George Roy Hill is best known for "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" and "The Sting". You might not know that prior to those, he directed an adaptation of James Michener's sprawling "Hawaii". I've never read the book, but now that I've seen the movie, there are a couple of things that I notice.
It opens with a speech by Keoki about how the missionaries claim to bring God to Hawaii, but have brought disease. That happened everywhere that the Europeans colonized; it certainly helped Columbus run roughshod over the Arawaks in Haiti.
The other thing is Max von Sydow's character, a typical pious clergyman. He repeatedly insists that the Hawaiians have to abandon their "heathen" ways and accept Jesus. Is there anything more arrogant than trying to force your way of life on a colonized people?
It's hard to tell whether the movie is trying to take the side of the colonizers or the colonized. In any case, it's got some of the most stunning visuals that I've ever seen. Julie Andrews's role is quite a change from her roles in "Mary Poppins" and "The Sound of Music". In supporting roles are Gene Hackman, Carroll O'Connor and Michael Constantine (the dad in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"). Music by Elmer Bernstein (who later did the "Animal House" score).
It opens with a speech by Keoki about how the missionaries claim to bring God to Hawaii, but have brought disease. That happened everywhere that the Europeans colonized; it certainly helped Columbus run roughshod over the Arawaks in Haiti.
The other thing is Max von Sydow's character, a typical pious clergyman. He repeatedly insists that the Hawaiians have to abandon their "heathen" ways and accept Jesus. Is there anything more arrogant than trying to force your way of life on a colonized people?
It's hard to tell whether the movie is trying to take the side of the colonizers or the colonized. In any case, it's got some of the most stunning visuals that I've ever seen. Julie Andrews's role is quite a change from her roles in "Mary Poppins" and "The Sound of Music". In supporting roles are Gene Hackman, Carroll O'Connor and Michael Constantine (the dad in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"). Music by Elmer Bernstein (who later did the "Animal House" score).