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Post by pimpinainteasy on Feb 10, 2019 12:59:21 GMT
a visually striking costume drama that turns into an action adventure film after the first hour. this film is worth watching to only look at the beautiful and ravishing ELEANOR PARKER. certainly one of the most underrated beauties to grace the screen. the dramatic scenes between her and HESTON were pretty intense.
the final flooding scenes were very realistic and did not seem to involve any special effects. wonder how they shot it. CHARLTON HESTON's gray colored south american villa was a grand set piece. i wonder whether somebody would dare to remake this. i guess there are better disaster movie ideas than solider ants taking over a plantation.
the film is a bit cheesy at times with some really terrible acting by the native plantation workers. the way they are portrayed might be considered offensive today. but i enjoyed the swampy locations and of course ELEANOR PARKER is really a sight for sore eyes.
(7/10)
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Post by politicidal on Feb 10, 2019 14:55:40 GMT
6/10. Pretty entertaining jungle film. It’s a just tad slower paced in the first half. The dynamic between Heston and Parker upon their first meetings would never fly today, the stuff he says to her.
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Post by wmcclain on Feb 10, 2019 21:18:58 GMT
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Post by Prime etc. on Feb 10, 2019 21:41:55 GMT
I watched one Eleanor Parker movie (something with Robert Taylor) a while ago and recall thinking: who is this and how come I haven't seen more movies with her in it?
I will check this one out.
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Post by pimpinainteasy on Feb 11, 2019 6:09:51 GMT
I watched one Eleanor Parker movie (something with Robert Taylor) a while ago and recall thinking: who is this and how come I haven't seen more movies with her in it? I will check this one out. she is great eye candy allright. |
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Post by jeffersoncody on Feb 11, 2019 7:45:38 GMT
a visually striking costume drama that turns into an action adventure film after the first hour. this film is worth watching to only look at the beautiful and ravishing ELEANOR PARKER. certainly one of the most underrated beauties to grace the screen. the dramatic scenes between her and HESTON were pretty intense.
the final flooding scenes were very realistic and did not seem to involve any special effects. wonder how they shot it. CHARLTON HESTON's gray colored south american villa was a grand set piece. i wonder whether somebody would dare to remake this. i guess there are better disaster movie ideas than solider ants taking over a plantation.
the film is a bit cheesy at times with some really terrible acting by the native plantation workers. the way they are portrayed might be considered offensive today. but i enjoyed the swampy locations and of course ELEANOR PARKER is really a sight for sore eyes.
(7/10)
This is one sexy flick. Ms Parker, in her prime, was to die for. |
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Feb 11, 2019 19:54:50 GMT
I watched one Eleanor Parker movie (something with Robert Taylor) a while ago and recall thinking: who is this and how come I haven't seen more movies with her in it? That would be Valley of the Kings (1954) , which ironically as well as The Naked Jungle is cited as main influences on what would become Indiana Jones. |
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Post by hitchcockthelegend on Feb 11, 2019 19:57:44 GMT
Yep, Eleanor was a sumptuous beauty, made for Technicolor that girl.
The Naked Jungle
Heston Versus The Marabunta
The Naked Jungle is directed by Byron Haskin and based around the short story Leiningen Versus The Ants written by Carl Stephenson. It stars Charlton Heston, Eleanor Parker, Abraham Sofaer and William Conrad. Music is scored by Daniele Amfitheatrof and cinematography by Ernest Laszlo.
1901, South America, and mail order bride Joanna Selby (Parker) arrives at the plantation owned by her husband Christopher Leiningen. She is shocked to find life at the plantation is hardly idyllic, but not as shocked as Leiningen is when he finds out that Joanna was once married before. With his own hang ups gnawing away at him and he refusing to accept Joanna as his bride, the relationship appears to be heading nowhere. However, she's made of stern stuff, and when a swarm of soldier ants is known to be heading towards the plantation, Joanna and Chris might just find that love is actually there?
Filmed in glorious Technicolor by Laszlo and produced by George Pal (Destination Moon/The War of the Worlds/The Time Machine), The Naked Jungle seems to be a forgotten movie on the CV's of Pal and Heston. A crying shame since it's very well mounted and carries a uniqueness worthy of further delving. Perhaps it got lost in the slipstream of Them! The other Ant movie out that year? What transpires is an hour of interesting character build up, where Heston & Parker's characters take centre stage and benefit from literate writing (Philip Yordan). The sweaty backdrop of the jungle plantation keeps things on the simmer, but it's the dialect and emoting of the performers that really holds the interest. True, Heston does at times over do it with some "woe is me" acting as he looks off into the distance (he has major issues we learn), but it works because it bounces off of Parker's (a Technicolor treat for the eyes) intelligent and stoic performance.
Film then shifts to creature feature territory for the last third. Once the army of Marabunta are spied off in the distance, laying waste to everything in their path, picture has become a war involving man against nature, where if man wins? He may not only save his life, but more pertinently his soul. Heston stops the tortured emoting and sticks out is lantern jaw, squares up his shoulders and stands firm in the face of such a hostile and intelligent enemy. By his side, the wife, multi talented and brave of heart, they make quite a couple. The chemistry between the two is simmering with sexual tension, and thanks to the writing the characters are fabulously engaging and make us care about the outcome of picture. Director Haskin, too, utilises the scenery and plantation setting to frame his protagonists for maximum impact, his camera work airy and unobtrusive. While his crafting of the biblical fight against the ants is thrilling and boosted no end by marvellous effects work (John P. Fulton).
An oddity? Yes, for sure. But it's a smart and intelligent picture that successfully manages to blend the sci-fi and nature aspects with complex human characterisations. 8/10
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Post by politicidal on Feb 11, 2019 20:58:31 GMT
I watched one Eleanor Parker movie (something with Robert Taylor) a while ago and recall thinking: who is this and how come I haven't seen more movies with her in it? That would be Valley of the Kings (1954) , which ironically as well as The Naked Jungle is cited as main influences on what would become Indiana Jones. Yeah that’s a good one. Plus I think they also starred together in a movie about the Enola Gay pilot? |
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