Donovan's Reef

Viewed January 1, 2022. This is colorful and goofy in a way that no other John Ford film is, so much so that it almost resists the kinds of analysis you’d usually apply to a Ford film. But it's also not a straightforward comedy. There's too much emphasis placed on these characters' military backstory and how that informs their mutual sense of honor and dignity. Plus Ford's compositions of these Polynesian locales look like the way he framed the mining town of How Green Was My Valley.

A breezy and inconsequential comedy distinguished by its beautiful Hawaiian scenery and a sincere but superficial attempt to address the problem of racism towards Hawaiians that suggests broader conflicts related to the aftermath of its controversial annexation. Wayne and Marvin are presented rather unironically as bawdy yet gallant macho men who are uncommonly sensitive to the stereotypical locals, but it's a pleasantly humorous diversion that's better than Ford's usual lightweight efforts.

70.000

Fun movie with Wayne playing a man's man as defined by John Ford.

childhood fav AAAAAA LOVEEEEE

Good film.

Slow and uneventful - got bored with this one.

I greatly enjoyed this late film from Ford. The formal control he exercises here is most impressive--expressive lighting, vibrant color, and rhythmic editing all contribute to highlight the central conflict over the racism and disunity that exists in the Dedham family. The comedy is occasionally over the top, but the subtler beauties of the film more than make up for that.