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Satan Never Sleeps More at IMDbPro »

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18 reviews in total

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16 out of 17 people found the following review useful:
Under-rated melodrama which could be viewed as an unofficial remake of Going My Way., 24 December 2003

Author: Jonathon Dabell (barnaby.rudge@hotmail.co.uk) from Wakefield, England

Satan Never Sleeps is the final film by great director Leo McCarey, whose finest hour was probably the fondly-remembered Going My Way. This is almost a remake of Going My Way in many ways, but back in 1962 when the film was released it was savaged by critics who found it vulgar, cliche-ridden and boring. When I first saw the film in 1993, I was pleasantly surprised by it. The performances are good, the story maintains a reasonable level of interest, and it is shot colourfully. The film is certainly overlong and some of the characters are painted in too broad strokes, but apart from that the critics were unfairly unkind to the film.

Father O'Banion (William Holden) and Father Bovard (Clifton Webb) are a couple of Catholic priests running a remote mission post in China in 1949. O'Banion has recently befriended a young Chinese woman Siu Lan (France Nuyen), but she makes him feel uncomfortable by frequently flirting with him and hinting that she would like to share his bed. Communist forces move into the area and damage the priests' chapel. To add to their woes, Siu Lan is raped and impregnated, and the Communist forces order the public execution of all Christians in the region. Ultimately, they have to flee for safety, pursued by Communist soldiers.

The film was actually filmed in England and Wales, but only occasionally does the lack of authentic location lensing show. Holden gives a decent performance and Webb, though miscast, is entertaining to watch as his older companion. Nuyen strikes the right balance as the flirtatious native girl. The worst performance comes from Weaver Lee, as a Chinese communist colonel - his character is written as a caricature rather than a realistic person, and he just can't get across a convincing reading of the role. On the whole, Satan Never Sleeps is an engrossing, diverting way to pass a couple of hours - certainly not the mega bomb that the critics would have you believe.

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11 out of 15 people found the following review useful:
Clifton Webb & William Holden Were Fantastic, 19 January 2005

Author: whpratt1 from United States

Always enjoyed the great acting of Clifton Webb,(Father Bovard),"Cheaper by the Dozen",'50 and his great performance in "Stars & Stripes Forever,",'52(John Phillip Sousa Story). In this picture, Webb plays an elderly Priest who is very strong willed against the Chinese Communists and the way they hurt the people and missionary's in China. William Holden,(Father O'Banion),"Picnic",'55 gives a great performance as Father Bovard's assisting Priest. There is comedy and also very sad situations in this film which made the film very entertaining for a 1960 film. Unfortunately, Clifton Webb made this film his Swan Song and gave one of his best performance in his career. Great Classic film actors made this film a film for all generations to view.

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6 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Unsuccessful as either comedy or drama..., 10 December 2006

Author: moonspinner55 from redlands, ca

William Holden (looking disinterested) and fey Clifton Webb are priests in the 1940s serving at a Chinese mission and being terrorized by the Red Chinese Army. Holden is actually being terrorized in another way as well--by twinkling servant Frances Nuyen, who's anxious to snuggle up to the heavy-sighing Man of the Cloth. Director Leo McCarey helmed this adaptation of Pearl Buck's novel as either a comedy-drama or as a drama with a comedic undermining (I'm not sure which, as the tone of the film strays all over the place). There are Communist takeover sequences such as the crucifix thrown on the fire which should be harrowing, but McCarey directs it thoughtlessly, cartoonishly. We never really fear for Holden or Webb's safety because the direction is so dispassionate (and Holden is so laconic) that fear seems nearly unwarranted. I actually found the Nuyen-seducing-Holden scenes more tasteless than the violence, and the pat conclusion is tacked on for silly relief--but by then the viewer has no idea where to stand emotionally with "Satan Never Sleeps". It's a curiosity, but not a particularly good example of one. ** from ****

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4 out of 5 people found the following review useful:
Contrived ending is creepy., 16 August 2002
Author: westfall-d from Kelseyville, California, USA

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS A SPOILER. This is a film with good acting, fine visuals and generally good writing. I do wonder about the editing and the contrived ending. Actor Weaver Lee, in his first important role, was placed in the impossible position of trying to make this character believable. He had to make us believe that he was a brainwashed communist so cruel as to have tortured those who loved and raised him and to have raped an innocent young girl. He is allowed to grind his teeth slightly when he watches his parents shot, presumably the beginning of his disillusionment with Communism. Then Mr. Lee has to make us believe that he is suddenly completely changed after seeing the result of his rape, a son. Perhaps Weaver Lee's career might have been furthered had he been allowed at least some kind of transition to make this character believable. Though this is a story of the triumph of good over evil -- and there is no doubt as to who is good and who is evil -- this one character is allowed to get away with atrocity after atrocity completely unpunished. Instead, he is rewarded with the girl, a son and a presumably free and happy future life. Not a mention of his hideous acts or any kind of payment therefor. In the context of this film, that ending gave me the creeps.

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7 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
Depressing and Ultimately Unsatisfying, 29 March 2001
Author: Jobin17

This film, set in Mao's China during the Communist Revolution proved to be an almost infuriating film to view. It was the final film of Leo McCary's fantastic (and eclectic) directing career ("Duck Soup," "The Bells of St. Mary's). The story centers around a young priest, Father O'Bannion (William Holden) sent to relieve an aging priest in a Chinese mission. He meets a wide-eyed, idealistic young Chinese girl (France Nuyen) along the way. When he arrives at the mission, all hell seems to break loose. Without divulging too much plot...our young priest encounters many battles: fending off the affection of the young girl; remaining true to his faith, and abstaining from self-defense and violence (even under extreme duress); and pleasing his aging sage, the older preist (Clifton Webb). Why did this movie bother me? Well, in a nutshell: the young girl professes her love for Father O'Bannion...and he realizes he must send her off, despite his *true* feelings. Later, a character rapes the young girl while Father O'Bannion can only look on in desperation (after being tied up). After the inital horror, the good Father suscribes to the ideal that the resulting son needs a father. No matter who it is. When the rapist returns to see is his son, O'Bannion more or less encourages the young woman to form a family. This after our new "dad" has watched communists kill his parents in cold blood for the simple act of worshipping Christ. I suppose this movie is "pure to the period." But it's a tough movie to view in this day and age. A rapist is never properly punished. A man supresses his true feelings of love for a woman, who then must live with her attacker "just so the child can have a father." The finale is as wacky as forgiving rape for "family's sake." The charming Nuyen and Holden give solid performances, but the message sent, and the film itself, left me frustrated and somber.

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2 out of 2 people found the following review useful:
okay drama, 4 March 2009

Author: blanche-2 from United States

William Holden and Clifton Webb star in "Satan Never Sleeps," a 1962 drama also starring France Nuyen. It's directed by Leo McCarey - it's his last film.

The story concerns a priest, Father O'Banion (William Holden) who comes to a mission in China to relieve an elderly priest, Father Bovard (Clifton Webb). A young girl, Siu Lan (Nuyen) is in love with O'Banion and has followed him. The Communists seize the mission, and the leader rapes Siu Lan, who becomes pregnant. The priests have to make an effort to flee China before it becomes too late.

Beautiful scenery is the highlight of this rather slow-moving story, as well as the beauty of young France Nuyen, who plays her part very well. Clifton Webb, as usual, does an excellent job as a tired old priest who is seeing his efforts at Christianity being rubbed out by the Communists, the leader being one of the boys he taught. Holden makes a handsome priest, but let's face it, there was never really anything very priestly about William Holden. One can never imagine such a man being celibate, which is probably why Siu Lan was following him all over the place.

There is a major personality change toward the end of this movie that really renders it foolish - not that such a thing couldn't happen, but not in that short period of time.

"Satan Never Sleeps" is not up to the standards of Leo McCarey, whose 43-year-career included "The Awful Truth," "Bells of St. Mary's" and "Going My Way." There are some good scenes, though, and the actors are likable.

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5 out of 8 people found the following review useful:
Satan Will Turn You Into Rip Van Winkle, 10 November 2005

Author: bkoganbing from Buffalo, New York

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Leo McCarey was one of Hollywood's best known anti-Communists around and for his last film decided to show the truth about the Communist Chinese persecution of Christians.

For a man who in his prime was considered one of the best comedy directors in Hollywood, all the laughs in this one came in all the wrong places. Not that there were to be too many laughs in this film.

The premise about two priests, a young one sent out to replace an old one worked real well for Going My Way. But Bing Crosby and Barry Fitzgerald weren't facing a Red Army invasion in Hell's Kitchen in New York.

William Holden and Clifton Webb play the two priests. Holden has picked up an extra passenger on the way to replace Webb. Before the action of the film starts, he's saved young France Nuyen from drowning and since it is a Chinese custom that a life saved is the saver's responsibility. She's offering herself to Holden and I should amend that to say she's throwing herself at him through most the film.

Apparently no one just sits down and explains the concept of celibacy to her. But the two priests have bigger problems when the forces of Mao Tse-tung arrive at the village.

The local commander is played by an actor named Weaver Lee who never made another film. I'm sure he was chosen for the part because of his resemblance to Chairman Mao. He's a former Christian and a protégé of Webb, but now like that other former seminarian Joseph Stalin, he's a committed revolutionary.

And he's a general no good and he tops off his reign of terror by raping France Nuyen and forcing Holden to watch to see what he's been missing. Is there no end to this man's diabolical cruelty? Lee is relieved of his duties as commander because he hasn't been ruthless enough and then he decides Christianity might have its advantages after all. What great character motivation.

This film did make it into the book as one of the 50 worst of all time and there's enough there to justify its inclusion. If this was anti-Communist propaganda, it's a miracle we won the Cold War.

Bill Holden survived this and next year turned in one of his best screen roles in The Counterfeit Traitor. This was Clifton Webb's last film. It was rumored that he retired and became a recluse after his mother died at 101. I'm not so sure it might have been from sheer embarrassment after Satan Never Sleeps. It was also Leo McCarey's last film.

Either you will snooze through this like Rip Van Winkle or you'll laugh yourself silly. Either way it was a lousy swan song for both Webb and McCarey.

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9 out of 16 people found the following review useful:
A wonderful film that shoots it's self in the foot., 4 January 2002
Author: RT Firefly from New York

This film is a living testimony to the fact that the messages sent in a movie do matter, not only socially, but also to the quality of the film it's self. In other words, just because a movie has good production value and acting does not make it a great film (e.g. Pulp Fiction, in my humble opinion) I know what I just said is not politically correct, but try reconciling the events in this movie with your emotions afterwards and I'm sure you will agree. Over all this is a wonderful film, very well directed by award winning comedic impresario Leo McCarey (An Affair To Remember, Going My Way, Duck Soup, and many others). Fantastic scenery and cinematography, solid acting all around, well... Holden is okay I guess, but I've never been a huge fan of his. Every one else, even the unknown Weaver Lee as the communist Colonel Ho San gives a strong performance, but the message of the film is unforgivable. This could have been a classic if it had a better storyline. France Nuyen (South Pacific) is spectacular. I found her every bit as appealing as any sex symbol, including the 3M's (I.E.) Monroe, Margret, Mansfield. If any woman could make a man forsake the priesthood, she was it (WOW!) The movie is worth watching just for her. But, back to my point, the messages sent in the film are so disturbing, it is no wonder no one has ever heard of it.

WARNING! THIS PARAGRAPH CONTAINS SPOILERS.

The villain in the story, Ho San, is an ex catholic turned communist that is now persecuting the mission that cared for him and his family. He rapes Siu Lan (France Nuyen), orders the destruction and desecration of the church and even is responsible for his own parents being shot for saving a crucifix from a fire. And his comeuppance for these atrocities? He gets the girl (the one he raped) and escapes to communist free Hong Kong. It makes it impossible to like this film.

I suppose Satin Never Sleeps could develop a cult following among communist rapists, but I'm not sure how large that market is. Actually, come to think of it, this film may well have a future.

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1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
This movie hasn't aged well..., 6 March 2011

Author: JoeB131 from United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This movie was released in 1962, the same year I was born, and it's one of the few things that has aged less gracefully than I have.

The plot involves a Catholic mission in Revolutionary China, where a couple of priests find themselves caught up in the machinations of the local Communist boss. Meanwhile, a young girl has a crush on the younger priest, while the Communist Boss lusts after her, eventually culminating in a rape.

A few things.

First, the characterizations of the Chinese Characters is really pretty racist. They are shown as dumb an child-like, being pulled by the Russian adviser on one side and the benevolent priests on the other.

Second is the whole issue of the rape. At the end of the story, the girl marries her rapist to give her son a name. I guess that is a reflection of a society where women are considered second class citizens (again, one of the ills communists were nominally trying to end!) Third, the William Holden character. I'm sorry, I just don't see William Holden, cynical character that he was, being a priest, where you just have to accept a lot of idealistic nonsense on face value. Maybe part of this view is based on all the other movies I've seen him in, from "Sunset Boulevard" to "Network" to "Stalag 17", playing these hard-boiled characters, but there was never anything spiritual about the guy.

Fourth, it is a cold war film, which means that any portrayal of communism is going to be negative.

Not to say that his character wasn't a joy to watch, because he's always a joy to watch, even when miscast.

Still, I'm giving this movie a positive review because of the solid performances. If it were made today, the rape scene would have been graphic, the priests would have been portrayed as huge hypocrites, and there would be a lot more explosions.

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1 out of 1 people found the following review useful:
Ho San's character arc not fully addressed by others, 28 December 2008

Author: David Lee (leed515@asme.org) from Torrance, California, United States

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

While others have discussed their concern regarding the "reward" of Ho San as escaping with the woman that he raped to a free Hong Kong, no one so far has addressed the impact of Ho San's parents on the overall story - nor the impact of their deaths on his ultimate reversal.

Throughout the story, whether it is their attendance at Mass during Ho San's speech or assisting during birth of Siu Lan's child or their ultimate murder during the response to the villagers' riot in the mission's chapel, Ho San's parents were the anchor of the faithful, the always believing Chinese catholics. His parents' steadfast commitment to the parish and the priests themselves lend support to the mission and the church from a congregant's perspective and also show their devoutness even in the face of having a son who was the high ranking communist in the village - one who was previously an alter boy as well as a potential candidate for the priesthood.

I think that the writers/director were showing the impact, however subtle, of their killing in the chapel and their bearing of the crucifix during the riot - they never wavered in their devotion to the church. The movie also shows Ho San's reaction from behind to the killing - he's standing very stiffly, suppressing his sobs and trying not to show his wiping of tears. For a devout son in the Chinese culture, the death of one's parents clearly has an impact as well as the manner of their death - their unceasing devotion to the church - might well be seen as the final reason for his decision to abandon the communist party. I think that many of the users who have responded to date have failed to see the embedding of the story in a Chinese cultural context. The parallelism also not drawn by others is in his parents carrying the cross into the chapel cannot be missed by someone who was been raised a Catholic.

Another point raised is Siu Lan's acceptance of Ho San as a husband in the context of the movie. Given her parochial upbringing in both Catholic and Confucian cultures, Siu Lan's only hope of redemption and support would have been to find a husband - literally any man who would marry her - given that she has to be married in order to be a mother and the overwhelming need to make sure that her child has a family context. Whether or not Ho San's decision was impacted by the fact that the baby was a boy should also be considered - but I'll let the community debate that one. Also, that there was a civil war underway and that conflict on the mainland had been going on since the late 1920's, Siu Lan's decision on needing a husband as well as her maturation as a responsible mothering character seems to be obvious.

For myself, I was more troubled by the use of Cantonese as the dialect of the people in this movie. If this village were as hard to get to as the movie made it out to be, it would surely be far away from areas where Cantonese is the dominant dialect. Because of this and other factors, I think it is obvious that the movie was clearly intended for Western audiences and should be considered in that context. Also, given the time when the movie itself was written and released, the true brutality of the takeover period is not nor could not be reflected in the movie. Additionally, the giving of receipts for things such as the jeep or the mission is representative of the bureaucratic/absurdist view of the communist system during the 1950's and 60's.

I would encourage everyone to appreciate this movie from not only the context in which it was written and filmed but also from the collision of cultures that are juxtaposed and intertwined.

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