MovieChat Forums > His Majesty O'Keefe (1954) Discussion > Uncomfortable ...

Uncomfortable ...

posted 8 years ago by user3203476
4 replies | jump to latest

I admit I felt uncomfortable watching this film.

- o'keefe automatically being granted pride of place in the fight scene

- ladies from 2 different islands falling instantaneously in love with him

- repeated comments about 'how to get these people to work', and some worse ones I will not repeat.

- caricatural scenes in Hong Kong

I could go on. I personaly do not see this as a family film, which is a shame as the open sea adventure theme is quite attractive. It is a film of its time I guess.

[–] HarlemEagle42 (18433) 2 months ago

To be fair, it does treat colonial powers (represented by the German villains) as the bad guys and even Burt Lancaster's character has a heel realization at the end of how he took advantage of the islanders. It is of its time in many respects. But there are elements in the script that are further ahead than expected.

[–] DoctorThirteen (15321) 2 months ago

'It is a film of its time I guess.'

Of course it is. Why would you expect anything else?

[–] liscarkat (19427) 2 months ago

Exactly. Some people have the ridiculous expectation that a movie made seventy years ago should have the same sociologically woke sensibility as a movie made today. This movie realistically depicts the way things were when the story is set, which is exactly what it should do. I saw it when I was a child and enjoyed it quite a bit. It is a family film, and won't make intelligent children uncomfortable at all.

[–] DoctorThirteen (15321) 2 months ago

Absolutely.