On H List of Movie Reviews

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Hawaii (1966)

Rate: 9
Viewed: 1/13

1/13: What a great film Hawaii is.

I was thinking of the Columbus' voyage to the New World and how it ruined so many cultures in the western hemisphere by indirectly introducing disease, imperialism, and eradication. Well, this movie is like that. An added effect to the idea is the usage of missionaries. I've always found them controversial because of their insistence that accepting Christianity is the only way to live without sin.

Max von Syndow does an excellent job of playing the narrow-minded reverend who won't make compromises on anything. Before I started the movie, I had reservations because of director George Roy Hill who's mostly a one-hit wonder via Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (yeah, right about The Sting). He actually gets the job done for Hawaii, and I can now not think of him as a one-hit wonder.

Another aspect that left me surprised is the nudity of the natives. It's well done, even for 1966 standards. I'm glad Julie Andrews did not steal any scene; she's merely a wallpaper while the Hawaiians shine the most. On the other hand, it'll be a good idea to include more background photography of the state.

All in all, Hawaii is an intelligently made epic picture that's honest about how things were.

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