HE IS MY BROTHER

US, 1975, 100 minutes, Colour.
Keenan Wynn, Bobby Sherman.
Directed by Edward Dmytryk.

He is My Brother is what might be called a family action adventure. It is set in Hawaii, with overtones of James Michener's novel. However, the focus is on the lepers at the end of the 19th. century, those familiar to us from the life of Father Damien. The film takes Father Damien's work as its starting point and shows the clash on the island between the Catholic missionaries and the witchdoctor magician representative of local religions.

The film has something worthwhile to say about this clash of religions and is not patronising in its presentation of Christianity. Keenan Wynn has a central role as a religious brother who has lived a rugged life and has given himself to the Hawaiians and the lepers, even wanting to share leprosy with them. In his confrontation with the magician he experiences a crisis of faith. For the family audience, the story focuses on two lads shipwrecked and encountering the lepers, the mission, the magician - and an attractive Hawaiian girl. The film was directed by Edward Dmytryk at the end of his career - after he had made the Richard Burton Bluebeard and was to make The Human Factor with George Kennedy and John Mills.

1. An entertaining action adventure? For family audience? The religious themes - authentic? Uplifting?

2. The location photography, the atmosphere of the Hawaiian islands in the 19th century? The James Michener overtones? The re-creation of the period and its flavour? The missionary life? The special effects for the magician and his work? The musical score?

3. The background of Hawaii and its history? The takeover by the United States? The colonial atmosphere of the Americans? The introduction of diseases? The state of leprosy in the highlands? Molokai and the other settlements? The work of Father Damien and the tribute to him at the beginning of the film?

4. The spirit of the Catholic mission? The inheritance of Father Damien? Living with the Hawaiians, the personal help and contact? The danger of contracting leprosy? The Christianising of Hawaii? The clash with local religion? The presentation of the values of both religions? The abuses? How insightful the film's presentation of the value of local religions?

5. Christianity and its beliefs? The nature of faith, ritual, prayer? The need for adaptation in mission work? The local religion and its rituals, magic? Destructive elements? The magician using his power for a power clash? The faith of the islanders in the local religions?

6. The background of the wreck? The two boys stranded? The younger boy at home on the island, with the lepers, playing, getting left behind, the innocent boy used by the magician, the irony of his hang-gliding as a sign for the Hawaiians? The older boy and his scepticism, disgust at the lepers, harsh attitudes? His attitude towards Brother Dalton - and reliance on him? His falling in love with the local girl? The clash with the witchdoctor? Brother Dalton and his crisis of faith, approaching death? His adaptation to the life in the islands? His future there?

7. Brother Dalton and his work, his stances on religion, leprosy? His popularity and control? His working with the missionary priest? As a religious with a hard-living past? His wanting to contract leprosy? His clash with the magician, the stake in the ground and its sinking, the facing of death, his drinking, prayer and loss of faith? His not wanting to die? The contraction of leprosy? His giving in? The people persuading him to survive? His winning against the magician?

8. The local religious leader and his witchdoctor behaviour, magic? Threats? His hold over the little boy? Leading him away from the group? The hang gliding? His hold over the girl? The clash with Brother Dalton? The final confrontation?

9. The priest and his missionary role?

10. The girl and her falling in love? The routine of the romantic sequences?

11. The background of lepers and their illness? Health, religion, magic? Belief, trust, love? How authentic the story? Its optimistic tone?