The Sandpiper [HD]

At The Dawn Of The Age of Aquarius
Released at the dawn of the Hippie movement this film had a lot to say to kids of my generation. It espouses the then radical ideas of personal freedom, women's rights, new ways of seeking spirituality and sexuality. In other words, if viewed in the historical context of when it was made it is much better than it seams. Sure Burton walks through his part, Eva Marie Saint's talents are wasted, and Bronson is not much more than eye candy. But in Taylor's performance you see her commitment to her role as a free spirited artist. A character she herself could relate to since she herself was a sexual rebel, and an independent woman in a time when that was rare.
Someone who had and would continue to show she was not afraid to stand her ground against popular moral opinion. "to know myself, be myself" as Laura says and both Laura and Taylor achieve that goal in the end. In many ways Laura is very like Miss Taylor or so it seems and this character must spoken to her in some deeper way...

Campy and unintentionally funny
Ah, Big Sur in 1965... the world's two biggest stars descend upon this gorgeous town in California to film this travesty of a movie. But wait... There are redeeming features to this campy, excessively poorly-acted soap opera. There is Elizabeth Taylor at the age of 33, looking more gorgeous than in any film except "A Place in the Sun." She is overweight ("zaftig," as she preferred to be called), barefoot and dressed in frumpy caftans throughout this film, but who cares? Liz is still breathtakingly beautiful here. Richard Burton also never looked better. At 39, his pockmarked, booze-soaked face seems fit, tan and marvelously sexy. He overacts miserably and shouts lines which should be whispered, but when you look as good as Burton did in 1965, few would complain.

The actual plot of the movie is interesting: Burton is a minister who meets Taylor, an artsy Bohemian painter who sells her work once every Leap Year. One wonders how this starving artist can afford a...

If you like music.....!
Like the previous reviewer, this film has haunted me since first seeing it at a Sacramento drive-in during the late 60's. But, not for the same reasons. The movie itself is interesting, but barely so. What is exceptional is the opening titles. A beautifully crafted montage showing the Monterey and Big Sur coastline while 's lush, haunting arrangements of "The Shadow of Your Smile" played in the background. WOW! Variations of the title theme are interwoven throughout the movie, making it a a worthwhile experience.

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