Review of Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951) by Steven B — 26 Jun 2008

Holy crap. I'd never heard of this li'l curio till HMV had a housecleaning sale and I snagged the Kino disc for $5. Then it sat on my shelf for a year...until a friend sent me a list: 1001 Movies to See Before You Die.

And this title turned up on that list. Wha? So I gave it a view. And, sweet babies, it is a remarkable film! Despite the obvious appeal of Ava Gardner, who delivers all of her dialogue in a wispy near-monotone that STILL imbalances all kinds of hormones, the film's construction is beyond competent--it's stellar! First, it boasts a very literate screenplay (with references to the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam).

Second, the cinematography and direction (who the heck is Albert Lewin???) is always decisive and pictorial, in both moments of serenity and danger. Check it out.