Hurricane (1979)

The desperate love affair between a young Samoan chief and an American painter, against the will of her father. Amid this man-made tension comes a hurricane so devastating, the lives of the lovers and the entire island are imperiled.

Director:

Jan Troell

Writers:

James Norman Hall (novel), Charles Nordhoff (novel)

Stars:

Jason Robards, Mia Farrow, Max von Sydow

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Jason Robards	...	Capt. Bruckner
Mia Farrow	...	Charlotte Bruckner
Max von Sydow	...	Dr. Danielsson
Trevor Howard	...	Father Malone
Timothy Bottoms	...	Jack Sanford
Dayton Ka'ne	...	Matangi
James Keach	...	Sgt. Strang
Ariirau Tekurarere	...	Moana
Alex W. du Prel	...	Cpl. Morrah (as Willie Myers)
Nick Rutgers	...	Cmdr. Blair
Nancy Hall Rutgers	...	Mrs. Blair
Manu Tupou	...	Samolo
Simplet Tefane	...	Velaga
Piero Bushin	...	Running Man
Noel Teparii	...	Tano

Storyline

The desperate love affair between a young Samoan chief and an American painter, against the will of her father. Amid this man-made tension comes a hurricane so devastating, the lives of the lovers and the entire island are imperiled.

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Plot Keywords:

hurricane | island | chief | bare chested male | rain | 

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Taglines:

There is only one safe place... in each other's arms.

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA Netherlands

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 April 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

Forbidden Paradise

Filming Locations:

Bora Bora, Leeward Islands, French Polynesia

Box Office

Budget:

$22,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Dino De Laurentiis Company, Famous Films (II)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Trevor Howard kept a diary during the making of this film and it goes into much detail about the production's many troubles.

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Alternate Versions

The original 1979 UK theatrical release was passed with a 'AA' certificate (prohibiting anyone under 14) with cuts to the 'deflowering' of the native girl, and re-released the following year as an 'A' certificate in a shorter and heavily edited print with further cuts to the same scene including all later references to it. The 1987 Guild video was 15 rated and featured the full uncut print.

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Connections

Referenced in Ebert Presents: At the Movies: Classics from the Vault: Movies that Changed the Movies (2011)

User Reviews

Inconceivably dull.

One of the worst movies ever made. It's a remake of a 1937 disaster epic, which I haven't seen, and it's so impossibly dull, so lifeless and enervated that my guess is, if you ever start watching it, you won't finish it through. The climactic hurricane sequences are OK, but not really spectacular by today's standards - and how many viewers will have survived the 90 minutes that the movie takes to get there? Lots of good actors (Farrow, Von Sydow, Timothy Bottoms) are pitifully wasted. Don't say you weren't warned.