Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Binding: VHS Tape EAN: 9786303494395 Format: Closed-captioned ISBN: 6303494390 Label: 20th Century Fox Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox Number Of Items: 1 Publisher: 20th Century Fox Release Date: 1996-09-03 Running Time: 150 Studio: 20th Century Fox Theatrical Release Date: 1958-03-19
The dazzling Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, brought to lush life by the director of the original stage version, Joshua Logan. Set on a remote island during the Second World War, South Pacific tracks two parallel romances: one between a Navy nurse (Mitzi Gaynor) "as corny as Kansas in August" and a wealthy French plantation owner (Rossano Brazzi), the other between a young American officer (John Kerr) and a native girl (France Nuyen). The theme of interracial love was still daring in 1958, and so was director Logan's decision to overlay emotional moments with tinted filters--a technique that misfires as often as it hits. The comic relief tends to fall flat, and an overly spunky Mitzi Gaynor is a poor substitute for the stage original's Mary Martin. But the location scenery on the Hawaiian island of Kauai is gorgeous, and the songs are among the finest in the American musical catalog: "Some Enchanted Evening," "Younger than Springtime," "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair," "This Nearly Was Mine." That's Juanita Hall as the sly native trader Bloody Mary, singing the haunting tune that launched a thousand tiki bars, "Bali H'ai." Based on stories from James Michener's book Tales from the South Pacific. --Robert Horton
Spotlight customer reviews:
Customer Rating: Summary: Great job! Comment: DVD was in excellent shape, I collect, I should know. Will definitely do business again. Highly Recommend!!! Customer Rating: Summary: music lover Comment: I was delighted with the promptness which brought this wonderful film to me. I had seen a play about South Pacific and it really prompted me to send for the DVD. I enjoyed it as much seeing it this time as I did over 40years ago. Customer Rating: Summary: A Real Prize Winning show, not to be missed!! Comment: A Pulitzer Prize winner, South Pacific ranks among the most celebrated of Rodgers and Hammerstein's acclaimed musicals.
"South Pacific" is a unforgettable musical masterpiece. It is the romantic love story of a na�ve young Navy nurse (Mitzi Gaynor) and an older French Plantation owner (Rossano Brazzi) on the South Sea island of Kauai.
This breathtaking show is highlighted by some of the most romantic songs ever written: "Some Enchanted Evening," "There is Nothin' Like a Dame," "Younger Than Springtime" and so many more songs, that will keep you humming to the tunes for a long time after.
South Pacific (Collector's Edition)
Customer Rating: Summary: DISAPPOINTING! Comment: This is the worst rendition of a wonderful Broadway show I have ever seen.
Rossano Brazzi is incredibly wooden, Mitzi Gaynor has lost her sparkle, and the cast appears to be sleepwalking. I would attribute this to poor oversight and direction, as the cast are all talented performers except in this strange transformation from Broadway to film.
Customer Rating: Summary: Interesting racial themes Comment: The Collectors Edition DVD set contains all that anyone interested in this movie could want.
I became familiar with all the South Pacific songs as a child but didn't actually watch the movie until middle-age. I found it unexpectedly strange but interesting - particularly the racist aspects of the story. Despite the soul searching, "you have to be taught to hate", etc it is still a product of its time. The brown wife of the white French planter is conveniently dead and the young American "Lieutenann" is also killed to avoid the embarrassment of miscegenation.