The problems of this film are easy enough to spot. The screenplay is enjoyable in places, but terribly uneven. It is worth noting that the principal screenwriter, Frances Marion, authored a book on screenwriting. "Those who can, do; those who can't teach," is how the aphorism goes, and just as it is true today for Syd Field, so it was also for Marion. Although earlier she was accomplished, having won two Oscars, this screenplay seems devoid of writing talent. His main problem is his lack of trust in the material. The film is supposed to be about a search for ancient treasure, hampered by the menace of unfriendly natives, right? So, why so much about the romantic entanglements of the principals? And once the final scene begins, why throw in a deus ex machina ending? I won't discuss cliches, as I believe they are beside the point. Besides, Whale created so many cliches in the first place, I believe he is entitled to use a few of them here.
In South America, a group of extremely white, colonialist explorer-types, led by the intrepid Fairbanks, are planning an expedition into the jungle primeval to discover and recover the legendary golden treasures of the Incas. Morose and conflicted Vincent Prince offers dire warnings about the safety of the enterprise, but still asks to go himself. Hmm.
The explorers find the ruins, and then proceed to use dynamite to blow holes in it in an attempt to find treasure-filled tombs. I'm sure archaeologists just looove this movie. Also, there is the constant patronizing of the local Indians, but the attitudes of this film's heroes are just a sign of the time, they aren't any reason to like or dislike the movie. The real reasons come later on.
Vincent Price's character is killed off fairly early on in the film, too late for his wife (Joan Bennett) to see him, as she is brought to the camp. Since she is now single, all the men flirt with her like there's no tomorrow. Suddenly, the movie turns into a half-baked romance, with Fairbanks willing to forgo gold for love's sake. The romantic plot is redeemed for awhile in a terrific storm sequence that parallels the sexual jealousy felt by several of the men. Whale is very good when it comes to staging storms, as anyone who has seen Frankenstein knows. This scene works so well, it is a pity to realize upon reflection that this jealousy comes out of nowhere: it was not so much as hinted at earlier in the film.
After the storm, during which the explorers find the treasure, they realize that all their Indian laborers have vanished, and there is now the menacing sound of drums in the night. The men and sole woman are trapped in camp with a dwindling supply of ammunition and a foe which cannot be stopped: a situation right out of Treasure of the Sierra Madre (the novel, as the film had not yet been made). Since the Indians supposedly torture their victims to death, everyone is advised to keep one last bullet handy to avoid falling into the hands of the savages. Once of the characters does use his last bullet for this purpose. Oops! Too early, since the cavalry (in the form of friendlier Indians) arrives in the nick of time. It is a matter for trivia buffs with a sense of irony that the character who kills himself is played by George Sanders, an actor who actually did commit suicide many years later.
I don't think Green Hell is so atrocious as its reputation makes it out to be. True, the screenplay is poor, but it's not the worst of its kind. The cast is at least interesting, the direction is often thrilling, and the photography and production design are frequently stunning. Green Hell isn't worth seeking out, but it does have curiosity value as well as a couple of gripping scenes. Like so many films with a poor screenplay, however, it is yet another wasted opportunity.
Two-and-a-half stars
Copyright 1998 by Dale G. Abersold
