The new Blu-ray release of Donovan’s Reef (1963) by Kino Lorber, also available on 4K Ultra HD, is the most beautiful print of the film that I’ve ever seen. It’s almost a different film when you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the French Polynesian island. One of the aspects of a John Ford-directed film that I appreciate is that all of the major characters were introduced in the first few minutes, and the plot isn’t difficult to grasp and understand. Amelia Dedham (Elizabeth Allen) is sent from Boston to Haleakaloha to find her estranged father and discover just cause to invoke a clause to take his shares in the family company away from him. Her father, Doc Dedham (Jack Warden); Gilhooley (Lee Marvin); and Donovan (John Wayne) have been on the island since they fought there in World War Two. The story revolves around Donovan claiming that Dedham’s three island-born children are his to protect the Doctor while he is away.
Buy Donovan’s ReefDirector John Ford had been at the helm of films for over 45 years when he started Donovan’s Reef. Ford came out of his World War Two experience feeling patriotism for his country. His films in that post-war period from They Were Expendable (1945) through Mister Roberts (1955) reflected that idealism of the American Spirit and a celebration of American exceptionalism. Starting with The Searchers (1956), the view of America started to show chinks in the armor. The themes of change and questioning of our core values continued with more films being set outside of America, with Americans as the outsiders. The two films of The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) and Donovan’s Reef (1963) weren’t Ford’s last films, but they were his last major films to explore these themes and feature the famous Ford troupe of actors and crew.
The three male characters in the film are all veterans who have found a comfortable life away from America. The island is a true melting pot with natives, settlers, and visitors from other countries, as we see with Australian Navy members late in the film. The Dedham family from Boston are the bad guys. When they meet in the boardroom to send Amelia to the island, the scene is dark and the room feels like a prison. That’s a clear distinction from the blue skies and island vistas of the rest of the film. America is dark and dangerous, while the island offers the real freedom to live without judgement.
John Wayne became a star in Ford’s Stagecoach (1939). They had made 13 films, and this would be their 14th and last film together. While they differed politically and in terms of religion, Wayne’s characters often embodied Ford’s ideals. By The Searchers (1956), Ford allowed Wayne to show his age and some weakness. John Wayne was always going to be the lead role in any movie he starred, and this is no different. He might be having more fun in this film than any I can recall with Ford. Both Ford and Wayne had a fondness for more slapstick humor, and it shows here with over-the-top fights that start and end the film. The final scene with Amelia brings closure to their romantic story, but the brief spanking scene has not aged well and turns many viewers away from a film that they had enjoyed up to the very end. It’s too bad that Ford’s attempt at a humor that was common for the day doesn’t land well at all for modern audiences.
John Wayne and Lee Marvin had great chemistry as hero versus villain in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). Lee’s appearance in this film is mostly as comic relief. He sets the tone for the film with his mutiny in the first scene, through his first fight with Wayne, and up to his obsession with the toy train at the end, recalling the train in Valance that symbolizes the end of a simpler era. I enjoyed his performance because of how it helps expound upon the themes of the freedoms of Island Life.
This film is too easily written off as just a fun romp. It is that from scene to scene, just watch Wayne during the water-skiing scene. It’s a completely throwaway scene that doesn’t add much to the plot, but it feels like Ford just wanted Wayne and Elizabeth Allen to have fun. There’s a message running through the film about romance, existing in a multi-religion society, and working for the collective benefit of the whole. Ford has created a Utopia that seems to exist without politics. There are still hints at colonial issues (the racism towards the Chinese characters is more uncomfortable than the spanking) beneath the beautiful scenery. More importantly, this stands as a culmination of the journey of a director from young man exploring his Irish heritage, to patriot who celebrates his country, to outsider who questions the direction of his country and celebrates the goofiness of it all.
The Blu-ray has two audio commentaries. The one by Joseph McBride is very illuminating. I’ve reviewed his book, Searching for John Ford, and he has wonderful insights. The other commentary by Dwayne Epstein is more a collection of stories. He’s more of an expert on Lee Marvin, and I found the correlation between the stories and what was onscreen to be distracting. There is the short film, The Growler Story (1957), a rather clunky documentary of a war ship. The trailers for other John Ford, John Wayne, and Lee Marvin films are predictable. The reason to buy this disc is ultimately for the incredible transfer. I’ve watched this film three or four times previously, and it’s never looked this wonderful.
