Customer Reviews

Hell in the Pacific/Collector's Edition [VHS]

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This review refers to the Anchor Bay DVD "Hell in the Pacific"...

You won't find a big ensemble cast in this World War II film from 1968. Only 2 actors tell the story, and they don't even speak the same langauge. But they don't need to, these two actors are Lee Marvin and Toshiro Mifune. They portray enemies, one American, one Japanese, marooned on an island in the midst of the war. They are so brillant in their portrayals, that actions really do speak louder than words. You won't even miss the fact that there are no subtitles when Mifune is speaking. His every expression, lets us know exactly what he is thinking.
Add to this the artful direction of John Boorman, who brought us such exquiste films as "Excalibur", the wonderful music of Lalo Schifrin (Mission Impossible), and the expert eye of Cinematographer Conrad Hall(Butch Cassidy, American Beauty) and you're in for a real cinematic treat.

When a disciplined Japanese Naval Officer discovers he is not alone on the small Island in the Pacific, he immediatly goes into high gear to protect and defend his territory. But he has met his match in the very undisciplined American Marine that has been washed ashore. And so it begins...these two do everything they can to capture, torture, and generally make life miserable for each other(and at times is on the comical side). The need for human contact though, becomes apparent and they stop short at killing each other, and actually form an attachment to each other. The ending is a bit of a shocker, but there is also an alternate ending included with this DVD.

Anchor Bay as usual has really made this 35 year old film a pleasure to watch. You have the choice of widescreen(2.35:1) or full format(by the way, my DVD was mismarked as to which side was widescreen, so don't panic if this happens, just flip it over). Excellent picture, vibrant colors and the sound in Dolby Dig Stereo is clear as a bell. And don't forget to check out the alternate ending.

A great buy for fans of war movies, Marvin and Mifune, and anyone who appreciates artful film making.

Enjoy....Laurie

more on war:
Into the DMZ A Battle History of Operation Hickory, May 1967, Vietnam(first hand account and great read)
Windtalkers
A Bridge Too Far
see my reviews for book and film details

My fiance got me the DVD as a present to me on his birthday. It sat for a month and then we finally watched it together. I was amazed that there was no dialogue... really. Very little. And when we were watching the DVD, we did not choose the option for subtitles and only realized that option after we'd seen the film. Overall it is a film to watch -- really watch. After you see it once without the subtitles, watch it again with them. Makes it a totally different experience. The acting and directing is incredible and one is left wondering, what the screenplay of this film actually looked like. Not too many special features but there is an alternate ending that is interesting.

Similiarities to the Enemy Mine movie could be made here. Perhaps the Enemy Mine writer got the idea from this story. Two men stranded on a Island rather than a planet in this case. As WWII rages a Japanese and American soldier are stranded on the same small island. They try to kill each other at first. As time goes by they realize their very survival depends on a truce. Eventually they work together and build a raft. After days on the Pacific Ocean they find another larger group of islands. The uneasy truce becomes shaky again when they find remnants of Japanese and American occupation of the main island. Up to this point an excellent movie. In fact I was say close to flawless movie since the acting, sets, scenery, music, directing and all the rest are incredible. SPOILER ALERT: Now the reason I didn't give it four or five stars is because they kill them off with a single stray artillery shell in the original ending. You will be enthralled with the wonderful acting and really care for these two characters. Then to suddenly watch their lifes snuffed out just so some writer or director could make their point that war is bad didn't impress me. If someone didn't think we get that point long before the ending of this movie, they don't give much credit to the audience. Why they didn't use the alternate ending with the soldiers walking off their separate ways is beyond me. Be sure to look at the alternate ending and see if you agree this should have been the original ending. Still well worth owning.

Being a hardcore fan of movies from Japan and China, Hell in the pacific is one of the few American arthouse movies I now owned and it is an absolutely fantastic piece of work.

Lee Marvin and Toshiro Mifune is absolutely terrific in this movie. Their chemistry is as perfect as the story is tense and an absolutely hilarious esp during the scenes when they try to out do each other in their "turf fight". I crack up everytime each one of them mess up their own dirty little wicked plan in the most humourous fashion.

The cinematography is stunning and I really appreciate the alternate ending. I find the original ending really sucks big time.

Still a solid 5 star for this movie. 2 stars for both actors, 1 star for the movie, 1 star for the cinematography and 1 star for the alternate ending. There you go, a 5 star pure cinematic genius. I am very very happy with this DVD.

HELL IN THE PACIFIC is a curiosity. Telling the story of two pilots, one Japanese (Toshiro Mifune) and one American (Lee Marvin), stranded on a small, deserted tropical island during World War II it's at once fascinating and somewhat flat. Mifune and Marvin are two of my favorite actors. Their plight on the island, coveting or guarding precious limited resources against the `enemy', more or less drives home the point that war is a futile exercise. Of course the question arises as to whether we can conquer our distrust before we conquer, or are conquered by, our enemy. HELL IN THE PACIFIC is thought-provoking and beautifully photographed by master cinematographer Conrad Hall.
After a while, though, with all the attacks and counter-attacks, I got the feeling that I was in the middle of a Road Runner cartoon with no exit. This feeling was exacerbated by such scenes as Marvin trying to teach captive Mifune (the balance of power changes a number of times) to fetch a stick like a dog. It was an ill-conceived scene, brutishly funny if the intent was humor, but added onto the ridiculous ending HELL IN THE PACIFIC seems to have expended its creative energy well before the final credits run. By the way, I strongly recommend watching the `Alternate Ending' in the Special Features after watching the movie. It's the right ending for the movie, and it's a mystery why it's the `alternate' one.

I am surprised that this movie is not more well known. I just happened to borrow a copy on VHS from my aunt, and the movie simply blew my mind. It shows another side of WW2 and really blasts apart the stereotypes of the Japanese soldier portrayed in American propaganda films and also the American soldier as many Japanese were led to believe. The movie pretty much goes like this : Lee Marvin crashes into the ocean somewhere in the pacific and ends up on an island with the enemy, a Japanese soldier. Their fears and angers are played out as they both struggle to capture one another. They fight back and forth and also play mind games with one another in order to gain the upper hand. Finally, they learn that in order to survive they must put aside their animosity and work together. They slowly become friends and grow to trust one another and work together to build a small raft to escape the island. The Cinematography and acting in the movie are top notch, the only complaint I have was the original ending, but I have heard the DVD comes with alternate endings. I was also pleasantly surprised that John Boorman directed this film. SEE THIS MOVIE!

It's been a long time since I saw this on the big screen (I was in my teens), but I remember a few vivid images of this intense drama of two men, one American, one Japanese, stranded together on a tiny Pacific island. Although bitter enemies, the y each go through a transformation of character and purpose, forced upon them by their harsh circumstances. In a way, the film is as much a commentary on how mankind can get along, or how we can destroy each other, depending on which way the wind blows (literally, here). Parts of the movie seem to drag on with little development, while others are rich in humor, sadness, violence, and characterization. I didn't like the ending, as it seemed pointless. However, that may well be the message of the entire movie.

This is in my top 10 of all time.
I watched this movie - heres what blew me away.
1. minimal use of soundtrack - breathing of the actors is enough to convey thirst, fear, hate - I cant tell you how much I appreciated the nuances - something lost in todays movies - which is why this stands from the pack

2. minimal script - words fail to tell the story

3. cinematography - artistically right on

4. character studies - of characters that are believable and interesting. I did not find find Marvins character to be any less so than Mifunes. Marvin played the stereotype well and so did Mifune. Characteristics are nuanced as well.

5. alternative ending was very satisfying - in reality the alternative ending would have been more likely.

I have just finished writing my book about war, etc. titled: "A Tiger called Nancy." While flying in and out of Cambodia (1975) I saw many flight crews and ground people that had their story ended in 40 seconds (or less). The ending of Hell in the Pacific could have been more satisfying but I believe the directors (producers) point was to show the irrational (illogical) main feature of the incredibly stupid game called "war." Two guys finally get the point but...they lose.

I greatly enjoyed 'Hell in the Pacific' and it was more than I expected. I watched this movie the other night and got a lot out of it.

It's a very involving story set during WWII about an American pilot (the great Lee Marvin) and his Japanese counterpart (the equally great Toshiro Mifune) at odds with each other after they are both unknowingly stranded on the same small, uninhabited island in the vast South Pacific Ocean. They fight and quarrel for a good first half of the movie, but ------ realizing that they are both going to have to rely on the other to get out of their situation or to even survive ------ they gradually form an uneasy alliance.

I thoroughly appreciated John Boorman's obvious commitment to realism on this movie. As the film opens up, it just jumps into the story right away, beginning immediately with the image of Toshiro Mifune sitting alone near the beach and Lee Marvin in the jungle, likely just recently dropped in by parachute. The movie wastes no time with set-up or any explanation as to how they both got there. We don't know and don't need to. The editing is done at a smooth, flowing, non-hurried pace which gives the movie a definite real-time feel to it. The scenery and cinematography of the authentic Palau locations is simply stunning and I'm rather amazed by how good this movie looks for its age. The picture quality and clarity of this film is jaw-dropping for a 40 year-old movie.
The performances from the sole two actors in the entire film are passionate, inspired and thoroughly believable. The setting and plot is almost enough to make one forget for a moment that the two are sworn wartime enemies and we almost immediately empathize with both characters.

There are no subtitles. It puts us more inside the two's struggle since neither can understand what the other is saying. Even though those of us who don't speak Japanese can't understand what Toshiro Mifune's character is saying, we know EXACTLY what he is feeling and thinking through actions, body language, and forcefulness of expression. Watch for the scene when Toshiro Mifune's character catches a real, giant clam and proceeds to crack it open to get to the real, soft mollusk inside just for the sake of a meal. After they are finally able to put aside their differences for the sake of their mutual survival, they collaborate to build a rather impressive wooden and bamboo raft to escape the confines of the island.

My only grievance with this movie was its ending. I will not spoil it, but I will say that I did feel it was inconclusive and didn't provide me with adequate closure for the two characters' ultimate fates. Even the alternate ending still left me feeling a bit unfulfilled but I will leave it up to each individual viewer to decide for themself. The ending just didn't quite work for me and was the only element that prevented me from giving this film the full five stars.

Overall though, this is still an excellent and vastly underrated 1968 gem from one of the best directors of all time, John Boorman. A unique cinematic experience in the fact that it features two prolific, unparalled actors each playing anonymous characters who are the only two in the entire movie in such a huge, isolated setting. A fasinating encapsulation of a very human story set against the backdrop of the WWII-era campaign in the Pacific.

17 years later in 1985, this film would be reimagined with a science-fiction twist as 'Enemy Mine'.