Hawaï

Hawaii was released in 1966, and was directed by George Roy Hill, it chronicles the journey of Reverend Abner Hale (Max von Sydow) as he moves to the Hawaiian island of Maui in an attempt to bring God to the "heathens." The movie is almost three hours long and covers an extensive and tragic period of time in Hale's life showing how devastating western ideas can be to a functioning non-western society. The highlight of this film is undoubtedly Julie Andrews' performance as the Reverend's loving, accepting wife Jerusha, who suffers greatly because of his inability to love both her and God. Andrews is amazing in this film, I have watched it many times and am more impressed by her every time I see it. Her portrayal of childbirth is the best I have ever seen period. For anyone who still doubts that she can act as well as she could sing, this movie is a must, she is so convincing as Jerusha that you forget she's acting. Max von Sydow is equally as convincing as Reverend Hale so much so that he makes it difficult for many to watch the movie. Overall Hawaii is a wonderful movie, very thought provoking with an importance message, and if you can manage to deal with the infuriating character of Abner Hale, then you will most certainly enjoy it.

The film's cinematography is exceptional and this film depicts the obvious and expected clash between a New England missionary Reverend Abner Hale (Max von Sydow) who takes his new bride Jerusha (Julie Andrews) to the exotic island of Hawaii in the year of 1818, in an effort to convert the natives. The film reflects how different the two cultures are and how rigid Reverend Abner Hale is in both his religious and culture beliefs whereas the native Hawaiians are at least open to understanding the very different culture that the Reverend Abner Hale and his wife Jerusha have introduced to their every day lives.

The year 1818 was a century and period with many hardships for all mankind and the Reverend Abner Hale believes that he alone is the answer to the savages of the island of Hawaii to bring them into the advances made in the 19th century by first building a church and home for his own growing family.

Julie Andrews who plays the Reverend's wife is expected to bear him children, teach the natives the good book and the way of the Americans, whilst she struggles with letting go of a young and virile love (Richard Harris) who broke her young heart before she was formally introduced to the Reverend Hale by her father.

It is an enlightening yet troublesome film which depicts the hardships of both cultures in the early part of the 1800's , and the evolution of love over the life span of the Reverend Hale and his wife Jerusha.

I give it a 6 out of 10 rating

Bumpy, overlong drama does have magnetic sequences that stay with you. New England reverend (Max von Sydow, who never elicits our interest or compassion) sails to the Hawaiian islands with his wife in 1820 to introduce the natives to Christianity. Soapy plot taken from James A. Michener's book tries to cram too many years into 170 minutes of screen-time. The task of adapting the mammoth bestseller was probably a bad idea right from the start, and the picture is certainly a botch, but I did enjoy Julie Andrews as von Sydow's wife and the early scenes have atmosphere and tension. But Max von Sydow is a real problem: he's so overly-pious he's pathetic, which is probably not the effect hoped for. Look fast for real-life Hawaiian resident Bette Midler on the Eastern ship as it arrives to the island. **1/2 from ****

Mary Poppins, daughter of Archie Bunker(Carroll O'Connor), marries Father Merrin (The Exorcist) and travels from Boston to inflict rigid, Calvanistic missionary talk upon a 1819 Hawai'i. It turns out to be a hard trip, and once there, even more difficult to persuade a fabulously unrepentant Malama Ali'i Nui and her people to let go of centuries of cultural practices, including: aloha, daily joy, gratitude and peace, and free love/ sex, (with some royal sibling incest and a bit of questionable infanticide thrown in for good measure). Julie Andrews, Max von Sydow and Richard Harris star, with Gene Hackman and Carroll O'Connor in co-staring roles.

Gene Hackman in early role

Directors George Roy Hill Arthur Hiller(temporarily replaced director) Writers James A. Michener(novel) Dalton Trumbo(screenplay) Daniel Taradash(screenplay) Stars Julie Andrews Max von Sydow Richard Harris Julie Andrews and Jocelyne LaGarde in Hawaii (1966)

Two cultures collide in this vast, lavish and truly spectacular film Adapted from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and nominated* for seven Oscars, this "majestic, gorgeously climatic epic with adventuresome picture-making, a credit to the industry"; and riveting entertainment! They came to bring God, but instead brought disease and destruction. The Rev. Abner Hale (Von Sydow) and his gentle wife Jerusha (Andrews) attempt to convert early 19th-century Hawaiian natives to Christianity but find themselves ill-equipped to endure the unexpected tribulations of paradise. Surging with the excitement of windstorms, firestorms, shark attacks and magnificent island scenery, Hawaii shines as passionately as the island paradise itself!

Julie Andrews and Max von Sydow in Hawaii (1966)

1966: It received seven nominations at the 39th Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actress (Nominated- Jocelyne LaGarde), Best Cinematography- Color (Nominated), Best Costume Design-Color (Nominated), Best Sound (Nominated), Best Effects- Visual Effects (Nominated), Best Music-Original Song (Nominated), Best Music-Original Music Score (Nominated) I think this film is worth seeking out ! It is on blu-ray/DVD.and multiple streaming /Tubi, Prime 7.8/10 Great Movie Poster!

After seeing the movie on cable a few months ago, I decided to read the book.

The movie is only about one-fifth of the whole book. Too bad. The movie leaves a lot of unresolved plot threads which are resolved later in the book. Subplots which seem inconsequential turn out to have major implications to the plot of the novel. Minor characters from the movie become more important as the story progresses. For example, Gene Hackman's Dr. John Whipple and Richard Harris' Raefer Hoxworth have only a few scenes in Hawaii, but their characters are perhaps the two most important characters in the book. Whipple and Hoxworth are the ones who challenge the authority of the missionaries and, in a sense, are the true foils to Abner Hale. They also are the ones who go into business.

As a result, the movie, standing by itself, tends to introduce characters and subplots with no relevancy to the main Abner-Jerusha-Malama-Keolo story line. Perhaps a sequel was planned? In short, Hawaii would have worked better as a mini-series.

********************* How the Novel Ends:

Abner Hale's son, Micah, who was last seen getting a boat to the mainland to attend Yale University, becomes a minister like his father. The sea captain, Raefer Hoxworth, marries Noelini, the daughter of the Alii Nui. Micah then meets and falls in love with Raefer's and Noelini's daughter. They get married. Abner Hale scorns Micha; claiming the Micah has gone "whoring with the heathens." Micah quits the ministry and becomes a partner in Raefer Hoxworth's shipping company - now called Hoxworth and Hale.

John Whipple and Retire Janders (the captain of the ship that brought the missionaries to Hawaii) are partners in Janders & Whipple. Initially a trading company, general store, and ship chandler, they start acquiring land and growing sugar. J&W eventually becomes a plantation company and needs cheap labor to work their fields. John Whipple imports Chinese workers.

A generation after the movie ends, the descendants of Hale, Whipple, Janders, Hewlett (the man who was kicked out of the church for marrying a Hawaiian woman) and the Hoxworth are the commercial, social, and political elite of Hawaii. Micah Hale leads the movement to have the United States annex Hawaii and serves as the first governor of the Territory of Hawaii.

The descendants of these families continue to build their businsses and develop the islands. In an ironic twist, the families, refusing to marry Hawaiians or Chinese, intermarry. Eventually cousins marry cousins - the very practices Abner Hale condemned from his puplit. You eventually get characters named: Whipple Hoxworth; Hoxworth Hale; Hewlett Janders; Bromley Hoxworth.

Finally, at the end of the novel the rich, post-WW II descendants of the missionaries talk about their "distinguished ancestors." Their descriptions and interpretation of events, differs from what it portrayed in the earlier chapters.