Review of The Night of the Iguana (1964) by Bill W — 20 Oct 2007
While I don't think it's a great movie I certainly think it's very good. And I suppose it's also what the movie is about, and how it is about it, that appeals to my own tastes in film and art generally.
This movie is about frail people at the edge of endurance. The how, that appeals to me, is that it is conveyed through character and dialogue (Williams is, after all, a playwright) and it's done with great empathy â?? kindness, I suppose, though it also has its harshness.
Williams' work, at least as done cinematically, does have a certain histrionic quality seen at this distance (2007, whereas most of the films were made in the fifties and early sixties) but that doesn't really bother me. I find it pretty easy to settle into the tone of the films. But that may not be so for everyone.
In The Night of the Iguana, by the way, as much as I like Richard Burton, and particularly like Deborah Kerr (her character has some of the best speeches), it is Ava Gardner who really stands out for me. Her performance is wonderful.
This review of The Night of the Iguana (1964) was written by Bill W on 20 Oct 2007.
The Night of the Iguana has generally received very positive reviews.
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