Fairly terrible CinemaScope set in South Africa, which no one seems to remember with much fondness. The South African scenery is pretty, it's fun to see how Susan Hayward went on location and not Tyrone Power, and it's interesting to observe the treatment Fox gave South African history - it's about the Great Trek, with Tyrone Power as a passionate Boer, and Hayward as the Irish lass who loves him, and the Zulus attacking like Indians. It's packed full of Western tropes: there's a wagon train (which was a real thing its got to be said), pioneers, natives who are vicious and loyal, outlaws, shoot outs, and lots of American actors.
But it doesn't work dramatically. The ingredients are there - pioneers in a strange land, action, a feisty heroine, dashing hero, treacherous man who loves the hero, a tree falls on someone resulting in a leg amputation, gossipy maids. But it doesn't come together.
Hayward doesn't seem particularly engaged in what's going on - thought I'm not a major fan (admirers of her may enjoy this more). The film never seems certain how Bad to make her character. She chases after Power a lot but what drives her really? Power? Hunger? Wealth? There are allusions to Scarlett O'Hara but O'hara's dramatic line was clean and clear - get Ashley, survive and thrive. O'Hara was put through the ringer and she got through it through determination and cunning. Hayward isn't really - there's a potato famine handled mostly off screen via exposition, a bit of animal shoot outs, some rain... there's no passion. No danger. She becomes rich in five seconds by getting a diamond - then loses it all somehow. (I wasn't sure how).
And no spark with Power. His character seems clear enough - a Dutch patriot. Okay sure Power never seems remotely Dutch but there were worst miscastings around this time and Power was a big star. More problematic is it's clear he only cares about his country and not about Hayward. He bangs her in Ireland but then takes off. She turns up in South Africa, he bangs her again then takes off again. He arrives in Cape Town where she's rich and connected which makes her like her... he bangs her again but won't commit. He finds out she's got his kid and gets possessive about the kid but not her. He takes off again, then is involved in a final shoot out. He's meant to give up fighting for Hayward at the end but we never believe it not for a second -he's clearly not into her. Which may be true to character but makes a very unsatisfying movie. Rhett wanted Scarlett.
(NB I had the same problem with another Fox epic, Forever Amber).
All my sympathy went to Richard Egan, the nominal villain, playing a character who loves Hayward, who works for her despite her loving Power, who loses a leg in a storm and becomes an outlaw. (To be fair he's not very nice to the adoring native girl who loves him, Rita Moreno). Really Power should've played Egan's part which should've been the hero - make the Power character this selfish prat who treats Hayward badly and at the end she goes for the guy who's loved her all along.
Egan isn't bad in a role turned down by Victor Mature - he looks like a man of action. Agnes Moorehead livens up her scenes. No one else gets much of a look in.
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