Clevercell Very disappointing...

Bardlerx Strictly average movie

Nonureva Really Surprised!

Keeley Coleman The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

cricket crockett . . . squid, which comes out of the ocean depths to seize his Captain Jack Sparrow--oops--Captain Jack Stuart character before it sullies his Do-Gooder box office image and replaces it with that of a mad dog killer (think early Humphrey Bogart). As film historian Robert Osborne points out, both REAP THE WILD WIND director Cecil B. DeMille and Wayne were Conservative Republicans, which is why they lunched together every day of the WIND shoot. Later in his career, Wayne famously glorified the men hellbent on RETURNING Texas' newly-freed Black slaves to a state of involuntary servitude repugnant to Mexico City's liberal bleeding hearts in THE ALAMO. In this WIND film effort from his mid-career, "the Duke" mostly fights to free Deep South shipping lanes of "pirate" ship-wreckers impeding the Black Slave Trade (which is spelled out explicitly in the movie's dialog). The Great Emancipator, Abraham Lincoln, was considered a Radical Republican in his day, and was notably portrayed on the Big Screen by actor Raymond Massey. In WIND, Massey plays King Cutler, the one man able to thwart continuation of the slave trade. Demille and Wayne make sure this brilliant lawyer character is thoroughly vilified before he's shot dead. After all, they were NOT from Lincoln's Radical Republican sect. As Bob Osborne emphasizes, Wayne and DeMille were CONSERVATIVE Republicans.

mark.waltz Comparissons to "Gone With the Wind" will be inevitable in this Cecil B. DeMille epic which actually has a different time period and different historical battle as its focus. Dealing with the problems of the shipping industry in the 1840's, "Reap the Wild Wind" is a beautiful color epic where a Scarlet O'Hara like belle (Paulette Goddard) reigns over men's hearts while her Melanie-like cousin (Susan Hayward) finds tragedy. Boat Captain John Wayne and dashing Ray Milland are the two men after Goddard's heart, while a young Robert Preston vows revenge after a boating accident takes his sweetheart's life. The film has epic storm scenes, a fight between Wayne, Milland and a huge squid, as well as a trial sequence where secrets of the sea are revealed.This lavish epic drama has some amazing photography, special effects, costumes and music, and is probably DeMille's best non-Biblical epic. It is ironic that both Goddard and Hayward ended up in this after they auditioned for the role of "Gone With the Wind's" Scarlet, and it is a change of pace to see Hayward in a rather gentle, submissive role, while Goddard (an underrated actress) steals every moment she is on. The lovable Louise Beavers is a more gentle version of Mammy, unable to control her charge (Goddard), yet loving her as if she were her own child. Such memorable character performers as Elisabeth Risdon, Raymond Massey, Charles Bickford and even Hedda Hopper got involved in the mix to make this one of the more exciting color epics of the World War II era praising American heroism.

skimari I liked this film very much, it is a wonderful tale about the old south, the rich ship-owners , the captains of the ships, and the pirates who destroy these ships. It is a romantic story, but also an adventure and an action film, so it has something for everyone. I personally liked most the scenes in the rich houses in Charleston, the tea parties and the dances, they were magnificently shot and most realistic. Some great actors and actresses give their best performances to make the characters believable. The leading man, Ray Milland, portrays with gusto and charm Steeve Tolliver, a clever sea lawyer, head of a big ship owner firm. He seems interested only in frivolous games, an eccentric who dresses in the latest fashion for men, goes to dances and promenades always with his "son", a dog that "speaks" , and his impeccable manners fool everyone into believing that he is not cut for rough action. Later on, we see that this is not the case. His love, Loxy,(Paulette Godard) is a head strong girl that loves , or thinks she loves, captain Stuart, a "real man" (John Wayne). Later on, we see that this is not the case with him, as well. There are a lot of other characters, all played very well by great actors. What I did not like so much was the sequence with the giant squid underwater. The danger of the deep, the struggle of the two men could be shown without using this "special effect" that diminishes the credibility of the story. Also the end scene was somewhat abrupt and short. I would have liked a little more development on how Loxy made the comparison between her two "suitors" and understood her real feelings. All in all, it is a film worth seeing, mostly for the scenery, the costumes, the colors, and the acting. Ray Milland is the most credible of all, he never over-acts, despite his difficult and contradictory role, and manages to maintain a perfect balance between the romantic, the daring and the comic, that is not to be missed. Paulette Godard is trying a little too much, but she is undeniably very beautiful and spontaneous, while John Wayne has got the correct expression of the man of force but lacking in intellect and self control.

malvernp Having seen this film many times, I can understand those critics who regard it as yet another ripe example of director Cecil B. DeMille hokum and excess. But for me, it is far easier to side with folks who like "Reap the Wild Wind" as a prime example of rousing old-fashioned screen storytelling at its best.Made just at the outbreak of World War II, Paramount spared no expense to mount this super-lavish yarn about romance, treachery, maritime adventure, shipwrecks, salvage risks involving "dead" ships, and the spectacle of rivals searching for evidence in the deep-----where diving to find it involves less danger than the chance encounter with a giant squid lurking in a sunken hull.John Wayne appears in an uncharacteristic role-----a flawed anti-hero (long before that term was ever coined) who is likable, weak, not too swift but yet charming and easy to root for. Ray Milland also does an unusual turn here. He is both a man of intellect and action----clever, funny and brave. Paulette Goddard is a revelation to those who are unfamiliar with her screen work. Remember, this was 1942. The super-independent, feisty woman she plays with such enthusiasm----while a role model for today's feminists----also shows an understandable human vulnerability. She has never appeared in another film that allowed her to be strong, sexy and appealing all at the same time.The extraordinary supporting cast is an absolute delight. They carry off some of the most outrageously cornball dialogue ever spoken with such conviction that it becomes enjoyable. Raymond Massey's slimy over-the-top villain is unique---and so is Robert Preston's pathetic character as Massey's far less crafty brother. Preston is given the task of uttering one of the film's most unforgettable lines when arriving at a prearranged meeting with his girl friend (a very young Susan Hayward) that may never EVER have been topped as a "groaner.".Special mention should be made of the beautiful Technicolor employed in "Reap the Wild Wind", the engrossing special effects (outstanding for their time) and the exciting musical score written by Victor Young.Altogether, this is a film that holds your interest from the start and never lets it down. It is grand entertainment from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Almost 65 years old, it is still fun to watch. Lots of fun!