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Month: December 2010

She (1965)

She (1965)

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“I am Ayesha, who some call She — who waits.”

Synopsis:
An archaeologist (Peter Cushing), his valet (Bernard Cribbins), and his handsome young friend (John Richardson) stumble upon the ancient city of Kuma, where Richardson is recognized by an ancient ruler named Ayesha (Ursula Andress) as her long-lost love from a previous lifetime.

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Christopher Lee Films
  • Deserts
  • Fantasy
  • Love Triangle
  • Past Lives
  • Peter Cushing Films
  • Search
  • Ursula Andress Films

Review:
Hammer Studios’ remake of the oft-filmed adventure novel by H. Rider Haggard appeared 30 years after the last cinematic version, produced in 1935 by Merian C. Cooper. The novel’s original setting in the deserts of Africa was restored, and the location shooting is impressive — though it unfortunately never strikes one as particularly other-worldly. Even less effective is the laughably static painting used to represent the lost city itself:

The real box-office draw here is, naturally, Ursula Andress in the title role, bedecked in either a slinky white sheath or an elaborate gold feather headdress, repeatedly intoning the line quoted above. While she’s no great actress, she’s weirdly believable as an uber-goddess determined to secure Richardson for herself after literally eons of waiting around and ruling her mini-universe.

But the whole affair is ultimately just typically low-budget Hammer fare, only must-see for true fans of this particular sub-genre.

Note: My favorite moment in the film:

Cushing looks at a series of mummified skeletons lining the walls of a cave, and asks Christopher Lee (Ayesha’s right-hand man, Billali), “Who are they?”

Lee’s deadpan response: “High priests like myself, to Ayesha – but with one difference: they are dead.”

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • Some effective location shooting

Must See?
No; definitely feel free to skip this one.

Links:

She (1935)

She (1935)

Comments 3 comments

“Dreams are only memories in the endless flow of time.”

Synopsis:
A young man (Randolph Scott) and a family friend (Nigel Bruce) travel to the Arctic to search for a hidden city said to possess the fire of immortality. Once they arrive, the city’s ruler, “She” (Helen Gahagan), recognizes Scott as her long-lost lover come to life, and is determined to steal him away from his new romantic interest (Helen Mack).

Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:

  • Antarctica and the Arctic
  • Fantasy
  • Past Lives
  • Randolph Scott Films
  • Search
  • Strong Females

Review:
Based on an oft-filmed novel by H. Rider Haggard (with most adaptions made during the silent film era, and most also called simply She), this “lost world” adventure flick was producer Merian C. Cooper’s follow-up to King Kong (1933). The transposition of Haggard’s original South African setting to the Arctic north allowed for the creation of some impressively baroque Art Deco sets (and ultimately isn’t too egregious of a shift, given that this was an equally “remote” and mysterious location for audiences at the time). Yet the film as a whole suffers from a serious lack of chemistry between its nominal “romantic leads”. Unlike in the 1965 Hammer Studios remake (starring Ursula Andress and John Richardson), we never once believe in the viability of Scott and Gahagan’s presumed centuries-old romantic connection. In the Andress/Richardson remake, Richardson “meets” Andress before setting out on his voyage of discovery, and feels a strong sensual attraction to her from the get-go; here, Scott merely seems befuddled and irritated in Gahagan’s presence, and anxious to get back to his “real world” love interest, Helen Mack. Not helping matters is Scott’s wooden acting, especially noticeable in contrast with Gahagan’s more theatrical approach to her role. While the visuals are worth a look (the cinematography and sets are quite stunning at times), this one is ultimately skippable.

Redeeming Qualities and Moments:

  • J. Roy Hunt’s cinematography
  • Enjoyably baroque sets

  • Outrageous costumes (note the strong parallel here between Gahagan’s outfit and that of the queen in Disney’s animated Snow White, released just two years later)

Must See?
No; this one isn’t must-see unless you’re curious.

Links: