On a Caribbean island, a rich landowner's son, Maxwell Fleury, is fighting for political office against black labor leader David Boyeur. As if the contentious election weren't enough, there are plenty of scandals to go around: Boyeur has a secret white lover and Fleury's wife, Sylvia, is also having an affair. And then, of course, there's the small matter of a recently murdered aristocrat.
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When Harry Belafonte sings the title song during the opening credits, you think you're in for a relaxing film about island life. The cast list might give you a little clue, though. Would Harry Belafonte, Dorothy Dandridge, James Mason, Joan Fontaine, Stephen Boyd, Joan Collins, and Michael Rennie all come together for a comedy? Island in the Sun is a heavy, melodramatic movie, reminding me of the types of films Otto Preminger directed.Rife with racial tensions, the "island in the sun" is far from a paradise. James Mason has a strained marriage with Patricia Owens, who seems to have developed a fondness for Michael Rennie. Stephen Boyd, a politician's young son, comes to the island on vacation, but he falls for James's sister Joan Collins and considers staying permanently. Harry Belafonte is friends with Dorothy Dandridge, but neither one is accepted by white society, so as much as they become "friends" with Joan Fontaine and John Justin, respectively, they're still involved in the great simmering social battle across the island.Island in the Sun sounds really good, promising to be another Hurry Sundown or Pinky, but it becomes enormously predictable towards the end. There are many promising scenes that make you sigh by the time they reach their conclusions. Maybe if Hollywood waited ten years, the movie would have pushed more boundaries or felt a little racier, no pun intended. As it is, it feels a little watered down, as if the final version was severely censored.
"Island in the Sun" was filmed in Barbados and Grenada, though it's about a fictional British colonial island...roughly like Barbados or Grenada! In many ways, it's a film about the racism inherent in colonialism and in other ways is a soap opera set on a tropical island. It also features something shocking for its time...and interracial romance between Joan Fontaine and Harry Belafonte...something which, sadly, caused a bit of a commotion when it debuted.The movie is odd in that it seems to have many, many plots...too many for my taste. Much of it involves the Fleury family-- especially the incredibly strange character played by James Mason. But in addition to the Fleurys, there are many others--and the common thread to all of this is soapy romance. Many of the romances are interracial and the stories thrust seems to be that with the ending of colonialism comes the elimination of racial boundaries in love. As I mentioned, I actually think the film has too many plots. I also thought Mason's character was enough for one film....so either the film should have been all about him OR they should have eliminated him completely. Regardless, it's a confusing sort of film--with many excellent moments but not nearly enough focus. Decent but the film could have been so, so much better...especially since so many things that are brought up in this film are important and deserve a better presentation.
The first issue I had was James Mason. When I was young I thought he was a very good actor. And sometimes he was. Perhaps it was that wonderful voice. In recent years I've taken a second look at Mason's work, and I'd have to say his performances were rather uneven, and in my view his performance here was horrid. Maybe it was the director, or maybe it was the way Mason interpreted his character, but petulance did not fit here, and for much of the first half of the film, that's what Mason's character was -- petulant.The second issue was Dorothy Dandridge. I knew of her, but I'm not sure I ever saw her in another film. Perhaps. But, if this is an example of her at her best, then I'm not impressed. Although, she was remarkably beautiful.A third issue was Joan Collins. Now I enjoyed her in "Dynasty", but that doesn't mean I thought she was a good actress. She knew how to look seductive and sexy. But she didn't know how real people talk or behave, and it certainly shows here.A fourth issue was transitions from one setting/scene to another. Sometimes they seemed awkward, as if the scene wasn't really quite finished, even though it had ended.A fifth issue was the dialog. It was mostly okay, but occasionally it seemed to misfire. For example, the car has been sabotaged with the rotor taken out, and the response is, "It can't be a coincidence." Well, duh! And then there's Joan Fontaine's apparel. Just seemed a little too "white" in a film about interracial love affairs. Over done.So you might think I didn't like the film. Well, despite all the issues, overall I thought it was quite good. First of all, for 1957, interracial romance was a hot topic. This film took courage, particularly for Joan Fontaine.This was more an ensemble cast than a star vehicle. So, I enjoyed seeing Michael Rennie, an actor that I always felt was underestimated. John Justin was quite good. Stephen Boyd was sounding VERY British here, but he played the part nicely. Diana Wynyard, as the mother with a secret, has one exceptional scene when she finally tells her daughter a truth; this was her final film. John Williams always played a wonderful detective (as in "Dial M For Murder); a treat to see him in the same type of role here! I also enjoyed Ronald Squire.In case you think I forgot Harry Belafonte, no, I didn't forget. I just don't think of him as an actor.Despite some real issues, I liked the film. It has a strong plot, is lavishly produced with beautiful settings, and its theme is still very timely...amazing after nearly 60 years!
At the center is Santa Marta, an imaginary small island in the British West Indies Leading the story is David Boyeur (HarryBelafonte), a homegrown revolutionary, whose skin is his country But the issue here is not just one of color The issue here is who is really best fit to represent the people in the colorful island? Who knows them the best? Who feels for them the most? Who's really a part of them? On the other hand, one of the other important fights, for Boyeur, is against tradition as Santa Marta shackles with traditions Sizzling around the edges is Mavis Norman (Joan Fontaine) who happens to be in love with this charismatic leader Mavis Norman feels that he is superior to most men As a public figure, there is Maxwell Fleury (James Mason) who seeks the election to revenge himself upon the whites whom he now thinks despise him Fleury is ready to use the black people so that he can still rule in that world that he still belongs to Delving into his personal life, we see him jealous of Hilary Carson (Michael Rennie), the gentlemanly English drifter Fleury envies him because he thinks that his wife (Patricia Owens) is attracted to him Blind by love, he thinks that his wife had fall in love with Carson who is better suited to her There is also Euan Templeton (Stephen Boyd), the governor's son, who wants to be married before he goes back to England His fiancé, Jocelyn Fleury (Joan Collins), is the most difficult person to get a wedding ring on for some powerful reason Caught in a tangle of rumors, she comes out to her mother (Diana Wynyard) who placates her by revealing a secret of her own... There's also the governor's aide Denis Archer (John Justin) who thinks that there's always a point at the beginning of a love affair where a man can draw back, where he's still safe His love interest Margot Seaton (Dorothy Dandridge) delivers some of the film's best moments And let us not forget the police inspector John Williamsin a really outstanding performancewho easily identifies an unpremeditated murder Colonel Whittingham considers the murderer not strong enough to bear the burden of his guilt But to tell you more would be to reveal too much too soon Robert Rossen manages a few winningly odd performances from Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, and John Williams whose presence give the film some strong dramatic qualities
