Molokai
Directed by Paul Cox.
Starring David Wenham. Also Derek Jacobi, Aden Young, Sam Neill,
Leo McKern, Peter O’Toole, Kris Kristofferson,
Kate Cerebrano & Tom Wilkinson.
Responding to an appeal from the Catholic bishop of Hawaii a young Dutch missionary, Father Damien (David Wenham), volunteers to go to the leper colony on the island of Molokai. The colony is a hell-hole of despair and anarchy, no doctor or policeman willing to risk his life there. With compassion and sheer determination, Damien battles against abuse and indifference to give respite and restore humanity to those abandoned there.
Father Damien’s story is extraordinary. Indeed, this is not his first bioflick: there was a Spanish Molokai in 1959. This version’s strengths are its beautiful photography (though Paul Cox can’t resist being arty) and outstanding individual performances. David Wenham dominates the film to the extent that rest of the parts are virtually cameos but there are some beauties among them: Leo McKern as Bishop Maigret is worth the price of admission alone.
If Molokai had finished after the first hour I would have said it was excellent. Unfortunately, after you’ve got the hang of the situation and have been impressed by Damien’s achievement it doesn’t really go anywhere so it’s a bit difficult to maintain interest. Other minor criticisms are (1) that film doesn’t give you any help with historical context (what is Hawaii’s place in the world? how did leprosy come to be such a problem?) and (2) that the focus on the central character has the effect of reducing everyone else to either acolyte or opponent, which carries an unpleasantly smug flavour of belittlement. As it is, I’ll say that it’s worth watching if you like pretty scenery and have plenty of patience.
Guy
