HERO'S ISLAND

US, 1962, 94 minutes, Colour.
James Mason, Kate Manx, Neville Brand, Rip Torn, Warren Oates.
Directed by Leslie Stevens.

Hero's Island is an unusual period adventure. It is very much the work of James Mason who co-produced and starred. The writer-director is Leslie Stevens who worked in television and made comparatively few feature films. There is unusual Panavision colour photography, experimentation with colours for seascapes. There is a score by Dominic Frontiere. James Mason portrays a man washed ashore, who helps colonists in 18th century Carolina. It eventually emerges that he is Blackbeard the Pirate. There is interesting support from such actors as Rip Torn, Neville Brand and Warren Oates at the beginning of the major parts of their careers. The film seems at some times to be a family adventure - a family settling on an island off the Carolina coast and trying to survive. At others it has the overtones of the horror film as the family is persecuted by treacherous fishermen. Finally it moves into a confrontation as a pirate adventure. All in all, interesting and offbeat.

1. An interesting an entertaining action adventure? Human interest story? Piece of Americana?

2. The first part relying on the pioneering film? The offbeat location of Bull Island and the Carolina coast? The praise of the American pioneers? The atmosphere of the 18th. century? The transition to harsh adventure with the persecution of the fishermen . the stoning of the husband, Wayte defending the family? The third part with the arrival of Jacob, the clash of religious spirit and need for self-defence? The arrival finally of Kingstree and the violent confrontation of the pirates? How well do these elements blend together? For satisfying entertainment? For insight into an aspect of American history?

3. The colour photography, locations, experiments with colour? Musical score? The 18th century? The background of pirates off the Carolina coast?

4. The historical emphasis of the film? The settlers and the allotting of land, the need for the defence of land, the pioneering spirit, the foundations for a future? The clash of farmers and fishermen and the rights to land? Violence in a primitive pioneering situation? The ever-presence of violence with the pirates? People as victims of their circumstances? The building up of the American spirit?

5. The presentation of the family and their arrival: Devon as heroine, her love for her children and supporting them, Thomas and his age, support? The ugly violence of his being killed? The determination of the family to stay? The importance of their religious background and its strictness? The destruction of their goods and of their books? The confrontation with Enoch and his brothers? The fortuitous arrival of Jacob and his being saved? Their reliance on him? Their shock at the truth? The family being involved in self-defence? Devon actually killing Kingstree? The importance of Nicholas joining the group and helping them? Their reliance on Wayte? The possibility of building up a settlement and a family after such adventures? The credible portrait of an American heroine?

6. Jacob and his coming ashore, the violence of his being put overboard, his revival? His disguising his identity? His helping the family to work? The confrontation with the brothers? Wayte and his suspicions? The theatrical presentation of himself - ironic in the later revelation of his identity and pirate background? His non-violent methods at first - especially in the confrontation of the brothers destroying the belongings of the family? The arrival of Kingstree and the violent clash? His final going away? An unusual portrait of a pirate - with the human touches?

7. Nicholas and his brother and their rights to the land, their antagonism to wards the family, the accidental but violent stoning of Thomas? The devices they used to protect themselves, their cruelty in destroying the family's
property? The violence towards Wayte? The confrontation by Jacob? Their reliance on Kingstree? Nicholas and his decision to help and the initial suspicion? The final violence?

8. Kingstree as the cruel overseer, the visual presentation of his domination from the ship, in the battle, his death?

9. The atmosphere of violence in the American heritage and amongst the pioneers? The influence in subsequent generations? The self-reliance and defiance of the pioneers?

10. How satisfying a view of an unusual and little known aspect of American history?