NR | 2h 3m | Action, Adventure, Drama | 1942
Films that open up in violent, dramatic fashion have the ability to capture viewer’s attention right away, especially today when, with ever-diminishing attention spans, people quickly grow bored. Although this method of filmmaking has been used quite a bit, a more unusual wrinkle on this tried-and-true technique is to show one of its main protagonists incapacitated in some dire way.
Nearly three decades earlier, another movie used this method to great effect. Well helmed by the legendary director Cecil B. DeMille, the swashbuckling action adventure “Reap the Wild Wind” begins in much the same way.
We see rough-and-tumble captain of a salvaging schooner Jack Stuart (John Wayne) unconscious on the deck of a schooner that is being tossed about in a hellacious storm. The side of his head is also bloody, but instead of regressing into a flashback as “Serpico” does (another clever filmmaking technique), this tale moves forward from there.
The schooner in question is named the Jubilee, a boat that was carrying cargo into Florida when it got caught off-guard by a massive hurricane. First mate Widgeon (Victor Kilian) has some sailors tie Jack to the mizzenmast, so that his body doesn’t get washed overboard, just before the ship strikes a rocky shoal off one of the Florida Keys.
Tomboyish Loxi Claiborne (Paulette Goddard), who runs an accredited salvaging business, rolls into the picture like an elemental force of nature. Although she manages to board the Jubilee and rescue the ship’s crew, including Jack, a rival company run by King Cutler (Raymond Massey) and his brother Dan (Robert Preston) has already snatched the stranded vessel’s valuable cargo.
Recognizing each other as kindred spirits, Jack and Loxi fall in love as she nurses him back to health at her house. When he gets back on his feet, Jack tells her of his intention to captain the Southern Cross, a newly commissioned steamboat. Since both the Jubilee and the Southern Cross are owned by maritime shipping mogul Commodore Devereaux (Walter Hampden), his chances of realizing his ambitions are slim since he’s ultimately responsible for wrecking one ship already.
This film could have easily been categorized as an epic, not only for its length (clocking in at just over two hours), but also the sweeping vision and the historical context it provides, mainly in the form of narration.
Set in the 1840s, the Floridian maritime culture of that time was America’s most vital transportation lifeline. Ships were the main transportation vessels instead of trains, which were still relatively unknown. Periodically, hurricanes would come gusting up from the Caribbean to dash ships into the shoals and reefs of the Florida Keys.
Accredited companies would sail their ubiquitous salvaging schooners into these storms in the hopes of recovering whatever they could from any wrecks in the area—both crew and cargo alike.
Of course, there were also many salvage operations that were run by more scurrilous people that weren’t interested in rescuing anyone. Instead, their desire centered on getting their hands on as many valuables as possible. This sets up competition (and conflict) between the underhanded, self-serving elements (the Cutlers) and salvagers who are more legitimate and well-meaning (Loxi and Jack).
Another reason this film has such a grand-scale vibe to it, is that it not only has a number of interesting characters, but several subplots as well. For example, although Loxi’s cousin Drusilla Alston (Susan Hayward) seems prim and proper, she’s more into bad-boy types and secretly meets with (no spoiler) one of the shifty pirates.
There’s also the pure joy of watching the incredibly talented Golden Age actors in the cast play off each other. These choice scenes usually entail the characters speaking in mid-18th-century accents: from Tolliver’s (Milland) gentlemanly East Coast dialect to some of the hilariously roguish sailor dialogue delivered by Loxi (Goddard) and her crew. In one hilarious scene, she angrily calls Tolliver a “namby-pamby popinjay” because of his upright nature.
Director DeMille spins a fine, nautical-themed adventure here, bolstered by impressive special effects and high production values. From the gorgeous coastal scenery of the Florida Keys to the bustling cobblestoned streets of Charleston, South Carolina, this is certainly a well-paced classic that skillfully avoids stagnant waters—instead staying buoyant enough to deliver a highly entertaining blend of drama, suspense, and romance.
