The Naked Jungle
Picture: C+
Sound: C Extras: D Film: B-
George Pal is one of the great fun, high-quality Hollywood
producers of the late Classical period.
After his production of H.G. Welles’ War Of The Worlds (1953)
went so well, he quickly reteamed with that hit film’s director Byron Haskin to
do The Naked Jungle the following year.
Though not as discussed, the tale of a plantation-owning megalomaniac
(Charlton Heston in a really good performance, though he may have recycled the
scarf for Soylent Green) and the mail order bride (Eleanor Parker) who
just arrived in the wild.
Of course, instead of melodrama, we get something more
interesting. Thanks to George Pal,
billion of dangerous red ants (in Technicolor yet) catch everyone by surprise
and are marching forward to take over the land. What will they do? Battle
the ants! The film walks a thin line
between drama and disaster films, but none of the visual effects are
digital. The obvious Hollywood sets and
model work seems somehow less underhanded.
This is a good-looking Hollywood studio production, as
shot by the great cameraman Ernest Laszlo, A.S.C., in real Technicolor. Though this may be a full screen 1.33 x 1
image and have some definition limits, the color quality is really good and the
print has few problems. Edith Head’s
costumes are another plus, featuring more of her peak work at this particular
peak period of her career. The Dolby
Digital 2.0 Mono is weaker than it should be, even with the film a monophonic
theatrical release. Daniele
Amfitheatrof’s score is interesting in trying to combine element that would be
within what the characters would hear with the dramatic music that would
usually accompany such a film in the usual, standard way. That adds to the film, which is unique and
is ripe for rediscovery. Too bad there
are no extras, not even a trailer, but this is a fine basic DVD of the film and
holds up very well on its 50th anniversary.
- Nicholas Sheffo
