'Outcast of the Islands' is a slow-burner: The mood of the film is as sultry as the climate of Indonesia, where it is set, and tension builds up like the atmospheric oppressiveness ahead of a thunder storm. The storm actually breaks twice, first in an episode of shocking violence, and shortly thereafter as an actual downpour during which the tension is finally released. The plot concerns Peter Willems (Trevor Howard), a fraudulent company clerk in Makassar who loses his job and is taken by his old acquaintance captain Lingard (Ralph Richardson) to a trading outpost somewhere on the coast of Batam. There Willems is to support Lingard's manager Almeyer (Robert Morley). He quickly begins to succumb to the languor of the climate and the charm of Aissa (Karima), the daughter of the local chieftain. I have never watched any other film that shows as compellingly as 'Outcast of the Islands' how a person can completely go to pieces, losing not only their moral compass but also any vestiges of the esteem of others and self respect. It is entirely fitting that in the end, Lingard refuses to shoot Willems, preferring to leave his former friend to the hell he has created for himself and Aissa. Acting is good (excellent in the case of Howard), and the film has been beautifully shot in black and white (presumably colour would have been available, but black and white was a good decision). 'Outcast' is not an easy film to watch, which perhaps accounts for the fact that it is relatively little-known today, but it is still highly recommendable.
Review of Outcast of the Islands
