A true oddity from Von Sternberg. The story of a naval crew stranded on a remote island whose inhabitants are one man and one woman... a "Lord of the Flies"-esque scenario where civilization gradually breaks down. The odd part? The tale is based on a Japanese novel, and the entire cast and crew is Japanese, with English narration by JVS himself. The whole thing has a thick dreamlike quality, aided by a haunting. A strange and fascinating film, with thoughtful narration.

The constant voiceover makes this a different experience from other films, and hampers the flow, but underneath is an excellent story. Great performances, some beautiful images and wonderful human conflict.

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A great leap into the human condition. It as if JVS isn't content with "just" letting us judge the action that takes place on the Island, he also let us judge the human race and that's the true quality of this film. VO-narration is a strange, but suitable, way to tell the story - and it only enhances the Lord of the Flies-ish feeling the film aims at.

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