The Night of the Iguana (1964)

An excellent 1964 film showcasing the fine acting talent of Richard Burton, Ava Gardner and Deborah Kerr at their very best. Despite wonderful performances, these three perennial Oscar losers were all denied Oscar nominations for this interesting film which explores the inner-self. As the chaperon for Sue Lyon, Grayson Hall, (nee Shirley Grossman)garnered a best supporting actress nomination. I disagree with a previous reviewer. We don't know if her Miss Fellowes character is of lesbian nature. What we have here is a conservative minded individual, fearful of sex and over-protective to her charge and is willing to go all the way to beat down the Burton character.The movie splendidly shows the conflicts of the inner-self of 3 people. As the defrocked priest, Burton gives a towering performance. His spiritually is conflicted by his sexual desires. Gardner was never better as the recently widowed hotel owner searching for meaning and excitement in her tedious life. As the sketch artist, accompanied by her 97 year old grandfather, Kerr explores life around her, but in a restrictive way.The film often has comic over-tones, but its understanding of the human spirit makes it a superb vehicle.

Alright, this movie was based off a Tennessee Williams play; you know what you're getting into, right? It's going to be set in the South, the weather's going to be hot, and sexual perversions will abound. Now that that's settled, let's get to The Night of the Iguana.Richard Burton plays an ex-priest, who was defrocked because he violated his celibacy vows. He lives in Mexico trying to waste away and forget his past. There's a busload of tourists from Texas (see, the South!) and underage bombshell Sue Lyon develops a crush on Richard. How can the middle-aged man resist Lolita? No, literally, Sue Lyon starred in Lolita two years before this movie.This isn't my favorite Tennessee Williams story, but the acting is really good. Ava Gardner, a little used and haggard looking, plays the hash-slinging hotel owner, Deborah Kerr plays a sensitive, kind soul. Both women try to help Richard face his demons, so you can only imagine the acting talents captured on the screen during the dramatic scenes! If you like dark, strange movies, you might actually like the story. But, most likely, you'll watch it for the acting.

Such a terrific film. Acting superb. But one problem. I thought Ava Gardner was horrible. Miscast and always mugging for camera. A shame. Kerr, Burton, and others =super Gardner trying WAY too hard to be edgy southern woman.Cringe worthyDo you agree??

Reverend Shannon is a defrocked priest. He roams the wilderness of Mexico as a tour guide for a cheap bus company. He is a drunkard, and in his party he contains a bunch of baptist teachers from Texas. One girl in his party, Charlotte has a crush on Shannon. Her guardian is deeply suspicious, and Shannon tries to ward off her advances, but he is unsuccessful. He is caught, and when threatened by Charlotte's guardian the fear of losing his job becomes too much. He drives his party to an old hotel in the middle of the jungle, to meet Maxine, and old friend.He keeps the tour group in the hotel until he can change their minds, and possibly save his job. At the same time, an old poet and his granddaughter also arrive in the hotel, and then day fades into night...I do not like Tennessee Williams. I've seen A Streetcar Named Desire, Suddenly Last Summer and this film. While Streetcar is very overrated, it at least had great performances, and some kind of cohesive plot. Suddenly Last Summer is a plot less mess, and only Katherine Hepburn's performance made it bearable. However, this film is an exception. I genuinely enjoyed it, even on my second viewing.The performance's are excellent, for the most part. Richard Burton gives his character a crazed energy that showcases exactly how good an actor he was. The material is putty in his hands, and he morphs it into a man whom could be deemed disgusting, and who becomes quite relatable. His character is pitiful yet entertaining at the same time, thanks to Burton's talent. Ava Gardener, whom one could deem as past her prime in this film, sparkles with a repressed sadness.Gardner may have been popular in the 40s and 50s, but here she truly shows that she can act. Her Maxine is similar to Burton's character, she contains a repressed sadness that only bubbles out in the end. However, the true delight of the film for me was Deborah Kerr. I've always thought that Kerr was immensely talented, but here she shows exactly how talented. She never succumbs to being over the top, and dominating the film. Instead the exact opposite occurs. It is only later, when one reflects on the film that Kerr's true brilliance is revealed.For example, there is one monologue that she gives that takes up about five minutes, but I never got bored. I did not because I kept watching Kerr's face and admiring her talent. It is only on re watching the film that I truly understand what drew me to Kerr's portrayal in the beginning. Sheer brilliance. Also excellent is Grayson Hall as the cloying chaperon, and Cyril Delevanti as the world's oldest poet. However, if there is a weak link in the cast, it is certainly Sue Lyon.Fresh off her debut in Stanley Kubrick's Lolita, Lyon here does a lot of pouting. And flirting woodenly. Don't get me wrong, she certainly looks the part, but she doesn't act it well. Her line deliveries come off as flat, and uninteresting. She was good in Lolita, but perhaps it was the director that shaped her performance in that film. Here, she is the most boring character, instead of one of the most interesting.While I do not like Tennessee Williams as a writer, he could certainly write great parts for actors. He was also a quick thinker, apparently. In Huston's autobiography, he states that a scene in the film was coming off flat, and then Williams told him to have Burton knock over a glass bottle, and have him walk over. That little thing immensely helps the film.The writing is good for the most part, but the story is kind of soapy. Still, if you go with the flow, the end result is quite entertaining. The cinematography is vibrant and although the film feels stagey in some parts, the cinematography elevates it from the stage, and into the jungle's of Mexico. The score is also quite good, especially for a Huston film.Speaking of Huston, his direction here is vibrant and it feels alive. It feels as if he just recharged his batteries and came out of the gates running. To be fair, it does appear as if Huston directed the film in his normal style, but I can't help feeling entertained. His relaxed direction is confident and it works well. While Huston mainly directed novels, after this film, I'd love to see him do another play.While, it may be outdated and stagey, this film is still incredibly entertaining and the cast is uniformly terrific.The Night Of The Iguana, 1964, Starring: Richard Burton, Ava Gardener and Deborah Kerr, Directed by John Huston, 8/10 (A-)(This is part of an ongoing project to watch and review every John Huston movie. You can read this and other reviews at http://everyjohnhustonmovie.blogspot.ca/)