La forêt interdite

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

Been binging Nicholas Ray's stuff lately, and yesterday was his birthday, so I lucked out finding a solid copy of Wind Across the Everglades. It's a weird one-some Ray fans love it, others shrug it off. I get the split; it's messy but kinda awesome.

It's set in early 1900s Florida, with Christopher Plummer (first lead role, second film ever) as Walt Murdock, a teacher turned bird protector. He's out to save the Everglades' birds from poachers hunting their feathers. His big foe is Cottonmouth (Burl Ives), a wild poacher boss with a pet snake and a rough crew hiding deep in the swamp. It's based loosely on Guy Bradley, a real game warden killed by plume hunters in 1905.

The Everglades steal the show-gators chomping birds, snakes slinking through water. It's stunning but creepy, like nature's flexing on us. Ray nails the vibe with killer location shots. The cast is nuts: Plummer's intense, Ives is a magnetic bad guy you kinda root for, plus Gypsy Rose Lee as a brothel madame, Peter Falk in his first role, even a boxer (Tony Galento) and a clown (Emmett Kelly). Falk said he and Plummer were the only "real" actors, which tracks with the oddball energy.

Story's a bit all over, not always gripping, but it's got heart. Ray blurs good and evil-Murdock's got a dark side, Cottonmouth's got honor. Ray's addiction was a disaster here. He was spiraling with drugs and booze, constantly beefing with producer Budd Schulberg. Their fights got so bad Ray got the boot before wrapping, and Schulberg took over, directing scenes and editing. Word is the editing's a bit sloppy. Ray even sent Schulberg a desperate letter after a preview, begging to restore cut scenes and tone down Ives' wild final scene (shot after Ray was gone). No luck. The Technicolor's a little beat-up, but it vibes with the swamp's lawless feel.

At 92 minutes, with Paul Sawtell and Bert Shefter's score and Richard Sylbert's design, it's a strange, gorgeous fever dream. Ray's magic-and his chaos-bleed through every frame. If you're down with his vibe, this one's a must. It's not perfect, but it's got that raw, untamed Ray energy that'll stick with you like swamp mud on your boots.

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.

I first saw this film as a youngster, and it had a huge impression on me. As this movie showed on TV semi regularly back then I watched it many times. I was blown away the first time and every other time I saw it. With each re-watching I always picked up on new things I'd missed or didn't understand before, I was a kid after all.

Wind Across the Everglades invokes raw power, beauty, commitment, wilderness, redemption, morality, Human Nature, Nature.

This movie really needs to be re-released on DVD. I haven't seen it in maybe 36 years or more, but still consider it a major "Classic" that has everything going for it..great acting, great story, a non-partisan moral.

I love this movie and the important message to brings!