Island in the Sun (1957)

So much average

Beautiful, moving film.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

"Island in the Sun" was filmed in Barbados and Grenada, though it's about a fictional British colonial island...roughly like Barbados or Grenada! In many ways, it's a film about the racism inherent in colonialism and in other ways is a soap opera set on a tropical island. It also features something shocking for its time...and interracial romance between Joan Fontaine and Harry Belafonte...something which, sadly, caused a bit of a commotion when it debuted.The movie is odd in that it seems to have many, many plots...too many for my taste. Much of it involves the Fleury family-- especially the incredibly strange character played by James Mason. But in addition to the Fleurys, there are many others--and the common thread to all of this is soapy romance. Many of the romances are interracial and the stories thrust seems to be that with the ending of colonialism comes the elimination of racial boundaries in love. As I mentioned, I actually think the film has too many plots. I also thought Mason's character was enough for one film....so either the film should have been all about him OR they should have eliminated him completely. Regardless, it's a confusing sort of film--with many excellent moments but not nearly enough focus. Decent but the film could have been so, so much better...especially since so many things that are brought up in this film are important and deserve a better presentation.

This is a glorified soap opera, in fact the film reminded me rather a lot of 1980s US soap operas such as Flamingo Road or Falcon Crest.This is a British/US co-production set in a fictional West Indian island about to gain independence from the UK. Harry Belafonte is the charismatic and aspiring politician who is set to become the leader of the independent island but is having a romance with a white woman played by Joan Fontaine.James Mason plays the bitter son of a plantation family, denied the chance of getting educated in England and realizing that the family will lose power and privilege post independence, his temper also gets the better of him.Dorothy Dandridge is stunning as the local beauty having a romance with a Governor's aides who is white. A risqué relationship at the time.John Williams is the astute Police Inspector diligently investigating the murder of a white drifter and does not let prejudice get in the way of his investigations.The film is daring for its time in depicting inter racial romance. You have dark secrets, the shock of mixed race ancestry but the film also looks naive as well. Post colonial politics was a lot more hard edged than this film shows, the white on black racism is very much hidden in this film and the shock of having some black blood in your family ancestry looks bewildering today although during that time it might have been positively shocking.It is very much a soap opera type melodrama. John Williams is the standout, James Mason is rather conniving and Belafonte even gets to sing a song.

Once you get a gander of the beautiful scenery via Cinematographer Freddie Young and hear the sound of Harry Belafonte's voice, you will be willing to follow the narrative anywhere. This really does come across as a paradise on Earth, which makes it even harder to imagine that beneath the tropical lushness of the environs and the island social veneer seethes and rumbles the tension of racial and sexual unrest. It is hard to believe that once again in such an idyllic setting members of the white race are living high off the hog at the expense of an indigenous work force struggling to shrug off the yoke of exploitation and oppression. Malcolm Arnold and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra serve up the musical score with a light and rousing air, but it is Harry Belafonte who is manning the boat.Harry Belafonte strides through the story with a youthful power and authority as he gives Joan Fontaine, his romantic interest and walkabout date, a guided tour through his culture and the places of his upbringing. It would have been interesting to see her return the favor as I believe that would have beefed up the narrative. But their relationship has a wholesomeness that comes across as high-minded despite their ethnic differences. Fontaine conveys her role with a mature beauty and dignity. Perhaps Grace Kelly would have brought more youth and heat to the role, but here the age differences between her and Belafonte are next to insignificant and we are really just comparing apples to oranges.Belafonte is in great company here surrounded by a cast at their most glamorous. Dorthy Dandridge is at times a walking, talking, painting and Joan Collins gives Elizabeth Taylor a run for her money in acting talent and sex appeal. James Mason, Michael Rennie, and Stephen Boyd are suave and gentlemanly from their troubled perspectives, and Britisher John Williams has never presented a stiffer upper lip. John Justin comes across somewhat wooden and stiff as Dandridge's love interest, but then it really is hard to take your eyes off Dorothy anyway. Here producer Darryl F. Zanuck serves up a dish of old style Hollywood and the beauty factor is high.While Belafonte plays the role of a black man romancing a white woman and Justin plays the role of a white man timorously involved with a bi-racial black woman, James Mason is fuming with a murderous jealousy over his own wife who is the same color as himself. I think it would have been good for the symmetry of the story to have a black man and woman struggle with the issue of jealousy as a parallel subplot to complete the exploration of relationships, but this isn't represented here.Despite flaws in the narrative and the characterizations, Belafonte really does come across as a man rising up from the people and shouldering their aspirations. When he sings you can easily see why Joan Fontaine holds him in such high regard. Personally, I would have loved to see him singing while working on a banana or fishing boat. Just as it would have been great to see more looks of longing and passionate angst between all the romantic leads. But there is an air of reserve and social decorum pervading the entire film even down to Phyllis Dalton and David Ffolkes' costume design that, even while vitiating the heat and passion of island forbidden love, somehow gives gravitas to director Robert Rossen's tale of Paradise Found and Paradise Lost.

Because this movie was made at a time when there was still a Hays Code and that much of America was segregated, you won't get much passion out of the interracial teamings of either Dorothy Dandridge/John Justin (though there's some close embraces) nor Harry Belafonte/Joan Fontaine (he's too intense, she's too reserved). Also, the romance between Joan Collins and Stephan Boyd isn't much to write about either (though they do share a kiss). Anyway, this is mainly about James Mason's plantation character and his debates with Belafonte's labor leader character, his jealousy of his wife's (Patricia Owens) supposed affair with a counsel diplomat (Michael Rennie), and his and sister Collins' reaction to a family secret revealed from a reporter and confirmed by their parents (Diana Wynyard and Basil Sydney). Along the way, there's an officer (John Williams) cracking a murder case...With what I just mentioned, there should have been some fireworks but-other than some exciting close calls staged by director Robert Rossen-it's mostly dull with droning dialogue provided by Alfred Hayes as adapted from Alec Waugh's novel. Still, there are a couple of good songs written and performed by Belafonte and a nice dance by Dandridge and also a compelling confrontation between Mason and Belafonte at a speech rally. So on that note, Island in the Sun is at the least worth a look. P.S. The DVD has excellent commentary by historian John Stanley.