Tetsel

In this little-known Van Dyke picture, the brilliant cinematography and acting cancel out the shallow plot and seemingly endless 'docu-footage' of the island. What it all adds up to is a very interesting, beautifully shot representation of an exotic place, with a bit of heavy-handed message to make it a story rather than a documentary. There is one exception to this, though, and it is a stunning one: the scene in which the 'white god' teaches the girl to whistle. It is surprisingly intimate, and acted wonderfully well. I recommend this one to fans of early cinematography.

While there may be holes in this morality tale, the combination of Robert Richardson's brilliant cinematography and Max Von Sydow's excellent acting serve as the backbone for a beautifully effective film. It is at times slow moving, and unfortunately Ethan Hawke's character is slightly underdeveloped, yet the film as a whole comes together in the final half an hour, and the result is worth the wait.