You know, from where I was sitting, I thought that this rather oddball, 1958, WW2 drama was really expecting just a little too much of the viewer by asking them to believe that Natalie Wood, as the Monique Blair character, was, in fact, half-black (or "Negro").
I'd say that if Monique's father was, indeed, black (he is never seen in the movie), then, by looking at Natalie Wood who played his daughter, then he must've been the absolute most whitest looking black man on the entire face of the Earth. I kid you not!
To me, the casting of Wood as Monique was a grave mistake, especially in a film whose story was apparently striving for believability. There was no way that she could've have ever convinced anyone that she had even a single drop of Negro blood in her veins.
Had Wood's character been of mixed-race of, say, Japanese heritage, then, yes, I could've been convinced of that. But Negro!? Ha! No way, Jose!
Other than that valid beef, this picture (concerning a decidedly silly, melodramatic love triangle) was corny, clichéd and too predictable (Hollywood-style) to be at all considered worthwhile entertainment.
Set in and around a small town along the French Riviera, this film's attempt at dealing maturely with such issues as racism missed the mark, big-time.
Though it did contain some intense battle scenes (seemingly thrown in for good measure), these, in turn, did nothing to alleviate the overall monotony that prevailed in this trite, little soap opera.
I'd say that if Monique's father was, indeed, black (he is never seen in the movie), then, by looking at Natalie Wood who played his daughter, then he must've been the absolute most whitest looking black man on the entire face of the Earth. I kid you not!
To me, the casting of Wood as Monique was a grave mistake, especially in a film whose story was apparently striving for believability. There was no way that she could've have ever convinced anyone that she had even a single drop of Negro blood in her veins.
Had Wood's character been of mixed-race of, say, Japanese heritage, then, yes, I could've been convinced of that. But Negro!? Ha! No way, Jose!
Other than that valid beef, this picture (concerning a decidedly silly, melodramatic love triangle) was corny, clichéd and too predictable (Hollywood-style) to be at all considered worthwhile entertainment.
Set in and around a small town along the French Riviera, this film's attempt at dealing maturely with such issues as racism missed the mark, big-time.
Though it did contain some intense battle scenes (seemingly thrown in for good measure), these, in turn, did nothing to alleviate the overall monotony that prevailed in this trite, little soap opera.