Stranded on a Pacific island together, a marine and a nun plan to wait out the end of World War II, but their platonic friendship is tested when forced to hide out in a cave after Japanese soldiers take over the island in this solemn drama starring Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr. The romantic tension to come is obvious from the get-go, but the film does well outlining similarities between soldiers and nuns, bringing to a light a bond between them that is far less predictable. Most pointedly, the characters draw a comparison between leaving the convent and deserting a unit, but other similarities include firm commitment and a shared belief that they act for the greater good. Despite all these attempts to equate the characters with one another, Mitchum still comes across as more open to temptation (whereas in theory they should both be equally as hesitant yet tempted). The film also does not milk the potential danger of being spotted by the Japanese for all that it is worth, save for one great sequence in which Mitchum spies on the Japanese from a building's rat-infested wings. The film still resonates though as a tale of unlikely companionship and the gradual bond that builds up between the pair is undeniable. The project also benefits greatly from Oswald Morris behind the camera; the early shots that glide over the seemingly empty island building (and a gravestone) are quite haunting, and the isolated nature of the island constantly shines throughout, highlighting how important being mutually cut off from the world is to the protagonists' gradual friendship.
Review of Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison
