A Flash of Green

I completely agree with the positive reviews. A lovely, subtle film, and I can attest to its verisimilitude. I was a reporter in West Palm Beach, Fla. for 1 1/2 years from 1981 to 1983 and this story hits the nail right on the head -- development issues, land use issues, environmental issues and journalism/ethics issues. It's fictional, but it's also completely real.

I think I've read all the John D. MacDonald books. It's been years. I might even start reading them over again. Such a guilty pleasure. MacDonald's pre-politically correct philosophy really gives you the flavor of an era. I love this film adaptation. Richard Jordan makes the perfect MacDonald villain, Blair Brown the ideal MacDonald wholesome love interest. And Harris in the lead made me a lifelong fan. Some years back it was screened at our local Museum of Photographic Arts. The print wasn't in great shape then. I own an old grainy copy of Flash of Green on VHS but no longer have a VHS player. Please, somebody, let's get this fine film on Blue Ray/DVD. I'd love to watch it again. There's so much junk available on DVD that it breaks my heart to think of a really satisfying film moldering away somewhere.

Just finished viewing "Flash of Green" on the Sundance Channel & was amazed by it's laid-back, easy yet altogether potent quality. Catch this if you can.

It's a wonderful example of the all-American one-good-man theme in journalism, and in the context of the coastal Florida south 'round about the early 1960s. It's about how an individual can both belong to and resist the toxic tides in his or her own immediate environment; has a delicate sense of place without (New York City style) shoving it in your face. Thematically one will also find delicious shades of Rachel Carson & Oliver Sachs (i.e., think out of the box) -- and the acting is superb. Sure, it's a bit of a melodrama; but so what. Isn't that part of what good story telling is about?

For many years I treasured my 4:3 VHS copy of this film, assuming it had been photographed on 16mm on a very low budget. As it turns out this is not the case. Two years ago this film appeared on Netflix Instant in HD. It was available for about six weeks before disappearing without a trace. I watched it in full, stunned to see a gorgeously photographed 35mm film in crystal clear widescreen. One of the things you cannot appreciate when watching the VHS copy is the stellar art direction and costume design. The lush pastel colors, the swampy Florida locations, the 1950s cars, the grimy office interiors. It's all vividly presented. I wish the company or persons sitting on that HD copy would release it on bluray or put it back up somewhere for a while. This film is one of those lost 1980s films that deserves a wide release.

I love this movie. It represents some of the very best work of Ed Harris, Blair Brown and Richard Jordan. Aside from that, the story is intelligently written, and intrinsically American. A cynical, bored reporter is hired by a friend and ambitious real estate speculator to publicly smear a group of conservationists who stand in the way of a big land deal. The drawback is, one of the group is a woman the reporter is in love with. He agrees in order to protect her. When things become violent, he confesses his sins, and goes public with his schemes, exposing the real estate swindle. He regains some measure of his pride, and takes a series of brutal beatings in the bargain. In the end his persistence is rewarded, in some measure. Few movies take the time to explore characters as deeply as this one, and offer heroes as complex and flawed, yet still redeemable. The movies moves slowly, at the pace of the Florida landscape it portrays, but it never flags. The characters are absorbing, and the conflicts between them are always intriguing. Victor Nunez's photgraphy and subtle emphasis on mood and insight make for a very moving and thought-provoking film experience. Don't miss it. And take your time watching it. This film isn't about action and plot. It's a lot closer to real life than we've come to expect in film.