Shot in Bali in 1933 with an all Balinese cast, Legong adopts the Flaherty technique of grafting a fictional storyline onto what is essentially a documentary film, much in the style of Nanook of the North and Moana. Photographed in two-strip Technicolor, the film is far more valuable as an ethnographic document of life in Bali in the early 30's than as Hollywood entertainment.
It's a shame the film crew was not able to handle on-site sound. Even more than the absence of actual Balinese dialogue, which is replaced by dialogue cards, the loss of music during the several important dance scenes is deflating. While the composer tries hard, there is no way he can substitute for the sounds of an actual Balinese gamelan orchestra, with its lively rhythms and brilliantine percussion.
The story is a bit of fluff about unrequited love; one that would have little relevance in actual Balinese culture. Far more interesting are the dance performances, the market scenes, and the elaborate ceremonies, preserved here in color for all time. A true step back in time, especially when one realizes that the old people seen in the film were born in the 19th century. Legong suffered censorship in Britain (for violence: cockfighting) and in the U.S. for nudity (bare breasts). Today it would be more likely to be censored for showing a couple of six-year olds (at a guess) sharing a couple of clove cigarettes.
From the angle used, I believe the deserted beach shown at the end of the film to be Kuta Beach, which today resembles Miami far more than the idyllic strip of sand and water that forms the final shot in Legong.
