Hurricane (1979 film)

Hurricane
Theatrical movie poster.
Directed by	Jan Troell
Produced by	Dino De Laurentiis Lorenzo Semple, Jr. (executive producer)
Written by	Lorenzo Semple, Jr.
Starring	Jason Robards Mia Farrow Max Von Sydow Trevor Howard Timothy Bottoms James Keach Dayton Ka'ne
Music by	Nino Rota
Cinematography	Sven Nykvist
Edited by	Sam O'Steen
Production company	Dino De Laurentiis Productions
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release dates	April 12, 1979
Running time	120 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$20 million

Hurricane is a 1979 romance and adventure film featuring Mia Farrow, Jason Robards and impressive special effects, produced by Dino De Laurentiis and Lorenzo Semple, Jr., and directed by Jan Troell. It is loosely based on the 1937 film of the same name.

Plot

Set in the 1920s in Pago Pago, Eastern Samoa, Charlotte, an American painter, arrives from Boston on the island of Alaya to visit her father, U. S. Navy Captain Bruckner, whom she hasn't seen in quite some time. Bruckner is the U.S. Congress-sanctioned Governor of the island, and he rules it with a stern, patrician, and thoroughly patronizing attitude towards the natives. Charlotte is somewhat taken aback by her father's rigid adherence to the law, particularly when she tries to intervene on behalf of Bruckner's charge/houseboy Matangi, who has involved Charlotte in a scheme to get Bruckner to toss out a harsh penalty issued to a native man who stole a boat "for love." Bruckner refuses, pish-poshing all this talk of love over the law, and severely reprimands Matangi, much to Charlotte's dismay.

Bruckner comes to regret that intractability because Matangi is soon anointed the High Chief of his island, Alava. Matangi isn't as willing to whole-heartedly accept the edicts of the U.S. forces, particularly if they go against the well-being of his own people. His stubbornness quietly enrages Bruckner. After a public showdown between Matangi and Bruckner at Matangi's coronation comes a suggestive dance by Matangi and his intended, Siva.

Charlotte wants to stay for a month on the island, chaperoned by Dr. Danielsson and Father Malone, missionaries who both reside on Alava. Despite Captain Bruckner’s jealousy over his daughter’s attraction to Matangi, he agrees to the stay and sails off for a month. Bruckner’s absence is just what the doctor ordered for Matangi and Charlotte, who quickly become lovers. When this is discovered by her father, he has Matangi arrested on a trumped-up charge. He escapes, with Charlotte's help.

The lovers' fate soon rests with nature, not Captain Bruckner. Just as tensions are beginning to boil, disaster strikes in the form of a giant hurricane, bringing inevitable destruction and death with it. When the winds die down, how many lives will be shaken up?

Production

The film is based on a 1937 film of the same name, directed by John Ford. Filming was entirely on location on the remote South Seas island of Bora Bora, Sven Nykvist's brilliant cinematography showcases both the beautiful island splendor and the catastrophic destruction of Hurricane. The special effects for the hurricane were done by a team led by Glen Robinson, who also did special effects for the 1937 film.

Roman Polanski was originally hired to direct by producer Dino de Laurentiis, not long after Polanski's infamous arrest in 1977. While his case worked its way through the courts over many months, Polanski developed the script with writer Lorenzo Semple, Jr. and supervised pre-production, including the selection of Bora Bora as a location and the construction of sets there. When Polanski was sent to prison for a brief period and his future became uncertain, De Laurentiis had to replace him with Jan Troell, as the film was ready and waiting to shoot. The budget was $20 million.

The film was the final score of composer Nino Rota, who died two days before its premiere.

Cast

• Mia Farrow - Charlotte Bruckner
• Jason Robards - Captain Bruckner
• Max von Sydow - Dr. Danielson
• Trevor Howard - Father Malone
• Dayton Ka'ne – Matangi
• Timothy Bottoms - Jack Sanford
• James Keach - Sgt. Strang
• Bernadette Sarcione - Siva

Reception

It received mixed reviews from critics and a 50% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Release

The film was aired on television as Forbidden Paradise. Legend Films, via their partnership with Paramount Home Entertainment, released the film on DVD on July 1, 2008.

External links

• Hurricane (1979 film) at IMDb
• Hurricane (1979 film) at Rotten Tomatoes