Savage Islands (film)

Savage Islands (also known as Nate and Hayes in the United States) is a 1983 swashbuckling adventure film set in the South Pacific in the late 19th century. Directed by Ferdinand Fairfax and filmed on location in Fiji and New Zealand, it starred Tommy Lee Jones, Michael O'Keefe and Jenny Seagrove.

Savage Islands
Theatrical release poster
Directed byFerdinand Fairfax
Written byJohn Hughes
David Odell
Story byDavid Odell
Produced byLloyd Phillips
Rob Whitehouse
Starring
CinematographyTony Imi
Edited byJohn Shirley
Music byTrevor Jones
Production
company
Phillips-Whitehouse Productions
Distributed byKerridge Odeon (NZ)
Paramount Pictures (US)
Release date
  • November 18, 1983 (1983-11-18)
Running time
96 minutes
CountriesNew Zealand
United States
BudgetNZ$7.5 million[1]
Box office$1.9 million (domestic)

It was one of several 1980s films designed to capitalize on the popularity of Indiana Jones, but Savage Islands was a flop at the box office.

Plot

The film tells the story of missionary Nathaniel "Nate" Williamson, taken to an island mission with his fiancée Sophie. Their ship, the Rona, is captained by the roguish William "Bully" Hayes, who also takes a liking to Sophie. When Sophie is kidnapped by slave trader Ben Pease, "Nate" teams with Hayes in order to find her. The two men enjoy a friendly rivalry for Sophie's affections, and she is to some extent torn between them, though committed to Nate.

Cast

Production

The story was based on the adventures of real-life blackbirders Bully Hayes and Ben Pease. The character of Hayes was much softened in the film and Pease turned into a villain. The script was rewritten by John Hughes.[2]

The director was Ferdinand Fairfax, an Englishman most recently notable for his direction of the television series, Churchill — The Wilderness Years. Fairfax described the film as a tongue-in-cheek adventure in the style of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. "I'm not making Carry on Pirates or anything like that, but I think it will be a very funny film", he said.[1]

The film was entirely financed with New Zealand money but achieved distribution in the US. Producer Phillips raised money in part on the back of the success of his short film, Dollar Bottom.[1]

The film was shot in Fiji, Rotorua and Urupukapuka Island. At Urupukapuka, the producers built a set reconstructing the Port of Samoa.

Release and reception

The film has a cult following which seems to have encouraged the release of the film on Region 1 and Region 2 DVD, in June and November 2006 respectively.[3]

Reception

In his review, Roger Ebert gave the film one star and called it 'inexplicable', criticizing the tone and plot.[4] The New York Times gave plaudits to the performances, but felt the film was 'no fun at all', criticizing the inconsistent action and production values.[5]

Colin Greenland reviewed Savage Islands for Imagine magazine, and stated that "Savage Islands doesn't have quite the pace or panache of Raiders of the Lost Ark, but it is first-class nonsense."[6]

Legacy

Sir Richard Taylor of Weta Workshop said Savage Islands kick-started the New Zealand filmmaking boom of the 1980s.[7]

Savage Islands inspired Lawrence Watt-Evans to write the 1992 novella The Final Folly of Captain Dancy.[8]

References
  1. "Buccaneer comedy could put NZ on world movie map". The Canberra Times. Vol. 57, no. 17, 238. 8 December 1982. p. 31. Retrieved 3 March 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  2. London, Michael (Nov 23, 1983). "FILM CLIPS: 'MR. MOM' AUTHOR DEFIES TINSEL TYPEWRITER IMAGE FILM CLIPS". Los Angeles Times. p. g1.
  3. "Robot Check".
  4. "Nate and Hayes movie review & film summary (1983) | Roger Ebert".
  5. "Movie Reviews". The New York Times. 2020-01-30.
  6. Greenland, Colin (May 1984). "Fantasy Media". Imagine (review). TSR Hobbies (UK), Ltd. (14): 45.
  7. "Oscar-winning Kiwi producer dies". 3 News NZ. January 28, 2013. Archived from the original on February 22, 2013.
  8. 'How I Came to Write "The Final Folly of Captain Dancy"' at Watt-Evans.com; by Lawrence Watt-Evans; published December 2008; retrieved June 4, 2013
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