Passion sous les tropiques

Joseph Conrad is one of those reliable authors of whose books it's impossible to make bad films. This one is certainly among his best, both concerning the novel and the film. Frederic March is unusually good, and Betty Field is just the right type for her sly manoeuvres, while Cedric Hardwicke as the leading crook gives the main zest to the movie, describing an interesting transition from unbearable superiority to helplessness and deadly fear Curiously enough, his life's greatest fear is the woman, and the highlight of the film is to study his face as he is made aware of a woman being present. Unfortunately it is difficult to come across decent copies of this film, but hopefully it will one day be adequately restored, which it deserves - it is definitely one of Crowell's very best films.

Drama/thriller from Paramount Pictures and director John Cromwell. Hendrik Heyst (Fredric March) lives alone on an isolated Southeast Asian island near Java. During one of his infrequent supply trips to a nearby town, he meets desperate showgirl Alma (Betty Field) who is on the run from some unsavory types. Hendrik decides to invite Alma back to his island to lie low for a while, but a trio of crooks led by the sinister Mr. Jones (Cedric Hardwicke) track them down, looking for the girl and the treasure they believe Hendrik has hidden away.

This is based on Joseph Conrad's novel of the same name, which I had previously seen adapted as a film in 1995, starring Willem DaFoe, Irene Jacob, and Sam Neill. I liked this version much more, as the filmmakers intended this to be an allegory on the U. S.'s unsustainable isolationist stance regarding WWII at the time. The acting is good, and I especially liked Hardwicke, an actor who I often dislike, perfectly cast as the creepy Mr. Jones. Jerome Cowan, using a high-pitched Cockney accent, is also a standout as Mr. Jones' sleazy "secretary". I may rate this even higher if I could see a better copy of it, as the one I watched was very washed out.

In the slightly less than 80 minutes running time of this version of Joseph Conrad's Victory a whole lot is left out and what we get is a preparedness allegory a year before the US entry into World War II. That was certainly not Joseph Conrad's intention in writing this book that was published in 1915.

The protagonist of this story is Fredric March who after business reversals went to live in the Dutch East Indies on a small island with only his Chinese servant Chester Gan for human company. March is your isolationist who only wants to be as left alone as Greta Garbo.

But people and events do have a way of intruding on you. When Sig Ruman who plays a club owner in Surabaya tells three bottom feeding cutthroats Cedric Hardwicke, Jerome Cowan, and Lionel Royce that March on his island is sitting on a fortune it piques their interest. March doesn't have anything of the sort, but it serves to take their interest away from Ruman.

What March does have is the lovely Betty Field who fled from Ruman's employ after he put moves on her. Her being on the island is of interest to Jerome Cowan also.

For those who read the Conrad novel let me say the ending is completely different. But it would have to be as this film is a warning against isolationism of all kinds.

Of the players Jerome Cowan who most would know as Sam Spade's luckless partner Archer in The Maltese Falcon will be a revelation. Miles Archer is a far more typical part for Cowan. That Cockney accent that Cowan adopts will throw you as well, took me a while to realize who it was. Cowan's a real bottom feeder and great in an offbeat part.

This is not Joseph Conrad. It's a mildly entertaining adventure saga however that none of the players can be ashamed of participating in.

Until almost the end, this film does an exceptional job of accurately concentrating the plot and characterization of Conrad's great novel into a fairly short running time. The performances are all good to excellent, with Cedric Hardwicke particularly well cast as the languidly menacing Mr. Jones. And the direction and photography are occasionally inventive - especially memorable is the arrival of the three main antagonists, first seen as fast moving shadows that seem to emerge from the neck of the dark carriage horse that has brought them into town.

Unfortunately, the novel's incredibly moving and complex ending is replaced by a totally different, Hollywood, conclusion, which isn't awful but also isn't particularly good.

I saw this film about 15 years ago and cannot find a copy of it anywhere. It remains the best version I have seen to date and it captures the story and mood very well. No film can ever remain true to its mother book, but I found this version to be the best. In fact without reading the book it is a good film in its own right. The characters are well developed in the short time and although not everything is captured on film it is still honest and faithful to the book, as much as possible within an hour or so of film. I am seeking this film ardently and look forward to watching it again. If you're looking for a good film and then possibly reading the book I recommend this 1940 version as a 'Film' and a ' Movie'.