Night of the Iguana

Again I am so glad that I am revisiting some of my favorite films. Last night it was such a pleasure to see Night of the Iguana. Why can't we see such great films with  great actors today. For those who have not seen Night of the Iguana. It stars Richard Burton, Ava Gardner and Deborah Kerr. It would be difficult to find three better actors to star in this emotional drama. It follows the Burton character, Rev. Dr. T. Laurence Shannon, a troubled minister who is fired from his pulpit in Virginia. Not being able to find a preacher job in the US he travels to Mexico where he works as a tour director for religious teachers. Ultimately on a troubled tour he hijacks the tour bus and takes it to a hotel on the Mexican coast. The owner is one of his friends Maxine Faulk, played by Ava Gardner. Shortly after his arrival Hannah Jelkes (Deborah Kerr) arrives with her 97-year old grandfather. Now the movie/play begins.

In this Tennessee Williams play you will see the principal characters struggle with the passions, prides, and egos exposing their true nature--unhappy with the world. Essentially they struggle with self identity and where they are in their lives. In one of the best exchanges between Burton and Kerr, she describes what she thinks is the meaning of her life. She states the following: to connect with people, to help people through each day, to meet, to see, hear, and feel, and to share what we have experienced.

I think that this is almost as good as a movie can be. I especially recommend this film to young people. There is lots to learn from this intense movie.