Saturday, June 14, 2025

Movie review - "Windom's Way" (1957) *** (warning: spoilers)

 Good on Rank, it tried to make a decent film here. Corsica steps in fairly well for Malaya, there's some terrific sets, Peter Finch and Mary Ure. The movie doesn't quite work. Feels rewritten. Lacks a cohensive emotional thrust. Finch is a decent doctor, tries to keep the peace in the Malayan Emergency. Struggles.

The antagonists are the white plantation owner (Michael Hordern) and a Malay politician (Marne Maitland - the latter has real status here even if he is treacherous.

The movie can't quite personalise its conflicts. For instance Robert Flemying's white official should have been a hunky guy in love with Mary Ure. Give Ure more of a choice - show her glamorous life in London. The sympathy goes to Natasha Parry, as the Malay nurse in love with Finch.

But the film keeps falling into Rank traps. Not giving women characters anything to do - Ure just lecutres at the end. Make her a nurse, have her shoot someone dead, fight with Parry. Parry just loves Finch and is killed - I hate this bummer stuff. Ure should have died. 

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