Heiße Erde

Very easy to imagine this happening throughout the world. The setting of the film (island) creates the microcosm that drives the conflicts of the plot, much like Casablanca. The theme of desire throughout the film helps this wonderful cast create characters you can enjoy and understand, their motives quite transparent. The scene with Harry Belafonte (David Boyeur) singing with the fishermen hauling in the nets stands out. John Williams, who is always brilliant in such roles, works his magic to provoke and entrap James Mason's Maxwell Fleury into confessing his murder. Dorothy Dandridge is lovely as Margot, and the subplot of her love affair keeps the hope for happy endings alive in the film. The cinematography helps to develop the exotic yet isolating setting, and the sets do well to set the tone of the lifestyle (luxurious) of the prominent characters who live under the mercy of desire in the human condition. The themes of this film transcend its setting, and I imagine this film to have been quite enlightening to those who viewed it in 1957. Really enjoyed this film, even in its length.

OK, so it's not a masterpiece but when I saw it listed on Retroplex the other day, I couldn't wait to see it again. Oh, the drama, oh, the intertwined relationships. How fitting that this came out the same year as "Peyton Place", considered the mother of all soap operas. Yes, it had its sappy moments and its overacting; but what a pleasure to see it again. I see it's out on DVD in all its wide-screen glory...i may have to buy this one as a definite "guilty pleasure". An interesting aside is the pairing of Joan Collins and Stephen Boyd (before his outstanding performance as Messala in Ben-Hur) and the information that they were being considered for 1963's "Cleopatra"--she in Liz Taylor's role as Cleopatra, he in Richard Burton's role as Marc Anthony. Could've changed the whole of cinematic history...something to ponder.

This came out when I was 9 and my cousin and I saw it at a theater 7 times! It was the first time I gave any attention to an adult movie! I have seen it a few times over the last many years and It still is provocative to me. When I was 9 I did not fully understand the interracial thing, and I was brought up to ignore color. What I remember was imagining what happened when the film faded out at the height of intense moments. What me imagine happening is far worse than anything they could ever show on film. that fact that it was shot in a beautiful location was not lost on my 9 year old mind and for years dreamed of living in a beautiful island paradise. The music ie: title song I learned every word! Unlike others who saw this 30 years later and through adult eyes with agendas of their own, I lived the editing, the acting and the photography. I sometimes think people expect to much out of a movie. It is after all, just entertainment! Watch this movie, without preconceived notions of script, editing, story etc, enjoy it!

While there are many other more "contemporary" films which examine race relations issues equally as competently if not more so - considering this one was produced back in 1957 it should be recognized as genuine breakthrough! Sure, you may have heard about some of its cop outs, but bear in mind that interracial relationships were political dynamite at the time - and yet some of the film's observations remain poignant even today. But the ultimate beauty of this film is that even if you could care less about the racial issues, it still excels as a mystery / "whodunit" with some intriguing plot twists, as a mini musical with Harry Belafonte performing at the top of his game, and even as a sort of Travel Channel feature-of-the-week, which might leave you booking reservations to your own tropical paradise. So tune out the naysayers for a moment and give this one a fair shot. It may not be technically perfect, but most will be entertained, one way or another.

Hollywood was clearly not ready for this type of drama, which is full of compromise. Screen lovers Dorothy Dandridge and John Justin are clearly not allowed to kiss. Ditto for Joan Fontaine and Harry Belafonte (incidentally, Fontaine's comment about the two of them being children together should have been left out; she looks good, but it's still obvious that she's a good ten years older than he.)