Customer Reviews

Once Before I Die [Import]

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Once Before I Die is a film I saw on TV around 1980. The 1965 film directed by and co-starring John Derek is a great vehicle for Ursula Andress who portrays a beautiful sweet naive
Swiss woman stuck in the Philipines during the Japanese attack.
Her character is very meditative about the prospect of everyone around her dying, and she contemplates the request by a 22-year-old soldier to be with a woman "once before I die".
Custer (Ricard Jaeckel) plays the bald gung-ho warrior who provokes the final assault.
The cinematography uses many stills of Ursula superimposed on all the killing. Well done original '60s war film and a covert antiwar message during the escalation of Vietnam.

Although I'm sure he'll claim he's never seen it, this was actually Francis Ford Coppola's inspiration for Apocalypse Now. To John Derek's credit this was a story about the P.I filmed in P.I. Having seen Apocalypse Now first even though Once Before I Die preceeds by decades chronologically puts movie viewers at a distinct disadvantage in being able to identify this as an "homage". When you watch both consecutively you'll see incredible similarities. The panoramic views and camera angles could have been shot on the same island, right down to the psychedelic ending in Once before I Die's rogue G.I looking very reminiscent of Marlon Brando in Apocalypse Now. Up until now Coppala has been able to fool some of the people, however I feel time will bring out that Apocalypse Now owes infinitely more to Once Before I Die than to Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness if it owes anything to the former at all. Yes Francis, a few of us have read it. You don't have to be a huge fan of Naval history to see what a disservice Coppola has done for the portrayal of Nam Vets. John Derek flirts with the boundaries as well but manages to keep well within bounds. In time film critics will make this connection as well and ultimately agree that given it's budget and chronology Once Before I Die is the better film. By the way when you're at the video store make sure you get the copy of Apocalypse Now (Redux) it even has the awkward love scene just like Once Before I Die complete with corny retro romance sound track that was cut from the original release. I guess Francis thought, "After all these years, who would remember"?

When John Derek was popular in films, I enjoyed them very much. Then, he stopped making films. Was very happy to find this film on dvd. Recommend it to others.

Okay, as you know, there are good movies, bad movies, and movies so bad that they're good. Then there are bad movies that you think might really be ironically good, but they're not. This is one of those.

In the end, it's just dull in addition to having the requisite bad acting, negligible budget, transparent plotline, and yes, Ursula Andress in a wet dress. But this Porkies meets World War II movie just defies the imagination. Can it really be that bad? Yes, yes, it can.

Okay, as you know, there are good movies, bad movies, and movies so bad that they're good. Then there are bad movies that you think might really be ironically good, but they're not. This is one of those.

In the end, it's just dull in addition to having the requisite bad acting, negligible budget, transparent plotline, and yes, Ursula Andress in a wet dress. But this Porkies meets World War II movie just defies the imagination. Can it really be that bad? Yes, yes, it can.