Hurricane (1979)

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

If you've been keeping up with my reviews, you'll know I hardly ever review horror or disaster flicks. Since I have such a soft spot in my heart for Mia Farrow, I've sat through both rather scary genres. While I've conveniently forgotten all the spooky parts of Rosemary's Baby, Hurricane will stay with me the rest of my life.In the film, Mia Farrow visits a tropical island Alava—the movie was made on location in Bora Bora—to reunite with her strict, unyielding, and cold father. Jason Robards plays the dad, and it's not hard at all to see him as mean-spirited and unlikable. Mia isn't happy about Jason's treatment of the native islanders, and when she falls in love with Dayton Ka'ne, a servant, Papa Bear isn't happy.Obviously, as given away by the title, a hurricane strikes the island. The special effects are incredible. If you're an East Coaster and have lived through hurricane season, you might not be as petrified by this film, but I'm a Californian, and this film scared the pants off of me. It's absolutely terrifying, especially because the buildup to the disaster is such an innocent, sweet love story.Next to the special effects, Nino Rote's beautiful score is the most famous part of the movie. It's romantic, tragic, and totally perfect for the film. If you like disaster movies and want to hear some beautiful music, go ahead and rent this one. But if you're afraid of water like I am, just listen to soundtrack.

I saw this with my sister and some friends on a double feature with "Meteor." Neither movie was that good, but my sister preferred "Hurricane," other friends and I believe, because it was a love story. And that's it! I loved when one of the people I saw it with said it sucked. Roger Ebert picked it as the worst movie of 1979, which was something of a pleasant surprise for some of us LOL.The old adage about the scenery and cinematography apply well enough here, but all I remember was a few minutes here and there. That's probably for the best. The movie was plodding and took forever...and ever..and ever...to get to anything. Then it ended! I occasionally teased my sister about it, and she blew up LOL. "I like it, you don't!" She would yell. Nuff said.

In view of the disaster-movie cycle of the 1970s, somebody got the bright idea of remaking the John Ford classic THE HURRICANE (1937) – lavishing on it a considerable budget, a handful of stars, and the best that special effects wizardry could afford at the time; however, the end result was so dreadful (and old-fashioned) that the film proved a notorious flop! The setting (adapted from a book by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall, best-known for another adventure with an exotic backdrop, "Mutiny On The Bounty") is a South Sea island run by the American Navy; the arrival of the Governor's daughter causes a commotion – the newly-crowned native King forsakes his local girl for the white woman's charms; this obviously creates problems between the two sets of inhabitants, who do not wish to have their blood mingle…but, before the situation can be resolved, the Forces of Nature contrive to mete out their own form of justice (via the titular catastrophe).Jason Robards Jr. is the Governor, Mia Farrow his daughter, and Dayton Kane the young ruler; besides, Max von Sydow is a doctor, Trevor Howard a priest, Timothy Bottoms a Navy officer (with feelings for Farrow) and James Keach as Kane's hostile keeper (the latter having been convicted of his fiancé's death, who drowned after fleeing a ceremony in which her virginity was to be ascertained!). Despite enviable credentials – producer Dino De Laurentiis, acclaimed Swedish director Troell, cinematographer Sven Nykvist, composer Nino Rota (whose contribution is particularly notable) and production designer Danilo Donati – the film is something of a snoozer, with endless footage devoted to local color and the unconvincing central romance…until the spectacular climax (but which still isn't really enough to redress the balance)! Having re-acquainted myself with this (I'd already watched it as a kid), I hope someday to get a fresh appraisal of the Oscar-winning original as well; it was available on DVD very early into the format, but hasn't been re-issued since going out-of-print!

I don't suggest everyone to see this movie. Then again did everyone like the Romeo and Juliet movie? All love stories are not everyone's cup of tea. Let's not tell all not to view this island love story. For just a short moment the forbidden love between an islander and a howly(that is a person from the main island of the United States) makes love possible. To dream is to love so let us love because there is so much hate in this world that we should dream. It's good for our spirit.