HELL IN THE PACIFIC Movie Review

1969 John Boorman

John Boorman's minimalist survival tale is recommended for fans of the two stars (who are the entire cast) and no one else. The story is told elliptically, without the background that most moviegoers and videophiles expect to see. From the first frame to the last—literally—viewers have to fill in large blanks.

It begins with sunrise over a jungle island. The lone inhabitant is a Japanese sailor (Toshiro Mifune). Judging by the scruffy beard and water-collection system he has constructed, he has been there for several weeks. As he scans the horizon, he spots something. A yellow rubber life raft has washed up on the island. An American pilot (Lee Marvin), delirious with thirst, has hidden himself in the undergrowth. The sailor is armed with a staff; the flier has a survival knife. The immediate object of their competition is the meager supply of water. Beyond that, what is worth fighting for?

Neither speaks a word of the other's language but it's obvious that each thinks of the other as a foreign devil.

Given that premise, it's easy to predict that the script by Alexander Jacobs and Eric Bercovici is about communication, cooperation, conflict, the futility of war, etc. etc. The film might never be anything more than a curious updating of Robinson Crusoe, but the stars are at their mature best and that helps considerably. Mifune's walk—as distinctive in its own way as John Wayne's—establishes his strong character in the first seconds. The American is less stable. At many decisive moments throughout, it's unclear whether he is completely sane. The language barrier is not the only the thing that separates these two, from each other and from the viewer. Director Boorman has considerable affinity for off-beat stories set in an exotic wilderness. In visual terms if no other, this film is a companion piece to Deliverance, Excalibur, and The Emerald Forest. Unlike them, however, it lacks a multilayered story and a conventional conclusion. In the end, then, even its admirers will admit that Hell in the Pacific is more interesting than entertaining.

Cast: Lee Marvin (American pilot), Toshiro Mifune (Japanese naval officer); Written by: Eric Bercovici, Alexander Jacobs; Cinematography by: Conrad Hall; Music by: Lalo Schifrin. Producer: Reuben Bercovitch, Cinerama Releasing, Selmur. MPAA Rating: PG. Running Time: 101 minutes. Format: VHS, Beta, LV.