Reflections in a Golden Eye (1967)

57% of critics liked it
(14 reviews)
62% of users liked it
(1,189 ratings)

This dreary story of the latent desires of the sexually repressed and psychologically tormented is taken from the 1944 novel by Carson McCullers. Major Penderton (Marlon Brando) is a hard-driving Army officer married to Leonora (Elizabeth Taylor). The impotent Penderton hides his latent… More This dreary story of the latent desires of the sexually repressed and psychologically tormented is taken from the 1944 novel by Carson McCullers. Major Penderton (Marlon Brando) is a hard-driving Army officer married to Leonora (Elizabeth Taylor). The impotent Penderton hides his latent homosexuality under his strict military discipline, while Leonora is having an affair with Lt. Colonel Langdon (Brian Keith), who is married to the troubled Allison (Julie Harris), who slices off her own nipples after a disappointing pregnancy. Private Williams (Robert Forster) is a young recruit who likes to ride naked on horseback. The Major is driven to insane jealousy when he discovers Williams would rather be with Leonora than with him. The idea is good, but the story plays like a sort of discarded (Tennessee Williams) play. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 55 min.
Directed By: John Huston
Written By: Chapman Mortimer, Gladys Hill
Genres: Drama, Classics

In Theaters: Oct 11, 1967 Wide
On DVD: Nov 7, 2006

Critic Reviews

, TIME Magazine
All that remains praiseworthy is the film's extraordinary photographic technique.
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
Either you like this movie a lot or you run screaming for the exit; I find it rough going.
Variety Staff, Variety
A pretentious melodrama.
Adam Lippe, Examiner.com
Director John Huston is very careful not to share any beauty with us, there's one stunning shot of swirling dust, accentuated by the golden hue, but it's far off in the distance. If the characters can't have pleasure, neither should we.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
A weird picture based on a slim novel by Carson McCullers, this movie fails to engender any sympathy or interest due to several miscalculations.
, Empire Magazine
Brando gives perhaps his worst ever screen performance, not counting Christopher Columbus: The Discovery.
Don Willmott, Filmcritic.com
peak Taylor, La Liz in all her glorious pulchritude
Donald J. Levit, ReelTalk Movie Reviews
Unintentional silliness, intentional simpering, awkward movement and mega-name miscasting abound in this 1967 John Huston film.
Tom Milne, Time Out
All in all, a superbly controlled exercise in the malevolent torments of despair.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
The surprise murder tops off the nutty story with a real bang.
, Film4
Huston adds a panting melodrama to the whole affair and throws in some rampant symbolism for good measure, but it's a joy to watch such a stellar cast at work.

Read all 11 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Stefanie C

Square pegs do not fit into round holes. Disregard the critical reviews on this one, especially if you enjoy Southern gothic dysfunction.
Michael G

Considering the talent involved (Marlon Brando and Elizabeth Taylor directed by John Huston?) Reflections in a Golden Eye is a colossal waste of anything you can ever think of, including the time I put into watching it. The story is creepy, dull, moronic and completely fucking… More
Considering the talent involved (Marlon Brando and Elizabeth Taylor directed by John Huston?) Reflections in a Golden Eye is a colossal waste of anything you can ever think of, including the time I put into watching it. The story is creepy, dull, moronic and completely fucking pointless. Lobotomize Tennessee Williams, stick him in front of a typewriter and on a good day this is what you'd end up with. There was not one character I didn't want to take a baseball bat to out of utter disappointment. It's like Huston filmed more of a movie, lost a good chunk of it and just half-assed this together or some nervous studio executives took the wheel. Between Robert Forster's naked horseback rides and Julie Harris' little Philipino manservant who made Liberace look like John Wayne. Some of the cinematography was nice, as was Taylor's body double's ass but there was just too much the audience wasn't let in on storywise to make me clap at the end. Avoid at all costs!!!
Alec B

Its a pretentious mess. Huston's stylistic choices force the obvious metaphor down the audience's throats while simultaneous confusing them with useless character details (the camera movements in the final scene make the ending unintentionally hilarious). Taylor is bearable,… More
Its a pretentious mess. Huston's stylistic choices force the obvious metaphor down the audience's throats while simultaneous confusing them with useless character details (the camera movements in the final scene make the ending unintentionally hilarious). Taylor is bearable, but Brando is awful. His accent is incoherent and his character choices are bizarre at best. Its remarkably terrible, given the talent involved.
Mike T

Ultimately, this movie doesn't accomplish what it should accomplish. This is partially because it was constrained by censorship, but also because there are a lot of mistakes in the writing and direction. John Huston layers the whole movie in a warm golden glow, which is an… More
Ultimately, this movie doesn't accomplish what it should accomplish. This is partially because it was constrained by censorship, but also because there are a lot of mistakes in the writing and direction. John Huston layers the whole movie in a warm golden glow, which is an intelligent and compelling choice, but he doesn't provide the subject matter with the same distinction as the aesthetic element. Elizabeth Taylor does surprisingly mediocre work in the lead, but Marlon Brando fans should make a point of seeing this. As an army Major repressing his own homosexuality, he does some of his bravest and most visceral acting in this film. His performance is without fault, but the same cannot be said for the movie itself. It's a blurry, sometimes haphazard venture, but it's worth a look for Brando.