mark.waltz
It's the early 20th Century down in the jungles of Columbia, and a young man (Anthony Perkins) escapes from a revolution. He ends up being befriended by a group of natives, even though only one of them (educated by missionaries) speaks English. They believe Perkins has magical powers (because he owns a cigarette lighter) and order him to kill a mysterious girl in the near-by forest. This girl (Audrey Hepburn) is a waif-like creature with mystical qualities that they believe is a witch. Raised by her grandfather (Nehemian Persoff), she falls in love with Perkins and longs to leave the forest to return to her mother's hometown.There's not really a lot of story except the apparent conflict between Hepburn, Persoff and the natives outside the village. The majority of the film is the romance between Perkins and Hepburn, a bit of philosophizing and the truth about Hepburn's identity. But the last third explodes into questions about everything you've been wondering about up until that point and the journey outside the forest where all will be revealed. Most people will be more enthralled by the colorful painting like photography, shots of some rare creatures (most interestingly an aardvark) and the National Geographic like nature shots. Who Hepburn is will be the film's biggest mystery in this film similar in theme to "Lost Horizon" and "The Portrait of Jennie".
vincentlynch-moonoi
It's a RARE film that I would give a "9" to, but I was tempted to do so here because this is a RARE film. Not a perfect film, mind you, but exceptional none the less. But, an "8" will suffice.The first reason I'm giving this film such a high rating is that there's not a single actor in it that I'm particularly fond of. In regard to Audrey Hepburn, I could take her or leave her. I enjoyed about 20% of her films. This is the only film of Anthony Perkins that I like. And, as with Hepburn, there are but a very few performances by Lee J. Cobb that I've really enjoyed. Yet, I very much enjoyed each of them in this film.The second reason I'm giving this film such a high rating is that it's truly unique. If you don't like this film, then you probably can't see it as a fable, rather than a real story. You must set aside reality to enjoy this film. The story is really one of a normal man seeking gold for revenge who finds something more precious -- an amazing love. There's no other film that comes to mind as being similar.I'll not relate the plot...others have done that. But I will discuss my displeasure with the ending. Apparently in the novel, Rima dies in the fire. Here, we are left to decide if the glowing image is really her, or her spirit. In earlier viewings, I thought Rima died and what we see is her spirit, because that would explain why Perkins finds the dead doe. But in my last viewing I noted that Anthony Perkins walks to her outstretched hand. So either it is Rima, or he has died...but from what. Obviously, MGM felt we had to have a sort-of happy ending.Nevertheless, because of its uniqueness and beauty, this is a film to savor.Kudos to MGM for the beauty of both the on-location filming in South America and the lush sets for other portions of the film.
usersince03
I first saw this on TCM about a year ago. This was good but it wasn't a classic like the other films Audrey Hepburn or Anthony Perkins made after Green Mansions e.g Psycho, Breakfast At Tiffanys, My Fair Lady. I loved Audrey's hairstyle in the film, it looked different to other hairstyles she has in her films before and after. I think Mel Ferrer who was Audrey's husband at the time directed this good. I think Anthony Perkins was great as Audrey's love interest and I love his voice. The supporting cast acted well and I loved the deer Ip. I was disappointed at the end when Rima gets killed by the Indians then Able dies, I makes me sad because they are both no longer with us.
devdshearer
This film from 1959 still remains, to me, of what movies used to be. Not jammed full of violence, sexual situations and high tech computer/animation skills. Just a simple story with wonderful cast members. Audrey Hepburn and Anthony Perkins left us with a wonderful film that the entire family can enjoy. Anthony Perkins should be remembered for much more than his role in "psycho". Audrey Hepburn's legacy is somewhat richer than his, but together in this film they leave a wonderful memory of what once was. Forget that it is not "high tech". Just allow yourself to remember all the great old films that are still out there.
AD
