Criticism Of A Film
p. 30 · Read in the full issue
WE have received a number of letters commending the criticism we made of the film “Hurricane”, presented in cinema theatres throughout the world recently as an authentic cross-section of life in French Oceania.
“One crowning absurdity follows an other in the course of this film”, says one writer. “No one has ever seen a French Governor of the type depicted here. One or two queer persons have come into the Pacific in one guise and another, but none like the Governor de picted by Raymond Massey was ever despatched by the Government of France to any of her colonies.
“Such a scene as that shown in the Cercle Hibiscus’ is, in fact, impossible, as anyone who knows Papeete would say. A gendarme sits always at the first table just inside the door of such places, and any unruly people are re moved in a few moments.
“However, the outstanding error in the production of the film is the manner in w T hich the French establishments have been purged of Chinese. Fancy showing scenes from Tahiti —and not a single Chinese anywhere in sight!”