Review of The Night of the Iguana (1964) by Antonius B — 29 Nov 2017

"Night of the Iguana" is based on the play by Tennessee Williams, so you know it's going to include darkness and push boundaries, and it does. Richard Burton plays a clergyman with a predilection for young women, and thus finds himself kicked out of his church and employed as a tour guide in Mexico. On a tour to Puerto Vallarta, it seems he has sex with an underage girl (Sue Lyon), and afterwards can't get rid of her. She continues to pursue him, much to the chagrin of her aunt and leader of the group (Grayson Hall). Burton finds himself in hot water again, and out of desperation takes control of the bus and the group to a different hotel, one now owned by the playful and bawdy widow of an old friend (Ava Gardner). There they meet an altruistic and spiritual painter (Deborah Kerr) and her elderly grandfather, a poet.

Richard Burton's performance was a little hit-and-miss for me, at times being a bit hammy, but at other times really delivering. In any event he is certainly upstaged by Ava Gardner, who turns in a fantastic performance. She is smooth, natural, and authentic in this role. Sue Lyon is a little too wide-eyed and Deborah Kerr is a little too-pious for my taste, though those are the characters. And I have to say, the scene where Lyon cuts loose and dances around a beach bar is mesmerizing, and Kerr (the "spinster who is pushing forty") is compelling when she recounts her limited experiences with the opposite sex, and how she endures her urges and demons, things that have helped make her deeply empathetic to others.

The film can be a bit heavy-handed in places, e.g. the comparison of Burton while trussed up in a hammock to Christ being crucified, but it's profound in others, e.g. the poem the old man comes up with (search for "How Calmly Does the Olive Branch"). It is edgy in places and refreshingly at the vanguard of the sexual liberation of the 60's, e.g. Ava Gardner's character making it clear that she enjoys sex with two young men (the scene on the beach, while nothing ultimately happens, still surprised me). It's retrograde in others, most notably stereotyping lesbians in Grayson Hall's character, whose sexuality the others make insulting comments about. All in all, while it had unevenness in the performances and script, there was a range of interesting emotions, some great moments, and it was entertaining.