 to 1959)!!!

Ava Gardner -- she was young, she was beautiful, she was the best canoe buddy a boy ever had, and I've had 'em all over the world!

But seriously, flock, this is a terrific movie. Yes, yes, I know, I know: Richard Burton hams it up, in spots (so what else is new?) -- but come on, what an actor! What a feency-schmency ecktah!

And, ok ok, so Sue Lyons is no Helen Bonham Carter or Tuesday Weld or Connie Stevens, even.

And, yes, yes, the bus driver is only slightly more talented than Troy Donahue. Yes, yes, I know, I know.

And the ladies on the bus are all rather one-dimensional, if not downright amateurs (which I believe they actually were). But the beauty of the movie is that John Huston and his talented collaborators, both in front of and behind the camera, make it all work.

Speaking of Troy Donahue -- do you remember Troy Donahue in Godfather II? Or Cybil Shepherd in Taxi Driver? Or George Hamilton in Godfather III? These stiffs were famous, and probably still are famous, for being notoriously inadequate, one-dimensional, "wooden" actors. But it didn't matter: the creative talent in the films they were in MADE THEM LOOK GOOD! This, I think, is one of the marks of a great movie -- there is a certain something created that raises all boats; makes great performers even greater, while eliciting from the just-adequate their best, most notable work.

Oh, and what a moment, when at the beginning of the movie Richard Burton bum-rushes all those WASPs from Sunday church! Man, that's as sweet as it gets. It's like giving Ozzie and Harriet a hotfoot.

Of course behind the entire project is, perhaps next to William Shakespeare, the greatest dramatist in the history of the English language: Tennessee Williams. (Boy, did that guy go far with all I taught him!) The characters Tennesse Williams creates are simply irresistible. So that perhaps we should leave it at this: if someone watches this picture and doesn't feel as though they've encountered *real* people or, better yet, if you don't feel that the essential nature of certain kinds of people hasn't been intimately revealed and, in turn, greatly understood ... then, Pilgrim, it's time you started hanging out with a different crowd of bipeds. Because (and get this straight because I'm not gonna repeat it) I defy you to not like this movie! Shannon defies you! My Aunt Tillie over on Elm Street defies you! All 15 of her children would, if they could be found on a given night, defy you! Lock your doors! Get out your tomahawks! Get out your tomahawks!!!

Just kidding, folks. Everybody can relax now.

You, too, Tonto. March 20, 2008

Fantastic

This is the tale of a man in turmoil and his resurrection by Miss Jelks.
The story begins with the tormented reverend (Burton) lashing out upon his flock for his unstable faith and failings. His congregation walks out on him,leaving him to flail and rail all for himself. Cut to some months later-the reverend Shannon is now in charge of a bible group tour bus way down in Mexico merrily singing "Happy Days Are Here Again" and "3 Little Fishy's" as the liguored-up,unhappy, barely-man-of-the-cloth rolls his eyes heavenward. Passengers included in the tour group include the eye-candy of her day Sue Lyon playing Miss Charlotte and flirting with the weakening pastor without mercy. Under the watchful eye of the bible group's leader Miss Fellowes(Grayson Hall) the girl and the reverend are told to keep it clean or ELSE!
When her warning goes unheeded Miss Fellowes is forced to report their unseemly behavior to the authorities-the owners of the bus tour company.
Shannon, now reeling with terror and fearing the loss of his tour guide position hijacks the bus and makes a beeline for an out of the way bungalow run by some old friends of his, much to the protests of the passengers.
Shannon finds only his friend Fred's widow on the premises, Maxine(Ava Gardner)looking like she borrowed Elizabeth Taylors black pants and loose top outfit from Who's Afraid Of Virginia Wolfe? "Fred's dead" she tells him making me think of Bruce Willis in Pulp Fiction telling his girlfriend "Zed's dead" when she asks where he got the motorcycle.
The weary tour bus passengers make their way up the hill to the villa and settle in as the games continue between the reverend, the girl, Miss Fellowes and a lonely but steely-eyed Maxine, when out of the blue arrives a spinster and her grandfather poet. Deborah Kerr plays the world-wise Miss Jelks who with her grandfather in tow have come to Maxine's without a penny to their name. Miss Jelks paints portraits of tourists for what little money she can earn while her grandfather recites his original poems also for the spare change a stranger might offer. Reluctantly Maxine allows the couple to spend the night when Miss Jelks' common sense and agility with a machete becomes evident.
Shannon becomes increasingly agitated and even suicidal wherein he is strapped tight to a hammock with Miss Jelks gently suggesting he drink of her poppyseed tea while the reverend screams "UNTIE ME!!".
The conversations between Shannon and Jelks/Jelks and Maxine/Maxine and Shannon/Shannon and Charlotte are the backbone of this movie as most any movie with the name Tennessee Williams attached is.
Wonderful dialogue, superb acting and I'm happy to report,a positive ending left me with a very warm spot in my heart for this film. January 18, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...