Reap the Wild Wind poster & wallpaper

Ray Milland, John Wayne, Paulette Goddard

John Wayne was in the early stages of superstardom when this lavish Cecil B. DeMille adventure was produced in 1942, so it's interesting to see the Duke in a heroic supporting role as opposed to the ...( read more  read more... )commanding one. Here he's on equal footing with Ray Milland in the romantic lead; they play a pair of dashing yet wildly different characters who've both fallen for a feisty Southern belle played by Paulette Goddard. It's 1840 on Florida's Key West, and while Wayne plays a daring seaman eager to command a brand-new steamship, his ambitions are hampered by his daredevil reputation and the ruthless profiteering of a salvager (Raymond Massey) who preys on ships that are routinely wrecked in the Key's rocky coastal waters. Milland plays the dapper gentleman who can decide Wayne's future, but Wayne's competitive edge leads to a progression of apparent betrayals and shifting allegiances. Ultimately, both men cast aside their differences to seek justice on the open sea, where an underwater encounter with a giant octopus threatens to bury them both in a watery grave. Providing spectacle and romance as only DeMille could serve it up, this blustery adventure has its share of corny dialogue and obligatory crowd-pleasing action, but that's all part of the movie's considerable charm. It's like Gone with the Wind on the open sea, with the high-spirited Goddard (who had been a candidate for the role of Scarlett O'Hara) holding her own with her chest-thumping costars. DeMille fills his frame with delightful characters and background business, spicing up the story with just enough humor and hokum to offset the movie's forgivable flaws. Presented in glorious Technicolor that's been flawlessly preserved on DVD, the film earned Oscar nominations for its cinematography and costumes, and its still-exciting climax earned an Oscar for Best Special Effects. All in all, this is rousing Hollywood entertainment from the peak years of the studio system that DeMille had dominated for decades. --Jeff Shannon

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54% liked it

214 ratings

Critics

67% liked it

6 critics

Unrated, 124 min.

Directed by: Cecil B. DeMille

Release Date: January 1, 1942

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DVD Release Date: December 15, 1998

Stats: 41 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (41)

  • ima365ryder
    March 11, 2009
    ima365ryder
    Outstanding movie John Wayne is my family favorite actor
  • jjnxn
    October 22, 2008
    jjnxn
    Florid, over the top De Mille epic, is there any other kind?
    The technicolor is vivid, the costumes are beautiful and the acting is enjoyably over the top, with the exception of Susan Hayward who, honey chile accent notwithstanding,
    gives a sweet, real performance amongst all ...( read more)the scenery chewing.
  • Ghw12158
    October 13, 2008
    Ghw12158
    amazing movie in technicolor glory
  • manly500usa
    December 18, 2007
    manly500usa
    Another good Wayne film.
  • hugonar
    November 2, 2007
    hugonar
    Classified as a classic = Interested.
  • udontknowjack
    May 30, 2007
    udontknowjack
    The Duke, Paulette Goddard and Ray Milland. Fun adventure
  • robertscottwall
    May 20, 2007
    robertscottwall
    One of the classic John Wayne movies but it's before he's a star. You get to see him in a supporting role.
  • ldogg26
    January 28, 2007
    ldogg26
    Not a big fan of John Wayne..
  • brianpark08
    December 10, 2006
    brianpark08
    Pretty bad, pretty terrible, pretty horrible. Do I need to say anymore then that?

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