mlraymond Review of The Night of the Iguana

The Night of the Iguana (1964)

Down and out clergyman battles various women at Mexican hotel

[10/10 · 4 December 2006]

This movie was a revelation to me. I saw it one night years ago and was astonished to discover that Ava Gardner could act. I had only seen her in rather silly roles, and had no idea of her talent. She's simply great in this movie. Deborah Kerr does a wonderful job as an archetypal Tennessee Williams heroine. She is just so spot on with her character that the performance couldn't be any better. As for Richard Burton, I thought this was one of the best roles I've ever seen him in. He does a superb job of capturing all the many moods and traits of T. Lawrence Shannon : wry and humorous, wild and hilariously manic, introspective and compassionate. It is a knockout performance, starting with his sermon to a hostile congregation, to his being tied up in a hammock and arguing with Kerr and Gardner about the meaning of life. This is so well written. There is plenty of humor, but the underlying seriousness and real tenderness of the characters toward each other is never made less important than the humor. Watching this film is truly an experience that makes you feel you have lived the events with those characters. Highly recommended.