{"id":83271,"date":"2022-04-23T13:01:19","date_gmt":"2022-04-23T20:01:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=83271"},"modified":"2022-04-23T13:01:19","modified_gmt":"2022-04-23T20:01:19","slug":"tamango-1958","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=83271","title":{"rendered":"Tamango (1958)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;We can be free if we stand together.&#8221; <\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Poster.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Poster-216x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"216\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-83272\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Poster-216x300.png 216w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Poster-92x128.png 92w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Poster-195x270.png 195w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Poster.png 603w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 216px) 100vw, 216px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nThe captain (Curt Jurgens) of a Dutch slave ship headed to Cuba attempts to secure the loyalty of his mulatto mistress (Dorothy Dandridge) while tamping down a rebellion started by a determined slave named Tamango (Alex Cressan).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>At Sea <\/li>\n<li>Curt Jurgens Films<\/li>\n<li>Dorothy Dandridge Films<\/li>\n<li>French Films<\/li>\n<li>Historical Drama<\/li>\n<li>Rebellion<\/li>\n<li>Race Relations and Racism<\/li>\n<li>Slavery<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nBlacklisted American director John Berry &#8212; who worked with John Garfield in his final film, <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=1864\"><em>He Ran All the Way<\/em> (1951)<\/a> &#8212; helmed this powerful and distinctive drama of rebellion on a slave ship. While the ship is Dutch and the language spoken French, it is easy enough to view this as a rare (singular?) attempt to portray the evils of American&#8217;s chattel slavery history in a way simply not covered by any others at the time. We see the wheels of the slave trade at each early stage, beginning with a trade of bodies for guns: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Slave-Trading.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Slave-Trading.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"332\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-83280\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Slave-Trading.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Slave-Trading-300x138.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Slave-Trading-128x59.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Slave-Trading-586x270.png 586w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; and moving swiftly into the specifics of the conditions endured by the able-bodied men and women who were crammed into a ship, shackled while being fed and &#8220;exercised&#8221; just enough to keep them healthy and alive. Within 12 minutes, we see the title protagonist (real-life medical student Cressan in his only acting role) fomenting rebellion: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Tamango.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Tamango.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"332\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-83281\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Tamango.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Tamango-300x138.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Tamango-128x59.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Tamango-586x270.png 586w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8230; and veteran slave trader Jurgens ready to respond to each and every attempt with seasoned aplomb. Jurgens&#8217; Achilles&#8217; heel is beautiful Aich\u00e9 (Dandridge), who evolves over the course of the film from a mistress who warily accepts her role, to someone who recognizes that her freedom can never be won under the thumb of white slavers. In one of the film&#8217;s most powerful scenes, she tells Jurgens how she <em>really<\/em> feels about him after he supposedly writes a statement freeing her: <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Dandridge-Jurgens2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Dandridge-Jurgens2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"332\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-83283\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Dandridge-Jurgens2.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Dandridge-Jurgens2-300x138.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Dandridge-Jurgens2-128x59.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Dandridge-Jurgens2-586x270.png 586w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Refreshingly, the storyline &#8212; based on a short story by <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Prosper_M%C3%A9rim%C3%A9e\">Prosper M\u00e9rim\u00e9e<\/a> &#8212; never goes in expected directions, always keeping the humanity of the shackled slaves at the forefront. This rarely-seen film remains well worth a look, both as a powerful drama and for its historical relevance (including inevitable <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0051049\/trivia?item=tr0579002\">controversy<\/a>).  <\/p>\n<p><strong>Note:<\/strong> Film fanatics will likely recognize Jean Servais &#8212; star of <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=82550\"><em>Rififi<\/em> (1955)<\/a> &#8212; as the ship&#8217;s doctor, charged with keeping the slaves <em>reasonably<\/em> healthy. <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Servais.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Servais.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"332\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-83276\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Servais.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Servais-300x138.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Servais-128x59.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Servais-586x270.png 586w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Alex Cressan as Tamango<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Cressan.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Cressan.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"332\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-83274\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Cressan.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Cressan-300x138.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Cressan-128x59.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Cressan-586x270.png 586w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Dorothy Dandridge as Aiche<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Dandridge.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Dandridge.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"332\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-83278\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Dandridge.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Dandridge-300x138.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Dandridge-128x59.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Dandridge-586x270.png 586w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Curt Jurgens as Captain Reinker<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Jurgens-Captains-Hat.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Jurgens-Captains-Hat.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"718\" height=\"332\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-83285\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Jurgens-Captains-Hat.png 718w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Jurgens-Captains-Hat-300x139.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Jurgens-Captains-Hat-128x59.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Jurgens-Captains-Hat-584x270.png 584w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 718px) 100vw, 718px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>A distressingly realistic depiction of life onboard a slave ship<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Slave-Ship.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Slave-Ship.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"332\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-83277\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Slave-Ship.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Slave-Ship-300x138.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Slave-Ship-128x59.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Tamango-Slave-Ship-586x270.png 586w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, for its historical relevance and as an overall powerful drama. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Good Show<\/li>\n<li>Historically Relevant<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0051049\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/92311\/tamango#articles-reviews?articleId=1415398\">TCM Article<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/chicagoreader.com\/film\/tamango\/\">Chicago Reader Capsule Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tvguide.com\/movies\/tamango\/review\/2030127965\/\">TV Guide Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thespinningimage.co.uk\/cultfilms\/displaycultfilm.asp?reviewid=12971&#038;aff=13\">Spinning Image Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;We can be free if we stand together.&#8221; Synopsis: The captain (Curt Jurgens) of a Dutch slave ship headed to Cuba attempts to secure the loyalty of his mulatto mistress (Dorothy Dandridge) while tamping down a rebellion started by a determined slave named Tamango (Alex Cressan). Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: At Sea Curt Jurgens Films Dorothy Dandridge Films French Films Historical Drama Rebellion Race Relations and Racism Slavery Review: Blacklisted American director John Berry &#8212; who worked with John&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=83271\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-83271","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83271","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=83271"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83271\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":83289,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/83271\/revisions\/83289"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=83271"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=83271"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=83271"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}