L'île des adieux

This film had been slated by some English critics I later discovered - one describing it as "awful". I hadn't read about it beforehand and was pleasantly surprised - no violence, explosions, sex! A soft, gentle film with romantic and family angst heavily emphasised. George C Scott was excellent in the 'Hemingway' role and had splendid support from the rest of the cast, especially Claire Bloom and Julius Harris (I except David Hemmings from this who came close to spoiling it with hamming it up; very annoying). The ending didn't do the rest of it justice, I felt; a little too much sugar! Well photographed and a good score too. A good film for a wet afternoon.

This adaptation of a series of Hemingway stories never fails to be engaging. George C. Scott stars as a sculptor, Thomas Hudson, who lives in a Bahamian island paradise in 1940. The world is on the cusp of WWII, but people like Thomas aren't likely to be deeply affected by it, apart from the Jewish refugees that sometimes turn up on their island. That summer, Thomas is visited by his three sons - Tom (Hart Bochner), Andy (Brad Savage), and Davy (Michael-James Wixted) - whom he's sired with two different wives.

The script, by Denne Bart Petitclerc, follows a three-act structure, as it portrays Thomas' relationship with "The Boys", is visited by Toms' mother (Claire Boom) during "The Woman", and they reminisce about their past, and finally, shows what happens as Thomas and his friends Joseph (Julius Harris) and Eddy (David Hemmings) undertake "The Journey", wherein they act upon a chance to do some good.

Reuniting Scott with his "Patton" director, Franklin J. Schaffner, "Islands in the Stream" is a deliberately paced drama with a pleasant feel to it during its first two thirds, and an almost dream-like quality. Certainly it's very easy on the eyes, with its gorgeous photography of these exotic locations. It's also accompanied by a wonderful Jerry Goldsmith soundtrack. While some viewers might feel that the film goes downhill in its final third, this viewer never lost interest (although, admittedly, "Islands in the Stream" is never better than when it's a story of a father and his sons).

Scott gives one of his most engaging performances of all time, with similarly laudable work by such performers as Harris ("Live and Let Die"), Hemmings ("Deep Red"), Bloom ("The Haunting"), Gilbert Roland ("The Bad and the Beautiful"), Susan Tyrrell ("Forbidden Zone"), and Richard Evans ("Dirty Little Billy"). Bochner (in his feature debut), Savage, and Wixted are very appealing as the sons.

Overall, this is definitely worth a look: a nicely nuanced look at an interesting man - maybe not a truly great man - but who has certainly earned the admiration of his friends and offspring.

Seven out of 10.

George C. Scott is at his best in this adaptation of a Hemingway story (which, if I'm not mistaken was left unfinished) about a man who, late in life, is experiencing regrets over the loss of time with his sons. The main character, like Hemingway, was married multiple times and always seemed to run out on them shortly after the children were born. As a result, his relationships with his three sons is strained, to say the least. It's obvious Hemingway was being autobiographical here, but unlike the lead in the movie who tries to make good (albiet late), Hemingway chose suicide over mending fences. At least the lead character TRIES to make a run from his tropical island home to the mainland to be with his kids full-time. To me, these parallel stories (true and fictional) makes this movie incredibly sad and wistful, while at the same time great acting and exceptional writing provide great impact as well.

From the opening score and scenes of the water, I was drawn to watch this movie. It was filmed somewhere in the Caribbean and the location was breathtaking. George C. Scott was perfect in the role of Tom Hudson, an Ernest Hemingway-ish character who was a complicated, lonely artist and expatriate who sculpted, drank, and fished his life away. It wasn't until the tragic end that he came to know what he'd been missing.

The music score was haunting and beautiful. I was so impressed with it that I ordered the soundrack.

"Islands in the Stream" takes place on an island in the Caribbean just before World War II. George C. Scott plays a sculptor, Thomas Hudson, who married twice, has three sons, and chooses to work in isolated island exile. Claire Bloom plays his estranged wife. The film has an episodic structure, probably because the screenwriter, Denne Bart Petitclerc based his script on a series of short stories by Ernest Hemingway that appeared in a women's magazine under the title "Island (singular) in the Stream." Had Hemingway lived, he would have combined this and additional material to publish the collection as a novel. Petitclerc does a good job of translating the work to the screen.

The episodes could stand alone, yet each is sufficiently connected both in character and time consecutively to create a coherent, full-length film. The first, "The Boys," has the greatest strength. We see the arrival of Hudson's sons and how each brings out a different quality in the relation of parent and child. Scott handles this, and the whole film, with a natural, understated, and thoughtful strength. His admirers should make an effort to see this wonderful performance in this lesser-known production. In the middle episode, Claire Bloom as the second wife complements Scott beautifully in a dialog minuet which unfolds the decline of their marriage.

The film also features excellent performances by David Hemmings and Michael-James Wixted as the sensitive middle son. A check of the IMDb reveals that he never made another movie, and that's a loss.

While the action takes place on a British possession in the West Indies, the producers chose to do the actual filming in Hawaii. The score by Jerry Goldsmith and cinematography by Fred Koenekamp work well. Koenekamp received an Oscar nomination for his work here; he'd previously won it for his work on Patton, also with director Franklin Schaffner and Scott. I recommend seeing this film in widescreen format for Koenekamp's compositions.