Canzone pagana

Generally considered the worst of the films created by MGM's legendary "Freed Unit," and probably not helped by the ineptitude of its inexperienced and temperamentally unsuited director, Robert Alton, it still boasts the incredible radiance of Esther Williams, and baby, can that gal radiate. Beautiful wet or dry, she's perfect for fluff of this pitch and though disparaged by Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly for her lack of talent (which they encountered in "Take Me Out to the Ball Game," she's still consummately professional. Would you want to see a film this dopey starring a Meryl Streep? I don't think so. Williams projects vitality, sexuality, life-force and intelligence as the Tahitian-American aristocrat mistaken for a local peasant by island newcomer Howard Keel. A better script might have toyed with this classic musical mix-up for its entire length, but this one disposes of it by Minute 25, leaving it nowhere else to go. What follows is beautiful scenery (Maui standing in for Tahiti), some unmemorable songs (mostly by the great Arthur Freed himself), a lot of racial condescension which will set your teeth to grinding, an underused 17-year-old Rita Moreno, plus somebody's idea of "native dancing" with color co-ordinated hula skirts. Keel is sunny. broad-shouldered and shallow, but Esther's buoyancy keeps the thing afloat and watchable. I have to say at one time Keel fantasizes about her, and imagines her in a water ballet. Hmmm, I know if I fantasized about her, it wouldn't be in no stinkin' water ballet!

When Pagan Love Song came out in 1950 it reflected the changing times and the fact that the movies were competing with television. Ten years earlier a film like this would have been done on MGM's backlot. But now in order to get the audiences to a film about the south seas, you had to show the real thing.

The film is lovely to look at without the plot getting too much in the way of the lovely Hawaiian scenery which substituted for Tahiti. My guess is that Tahiti probably was still recovering from the effects of World War II otherwise MGM might have shot the film there. In any event having been to Hawaii, I am of the firm opinion, further documented by Pagan Love Song that it is impossible to make an unattractive film in Hawaii.

The plot is real simple, Howard Keel is an American whose heard about the romantic south seas and wants to get away from it all. Esther Williams is a native Tahitian who'd just like to get to see some of the rest of the world. Howard has bought a copra plantation and he settles into the Tahitian ways very fast. Of course seeing Esther in a bathing suit swimming in the lagoon helped a lot.

One thing that should also be remembered is that at the time Pagan Love Song came out, the most popular musical on Broadway was South Pacific. That Rodgers&Hammerstein classic by itself created a market for a film like Pagan Love Song. I only wish the music were up to the standards of that show.

Arthur Freed did double duty in this film, serving as both producer and lyricist. He wrote original songs with Harry Warren, nothing terribly memorable and also it's his song with Nacio Herb Brown that serves as the title of the film. It was one of the earliest hits from the beginning of sound films.

Esther Williams as usual has some lovely water ballets. Of her it can truly be said, her like in Hollywood has not appeared again and is unlikely to.

Pagan Love Song is a pleasant piece of fluff entertainment, easy to look at with a plot not too taxing.

Someone seemed to have forgotten that a film needs a plot when they devised this piece of fluffy entertainment. Still the people are pretty, the setting even more pretty, and the fantasy sequence the prettiest of the lot. The songs are forgettable - but just turn the brain off and enjoy.

This is a gorgeous film. Scenery of the island of Tahiti was exceptional. Esther Williams and Howard Keel make a beautiful pair on screen. They seemed to suit each other. They did appear together again in "Jupiter's Darling". This was at the peak of their careers. MGM gave them a no nonsense type story line and interlaced it with some nice songs and one spectacular water ballet. I am an Esther Williams fan. I love watching this beautiful woman on screen. And when she's wet, she's fantastic! In the underwater scenes, with beautiful coral plants and colorful foilage, she seems to be like a mermaid in her own world. Rita Moreno plays a feature role, in her early MGM days, complete in sarong and long flowing hair. And look for Ben Gage, Esther's real life husband at the time, making an exit down the gangplank, carrying a little girl from the ship that brings Keel to the island.

A wholesome entertaining film from the MGM Musicals. Charming and fun to watch. You'll find yourself smiling all the way through the film.

Seeing it with an American friend, who is also a fan of "classic-era" musicals and had an old VHS in not too bad condition, 'Pagan Love Song' is pleasant enough. It does not see the best of Howard Keel or Esther Williams, but they are the film's biggest attractions and don't disappoint.

Getting 'Pagan Love Song's' flaws out of the way, the thinness of the story makes paper thicker in comparison and it gets contrived and nonsensical in places, coming to life in the song/dance scenes and floundering often elsewhere. The script does lack wit and does come over as a bit leaden and heavy-handed in delivery.

Direction-wise, 'Pagan Love Song' did cry out for a more experienced director (i.e. Stanley Donen), because Robert Alton's direction does come over as indifferent and his inexperience does get in the way out of the storytelling.

The songs are certainly pleasant enough, beautifully sung and charmingly choreographed, but don't expect any classics, ones that stand the test of time in timeless fashion or anything unforgettable. "The House of Singing Bamboo" is the standout.

As said, the main attractions are Keel and Williams and neither disappoint. Keel is handsome, robust and charming, and his voice (one of the warmest and most beautiful male singing voices on film) is in golden condition. Williams also radiates charm and how she handles the water ballet stuff is mind-blowing. The rest of the cast don't stand out as much but are hardly a liability, look out for a pre-'The King and I' and 'West Side Story' Rita Moreno.

Chemistry-wise, Keel and Williams are easy-going and assured. While not exactly irresistible as such, the romantic elements were sweet and fared better than most of the rest of the film's storytelling.

Visually, 'Pagan Love Song' is just exquisite. The scenery is the very meaning of exotic and the whole film is gorgeously photographed, especially in regard to the water ballet sequences, which are some of the most visually beautiful scenes in any film featuring Williams and her water ballet, and the fantasy sequence.

Overall, don't expect much from the story and script but fans of Keel and Williams will be delighted, even if the film is seen just for them. 6/10 Bethany Cox