Mysterious Island (1961)
Directed by Cy Endfield

Film Review

A more than adequate sequel to Richard Fleischer's 20000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), Mysterious Island continues to impress with its stop-motion animation, the work of effects guru Ray Harryhausen.  The film, based on the well-known novel by Jules Verne, features some of Harryhausen's most convincing effects, which include monstrosities such as a giant crab, a prehistoric bird, a sea snail and, most terrifying of all, a psychopathic giant bee.  In all too many of the films that Harryhausen worked on the human actors played second fiddle to the effects, but Mysterious Island is a good example of where the effects and actors work well together to deliver a cracking good adventure story that has stood the test of time admirably.

The jewel in an implausibly photogenic cast, Joan Greenwood (she with the voice made of crushed velvet) would have stolen the show were it not for Herbert Lom, who makes a superb Captain Nemo, offering a far darker and more conflicted interpretation of the role than James Mason did in the preceding film.  An unashamedly dramatic score from Bernard Herrmann ratchets up the tension to fever pitch at all the right moments, helping to make this one of the most enjoyable and compelling fantasy dramas to come out of a British film studio.  Cy Endfield directed better films in his distinguished career, including the all-time classic Zulu (1964), but Mysterious Island stands up well alongside his other achievements, and is a far more attractive proposition than its dire 2010 remake.

Film Synopsis

During the American Civil War, a party of Union soldiers manage to escape from a Confederate prison via a hot air balloon.   Captain Cyrus Harding struggles to take charge of the situation as the balloon drifts aimlessly in a violent storm and ends up floating above the ocean.  The party make landfall on a small tropical island where they immediately encounter a hostile giant crab.  Exploring the island, they come across two women castaways, who willingly take on the household chores whilst the men attempt to construct a boat.  Gradually, it becomes clear that there is someone else on the island, someone who is keen to see they come to no harm.  Whilst exploring a cave, two of the party come across a fantastic craft, a submarine resembling the lost vessel Nautilus.  Is it possible that Captain Nemo is their benefactor, and if so, why is he so eager to protect them...?