‘Don’t pretend to hate me, your desire is as bright as the sun!’
Two French Legionnaires find the living remnants of the lost continent of Atlantis in the middle of the Sahara Desert. The kingdom is ruled by a Queen, whose beauty is only exceeded by her cruelty. Both men fall madly in love with her, but she doesn’t want one of them and murder and mayhem result.
Pierre Benoit’s 1913 novel ’L’Atlantida’ has been filmed at least eight times to date, although 3 of those versions were shot simultaneously and featured most of the same cast – just speaking different languages. The story’s similarities to H Rider Haggard ‘She’, published 8 years earlier, were entirely coincidental, of course, but were highlighted by some critics. Benoit was so incensed by the veiled accusations of plagiarism that he took one of his detractors to court for libel… and lost.
Unfortunately, the novel is long on dull, stodgy detail but slim on plot. Filmmakers have found it difficult to translate the clumsy prose and lack of action into an effective cinematic experience. This 1949 effort from director Greg Talas (or Gregg G Tallas if you prefer) is also a step down from earlier versions in terms of budget, although the elements on display do make for a much more entertaining tale than those rather ponderous efforts. Unfortunately, not for the right reasons!
This is unashamedly a b-movie; a melodramatic programmer designed to showcase the talents of the lovely Maria Montez. She was a model turned actress, who was often casts in exotic roles in films such as ‘Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves’ (1944), ‘Pardon My Sarong’ (1942) and midnight movie classic ‘Cobra Woman’ (1944). Like Benoit, Montez also got a lot of grief from the critics. They said she simply couldn’t act, but she’s actually fine in the title role here, even if her dialogue is kept to a minimum. Yes, the part doesn’t require much more than for her to look amazing, but she manages that effortlessly, and she’s decent enough when the script demands a little more. But the real killer performance here, and the movie’s standout feature, is from French actor Jean-Pierre Aumont who plays one of our romantic leads.
‘Did you really have to eat so much garlic at dinner?’
Aumont and Montez were a married couple in real life, and he was a highly respected stage actor and war hero. His film credits include starring roles with Ginger Rogers in ‘Heartbeat’ (1946), Leslie Caron in ’Lili’ (1953) and Spencer Tracy in ‘The Devil At Four ‘O’ Clock’ (1961) and he was also prominent in Francois Truffaut’s ‘Day For Night’ (1973). So, the big question that must be asked is: what on earth was he up to here!?
Aumont had been acting in films since before the war, so it’s hard to believe he didn’t understand cinema and was playing to the gallery as a theatre actor might. Perhaps he just thought the film as high camp nonsense, and tailored his contribution accordingly? It’s impossible to tell, but what we get from him is a hilariously over the top performance. Eyes are rolled, arms waved about, and scenery chewed with delicious abandon. As his character becomes more inflamed by desire for the wicked, chess playing Montez, he gets progressively more and more ridiculous, until he resembles a villain from a silent serial. He’s quite demented. And simply wonderful.
Apart from Aumont’s hysterics, there’s not a lot else to capture the interest, though. The genuinely chilling Henry Daniell (always good value) is completely wasted, and the desert footage is simply library material lifted from the earlier versions of the story. Lengthy dancing sequences at court slow the action to a crawl, and, unsurprisingly, the budget doesn’t stretch to the occasionally impressive visuals that were one of the few memorable aspects of the most famous version directed by G W Pabst in 1932. Instead, the film is relentlessly studio bound and the sparsely decorated sets betray the lack of available finance. It’s hard to be impressed by a legendary lost kingdom rendered by a few hanging curtains and a smattering of cheap vases from the studio prop room.
But the overwrought, hopelessly dated, melodramatics do provide a good level of entertainment, and the unhinged performance of Aumont pushes proceedings firmly in the direction of a camp classic. And even if it never quite scales those heights, it’s still a fine slice of thick, juicy ham that’s suitable for all ages.
Mark David Welsh 