The Hurricane

It is a hurricane to blast you from the orchestra pit to the first mezzanine... one of the most thrilling spectacles the screen has provided this year.

Overall, a worthy enough early example of the (almost always fun) disaster picture, not only having spectacular carnage, but also a surprisingly politically conscious sensibility in its lead-up.

"Though a few minutes could be trimmed to make 'The Hurricane' leaner and meaner, it remains an atmospheric, often thrilling adventure tale that shows just how fleeting paradise can be, especially in the face of Mother Nature's tempestuous wrath."

The Hurricane is a mildly diverting piece of entertainment overall, worth a look for those John Ford completists but few others. Its wind-blown work didn’t do it for me like I’d hoped, and I was left feeling ambivalent to the story.

The biggest problem with Ford’s view is that the native islanders are portrayed as children that should be treated with the indulgence you would afford children. The other issue often mentioned is Ford’s decision to cast his two lead characters – both Polynesian – with Caucasian actors; however, I feel that the practice of casting white people in various non-white roles is such an old and long lasting problematic practice (it even occurs today) that it is unfair to single out Ford in this instance.

Even by 1937 standards, the effects are impressive and hold up just fine to this day. Like the climax of Titanic, it’s a stunning technical achievement made more immediate by the viewer’s emotional investment in the characters involved.

"As for 'the hurricane', it's so realistic that you have to see it to believe it. And all this was before CGI effects--a brilliant job."