Review of Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951) by Chris B — 08 Apr 2012

While I wouldn't consider "Pandora and the Flying Dutchman" a masterpiece or a lost piece of cinematic perfection, it's beautiful cinematography captured in beautiful technicolor and strong performances make it a beauty to behold.

The film has a very dream-like feel to it and the deliberate pacing of the film only adds more to this mood that suits both the story and film wonderfully! While many critics at the time of the film's theatrical release criticized Ava Gardner's performances, saying it was too cold and contrived, I think it suits the role flawlessly.

James Mason gives a powerful portrayal of the Dutchman who after murdering his wife out of false suspicion of her infidelity is cursed to sail the seas until Judgement day. Of course the catch is that if he finds love (He is allowed to walk the earth for six months every seven years in search of a woman willing to love him and die for him.

) then the curse will be broken and he can find peace. This is one of many films to have been lovingly restored thanks to the involvement and devotion of Martin Scorsese who should be given loads of credit for his passion in bringing this and many other Classic films back to their former glory on Blu-ray! This is certainly a very hard film to classify or stick in a certain genre and is more like a lucid dream that combines mysticism and melodrama to form a wonderful romance film that is so much more then it's separate pieces.