StunnaKrypto Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

BroadcastChic Excellent, a Must See

Clarissa Mora The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Janis One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

hugofreitasxavier Alexander Mackendrick's cut was a lot longer than the studio edit. Yet, still this holds up as a fabulous story on the redeeming power of innocence.A group of children on their way to England to get a civilized education that their parents feel is they are lacking in wild and superstitious Jamaica, when the ship they are in is assaulted by pirates.In the confusion the children end up in the pirate ship. Much to the distress of the crazy captain (Anthony Quinn still overacting much from the recently successful Zorba) and second-in-command James Coburn.If the leading actors are perfect, the children steal the show and prove once again that Mackendrick is probably one of the best children's director ever.(just out of curiosity try and spot the you writer-to-be Martin Amis among the children - curiously the less interested in acting as it turns out) Mackendrick does this with great realism: his pirates don't speak the hollywoodesc Spanglish, the scenarios are really shot on location (mostly in high sea ships). he had great problems with the studios and still it turned out a great movie.A fabulous tale of innocence and how it can change the hearts of hard men - and the movie shoes this, as the book by Richard Hughues, without falling for the sentimentalistic side of the story. It's a tough movie for it's time.What this movie could have been if the director's version could have been released. Even so, magnificent.

Spikeopath A High Wind in Jamaica is directed by Alexander Mackendrick and adapted to screenplay jointly by Stanley Mann, Ronald Harwood & Denis Cannan, from the Richard Hughes novel of the same name. It stars Anthony Quinn, James Coburn, Deborah Baxter, Lila Kedrova, Martin Amis, Dennis Price and Nigel Davenport. Music is by Larry Adler, with the song High on a Gallows Tree song by Mike LeRoy, and cinematography is by Douglas Slocombe. Out of 20th Century Fox it's a DeLuxe Color/CinemaScope production.When a hurricane hits the isle of Jamaica in 1870, the Thornton family seek refuge in the basement. Here they discover the servants and workers performing a voodoo ceremony to ward off evil spirits. Horrified, Mrs Thornton decides to send the children and their two friends back to England to be educated away from what she deems savagery. However, during the voyage the youngsters are mistakenly taken captive by pirates, an event that will change forever the lives of captives and capturers alike.He's afraid: he says that kids bring bad luck...Richard Hughes' source novel was a one time part of the scholastic curriculum at Blighty seats of learning back in the day, the thematics of such a literary work no doubt inducing many a beardy teacher into lecturing over drive. Alexander Mackendrick's film adaptation manages to retain the literary feel whilst also entertaining by way of its intrigue. In many ways it's an odd film, a blend of pirates and children on board a ship screams out as something Disneyesque in make up, but it really isn't in any shape or form a frothy swash buckler movie. The pirates, led by Quinn's (wonderfully full of gusto) Chavez, are more human by motives and mannerisms, around them the children are realistic, they are not afraid, why would they be since they have not been taught that Pirates are bad? The youngsters merely see their stay with the bluff "n" ruff crew as an extended adventure.Their spirit is infectious, and Emily (an impressive Baxter) has a particularly beguiling effect on Chavez, but his right hand man Zac (Coburn effectively mannered) senses trouble and it's not long before the crew begin to fret about the lasting implications of the children being on board. We just know that something bad is going to come out of this unlikely coupling of youth and pirates, and it's then, for the last third of the movie, that Hughes' literary themes start to tumble out of the screen. Emotional and psychological twangs are neatly etched into the narrative by the ever astute Mackendrick, and a quandary surfaces by way of the innocence of youth; it's power, which when confronted by guilt creates a moral void that closes the picture (though not the novel) on an edgy note.Film looks great, with Slocombe's "Scope" photography out of the top draw, and Adler's score carries with it an ethereal quality that befits the haunting like nature of the story. Fox's Region 1 DVD release is double sided, giving a choice of full frame or widescreen, for those with big televisions the only way to see it is in widescreen, but the print is far from pristine. On release the film was met with much indifference, many were not sure what they had just watched, or were simply just upset at not getting a swash buckling adventure yarn. That uneasy reception goes some way to explaining why the film is largely forgotten and since over the years it has hardly ever been shown on television, it's certainly unseen. It deserves more exposure, very well put together all told, and definitely a picture that is strong in narrative as it puts human qualities firmly under the microscope. 8/10

dodgerdawg-1 I first saw "A High Wind in Jamaica" in the late sixties one evening on late night TV. It's a compelling, realistic, well-filmed action movie with outstanding performances by Anthony Quinn and James Coburn and a fast-paced, exciting storyline. It even features a brief appearance by Gert Frobe, of "Goldfinger" fame.Despite the presence of young children and pirates, it's definitely not a children's movie. There are dark undertones and some surprisingly adult themes. Quinn and Coburn give first rate performances as pirates who inadvertently kidnap a group of British children on their way back to Great Britain from Jamaica after a storm...but this film belongs to Deborah Baxter. Her performance as the feisty Emily is absolutely mesmerizing. It's hard to imagine she only made two movies (she plays Teddy Roosevelt's daughter in "The Wind and The Lion"). Her acting seems well beyond her years. I guarantee it's a performance that will stick with you long after the final credits.I highly recommend this film.

Sergio_Falco *Spoiler alert* This is a wonderful, if somewhat disturbing, kids film. I'd heard a lot about it and am a huge fan of the great Alexander Mackendrick, so I bought the DVD and it certainly didn't let me down. It's definitely one out of the box, though, because while it has an adventurous tone and concept, it has its fair share of grim moments - when the drunk monkey falls to its death (brilliantly and blackly capping the kind of moment that would be found in a Disney film) I knew I was in for something unusual. I can't think of another kids movie that goes into the kind of territory that this one does. Its main theme seems to be about the transition from the innocent childhood world into the murky, dangerous and complex adult world. It's a rare kids film indeed where one of the young boys dies in a tragic accident and the main pirate character, whom we and the kids have grown to love, meets his ultimate fate on the gallows. I love the fact that the makers didn't shy away from sugar coating the world the kids have dropped into, and the fact that something bad may happen to them at any point, and their baffled, slightly uncomprehending reaction to their new world, adds a level of tension and unexpected pathos to the proceedings. The direction and cinematography are tremendous (the film was shot by the great Dougie Slocombe) and the kids are astonishing. How Mackendrick managed to get the performances that he did is amazing, and it's a shame that Deborah Baxter (as Emily) didn't go on to do more movies. The final shot, where the model ship is floating away across a pond in a London park, is a brilliant and moving image to suggest that Emily's childhood is over and forever drifting away from her. This is highly recommended and it's a shame it isn't more widely known.