Ave del paraíso

"Todo el encanto de leyendas primitivas en una sinfonía de luz y color. Un himno al amor, a la belleza y a la aventura". With these words the Spanish newspaper "SUR" from Málaga in is issue nº 5249 announced on Saturday 4 October 1952 the release of the film "Bird of Paradise" in the Goya Cinema of this city.

Being then myself 11 years old boy this film met the expectations aroused by the advertisement in "SUR". I saw this movie on Thursday 9 October 1952 and I became extremely impressed by the aesthetic outlook and the contents of the adventure in spite of bitter ending.

Many years later, I saw this movie again on TV and I realised the there were many aspects I missed on my first watching, because they underlie what it was simply descrpitive or visual: the interesting anthropological study of the acculturation. This matter is announced at the beginning of the film. Tenga, a "kanaka" (Jeff Chandler), was unable to adapt to the occidental way of life; André Laurence (Louis Jourdan) is also unable to accept, in spite of this efforts, the way in which a tribal social organization solves the problems presented by wild nature, in this case with the ritual sacrifice of his beloved Kalua (Debra Paget).

Debra Paget's physical performance -gestures, looks, dances- as communitive elements, specially with André, is excellent. Her physical performance expresses very accurately her different states of mind: surprise, gratitude, tenderness, tranquility, happiness, panic, sadness, seduction o complicity with others; all this is in clear opposition with the performance uneasiness of Jeff Chandler. His dance with Noanoa (Mary Ann Ventura) is ghastly.

When I first saw "Bird of Paradise", I was an adolescent and I saw it on television as a not-so-recent movie. I already had a crush on Debra Paget from having seen her as Morning Star in "Broken Arrow." I was also a bit enamoured with her sister, Lisa Gaye as Collette DuBois on "the Bob Commings Show." But I figured that sooner or later I would get over my adolescent infatuation with the exotic characters these sister actresses were playing and eventually I'd settle down, marry a white bread woman, and get an office job like my father.

Now it is 40 years later and I have spent the vast majority of that time serving, studying, and teaching in Vietnam, Thailand, and Japan. I never got over my infatuation with exotic, non-white bread women. I now have two masters degrees. When getting my masters in Far East Asian Studies, each time I described one more aspect of the "Bird of Paradise" wedding to a colleague whose specialty was the study of Bali culture, he gasped, "That's just like it is in Bali!"

"Jeff Chandler explains to Louis Jordon, 'You must come at night and steal her.' 'But I thought her parents approved of the marriage.' 'They do. But if they freely let her go, it would mean they don't love her and it would be an insult to her.' 'OK, I come and steal her. And we run away together.' 'No. She will scream and fight you.' 'But she loves me and wants to marry me.' 'Yes. But if she goes with you freely, it would mean she doesn't love her parents and it would be an insult.' 'OK. I steal her. She screams and fights me. And I take her away.' 'Yes. But you have to carry her and run fast because I as her brother will grab my spear and alert all the other men in the village and we will try to find you, catch you, and kill you. If we didn't, it would mean we don't care about her and it would be an insult. But don't worry. You will escape and take her to your secret place.' 'What secret? You and the young men of the village helped me build it.' 'Well, on that night, we won't be able t find it. We will get close but we won't find it. And we will be very angry about that and make angry noises all night. That will be your wedding night music.'

Even more than she is in "Broken Arrow", Debra Paget is devoted to her white husband. Someone who when asked if she is ready to jump into the erupting volcano will say, "I have loved and been loved. I am ready." I never did find a woman as fully exotic and as completely devoted to me as the image radiated by Debra Paget in "Broken Arrow," "Bird of Paradise," "Demetrius and the Gladiators," and "The Ten Commandments." But I have been living with the same Asian woman for 31 years. And I am happy.

After studying in the US, the son of a Polynesian Chief (with white in his blood) returns home to the superstition-laden islands along with a vacationing Frenchman he met at the University; despite dire warnings from the soothsaying Kahuna, the white stranger--who represents a portent of turbulence to come--falls in love with his friend's blue-eyed sister and decides he wants to stay. Corny, daft, but enjoyable tropical star-crossed lovers tale--a loose remake of King Vidor's same-titled film from 1932 via Richard Walton Tully's play--has been adapted and directed by Delmer Daves, who gives the splendor of native life a frisky, romantic allure. What might have become a heavy mix of soap and masochism is brought off well by the filmmaker, who mounts the proceedings with grand, melodramatic style (even if the angry volcano at the end looks tacked on). Jeff Chandler and Debra Paget (playing brother and sister, fittingly, since they both share a dimpled chin) and Louis Jourdan approach the material with dreamy seriousness, avoiding camp and actually creating two-dimensional characters. Some may argue the production lacks a high-level of gloss or strong special effects, though I believe Daves was focused far more on the customs and beliefs of these people--and also on the love story--rather than on the technical aspects. As such, it's a more emotional picture than its predecessor, and certainly the music by Daniele Amfitheatrof and Ken Darby is a wonderful asset. **1/2 from ****

I will never forget when I saw "Bird of paradise" and I have never forgotten the name Debra Paget. I was 16 years old, it was in 1952 and the movie was shown at the local cinema, a tiny place hiding under the pine trees in the village in mid-Sweden where I grew up. It was a winter evening and I was deeply moved when walking home alone through the snow. Never shall I forget that TERRIBLE moment when Kalua jumped over the edge of the volcano! Oh, no!!! She was so beautiful and I loved her so much. Of course the volcano's eruption immediately stopped when this wonderful woman sacrificed herself for her people. The story represented something frightening and unknown to me, still remembering it after all these years. I tried to understand how parents could think in the way they did, slowly realizing that that there were different ways to look at life out there. Movie at it's best!

I'm an anthropologist and have been one for over 30 years. One of the reasons I decided to study this field, believe it or not, were the island films. They fascinated me as a kid. This one is no exception. I saw it in '51 at least a dozen times. I ate it up and craved more. Also, I lapped up the Dottie Lamour and Jon Hall films as well as Burt Lancaster's His Majesty O'Keefe. Well, truth is I never got to the islands during all of my professional career. The closest was a port of call at Pearl Harbor on the way to Japan when I was in the Navy. But, the portrayal of these people, however flawed in detail it was, started me on the road to finding out about how we humans differ and yet, are really the same. I loved this film. It has much to offer. No, it's not perfect and I concur with the reviewer from Spain on Chandler's wooden dancing, but with that iron-grey hair and dark Jewish face, he did make a convincing Polynesian. Too, let's not overlook the hamboning of old Maurice Schwartz, some good villainous moments by Jack Elam and a dark, mysterious presentation by the veteran actor, Everett Sloane. Jourdan was French and charming and Debra Paget was beautiful. That alone was worth the price of admission.