This was a film that was very visually appealing with good acting on the part of the leads. The Marquesas are the nearest chain of islands to the southeast of Hawaii, and having visited Hawaii several times, I saw this film as a rare opportunity to experience Hawaii as it might have existed before the commercial jet airplane was invented and the isolated territory became a state. Although the traditional culture of the Marquesas may not be exactly like that of Hawaii, it is Polynesian and bears many similarities.
The one major problem that I had with this film was its blatant condemnation of the entire white race with the exception of one recovering alcoholic doctor. Even he momentarily succumbed to "the greed of his race", a lapse in judgment that served to lure the evil, exploitative white trader and his associates to the previously "unspoiled" island. While I am not condoning the reprehensible behavior of some whites during the colonial era, I thought that the racist sentiments against the white race in general, as expressed throughout this film, were very offensive. If the creators of the film desired to make a statement about racism by whites, how is their own racism against whites justified? The belief that Polynesia was perfect until the white man ruined it contradicts my understanding of the history of the region. This biased and unrealistic interpretation of history significantly marred what would have otherwise been an extraordinary film. I also didn't understand why the director included some sounds that only served to disrupt the action and annoy the viewers.
The one major problem that I had with this film was its blatant condemnation of the entire white race with the exception of one recovering alcoholic doctor. Even he momentarily succumbed to "the greed of his race", a lapse in judgment that served to lure the evil, exploitative white trader and his associates to the previously "unspoiled" island. While I am not condoning the reprehensible behavior of some whites during the colonial era, I thought that the racist sentiments against the white race in general, as expressed throughout this film, were very offensive. If the creators of the film desired to make a statement about racism by whites, how is their own racism against whites justified? The belief that Polynesia was perfect until the white man ruined it contradicts my understanding of the history of the region. This biased and unrealistic interpretation of history significantly marred what would have otherwise been an extraordinary film. I also didn't understand why the director included some sounds that only served to disrupt the action and annoy the viewers.