La forêt interdite

For it's time, I considered it original, thought-provoking, and typical of Schulberg's quirky, off-beat style. I would rate "Wind Across the Everglades", as a movie ahead of it's time, given it's now much-debated theme. I still remember--after almost 40 years---Burl Ives speaking lines which included the phrase "A man's an eel", or did I hear it right? Finally, it was the first film in which I ever saw ChristopherPlummer. I would dearly love to see it again, but it's seldom on television, and in my home town of Sligo, in the Irish Republic, it is not available on video or DVD. Well,that's about wraps my comment. Goodbye, and thank you Paddy Coen.

And in Nicholas Ray's canon,it's not the only one.Few directors (if there were any) displayed ecological concern fifty years ago.Maybe John Huston did when he filmed the plight of the elephants in "roots of Heaven" at the time.But it was not as successful as "wind across the everglades.

They say Ray did not finish the film (once again it was not the only one;see also "55 days at Peking" )but ,apart from his plea for the everglades wildlife,we find one of his permanent features:the Walt/Cottonmouth relationship is very complex and verges on a father and son one (for that matter ,see also " knock on any door" "the lusty men" " run for cover" ..) The picture with these birds flying away is sublime.

Taken in the context of the 'feather' craze that almost decimated the birds of the Everglades at the turn of the 20th Century, this movie -almost- presaged Rachel Carson and Marjorie Stoneman Douglas. A moving depiction of the River Of Grass, those who lived WITH it and those who tried to DESTROY it. Christopher Plummer and Burl Ives gave this movie a depth that seemed effortless It deserved a wider release and I can only hope it will be issued as a DVD. It was based upon a true story of a federal wildlife ranger. The Manchineal trees have been displaced by Malelucas, what a pity, I would rope all the inhabitants of South Florida to the formers caustic trunks and enjoy he howls of pain

It's the turn of the century. Ornithologist Walt Murdock (Christopher Plummer) arrives in the Florida Everglades to photograph local birds and to enforce the newly declared bird/animal sanctuary. Walt finds himself confronted by a family of poachers led by Cottonmouth (Burl Ives) and the local trade in feather plumage.

This apparently had a troubled production. The swamp people has shades of Deliverance with shocks of bright colors. There are some great natural views but the production can get stuck in the mud. The ecological and native themes are a bit ahead of its time. On the other hand, the melodrama and old costumes feel old. Most of this is a bit of a mess until the last section. It's as if the film figured out that it has two great actors in the cast. It becomes a mano-a-mano film and it's so good. The first two thirds is an interesting fail but it becomes almost electric in the last act.

In this peculiar movie there various and motley characters , such as : Burl Ives as Cottonmouth, more terrrifying than the dreadly marshland he ruled , Chistopher Plummer , the one who dared go in after him, Gypsy Rose Lee who imported the Girls , Tony Galento the heavy wright fighter as Beef , he escaped with Sammy Renick , the famous jockey , a renegade from the track, Emmett Kelly , the great circus clown , as Bigamy Bob , the multi-married outlaw McKinlay Kantor and introducing a new European star from Poland , lovely Chana Eden . The people passions and plunder that swept the 1000 terror-miles of everglades ¡ Storming the heights of motion picture greatness ¡. Hollywood bulletion : Nothing like it since " Grapes of Wrath" . Best-selling novel now on the screen, now the screen is adult enough !. Please see it from the beginning . No motion picture ever stabbed so deep ¡

This is an offbeat movie plenty of barroque scenes , ecologism, rare roles , disjointed set pieces and gorgeous outdoors from Florida . Financed by Warner Bros and produced by Stuart Schulberg and script by his brother Budd Schulberg , the prestigious man who gave you "On the Waterfront" . Schulberg attempted to take the filmmaking against an alcoholic Nicholas Ray, and finally Budd made the final scenes. Main and support cast are pretty good . The incombustible Christopher Plummer in his second screen appearance is pretty nice as the ornithologist who fights a bunch of bird poachers and Burl Ives is top-notch as the boss who imposes his own law in the Florida Everglades . And fine support cast , such as: Gypsy Rose Lee , Pat Henning , introducing Chana Eden and Peter Falk in his feature debut , among others .

Here stands out the stunning cinematography shot on location in Florida marshland , showing the lush exteriors and a lot of wildlife and birds that are the peculiar and real protagonists of this nice movie. The motion picture was uneven but professionally directed by Nicholas Ray in his usual style . He was a great director who made masterpieces , successes and failures . Ray directed all kinds of genres as Epic , Noir Film , Drama , Western , Religious , Wartime, such as : "The live by Night" , "Knock in any Door" , "In a lonely place" , "Born to be bad" , "On Dangerous Ground", "Flying Leathernecks", "The Lusty Man" , "Johnny Guitar", "Party Girl", "The King of Kings" , "55 days in Pekin" and several others. Rating : Notable 7/10. Better than average . The film will appeal to Christopher Plummer fans that he is still playing with certain success , as well as followers of this great and rebel filmmaker called Nicholas Ray . Essential and indispensable watching .