SOUTH OF ALGIERS

New Zealand Listener, Volume 30, Issue 768, 9 April 1954, Page 20

SOUTH OF ALGIERS

(Associated British) ITH some qualities that should appeal to several types of filmgoer and a freshness that should appeal to all, South of Algiers is still somewhat disappointing, -It is about the efforts of an archaeologist, Dr. Burnet (Eric Portman), to find the mask of Moloch in @ ‘lost tomb in North Africa. With little money and less time, Burnet rather unwillingly allows an American journalist and amateur archaeologist, Nicholas Chapman (Van Heflin), to help him. There’s an emotional complication because Burnet’s | daughter (Wanda Hendrix), who meets them’ in Algieria with her fiancé (Jacques: Francois), soon becomes interested in Chapman; and there are rivals in the search for the mask who have only a mercenary interest in finding it. However, the outcome, reached by way of a cave-in, a stolen clue, evil spells, torture by bandits, a wonderful pursuit and fight in the desert, and the usual quota of improbabilities, is quite satisfactory. Perhaps one shouldn't expect films to fit into pigeon-holes, but this is apparently an adventure story, and as such it moves slowly, deriving much of its ap-

peal from the passages when it isn’t being what (one feels) it ought to be. Algeria is shown in brilliant sunlightits Roman ruins, lost cities, desert and colourful peoples (and, in subdued nightlight, its dancing girls), Most of this, as far as I can make out, is the feal thing and very good to look at; but you have the feeling that you’re being taken for a ride (on foot, actually) when Mr. Chapman makes a quiet moment with the girl an excuse for a conducted tour -with the director of photography (Oswald Morris) ambling unseen in_ the rear, ready to take some more exciting shots with his colour camera. Then there are the Arab children (Marie-France and Messaoud), an attractive pair fro whom Chapmag buys a donkey and who make the deal an excuse for following him to the ends of the earth-they’re still going, anyway, when the film ends. Well, one can only suppose the director (Jack Lee) meant this to be a film of indeterminate type, and you just might like it. I didn’t dislike it myself, but neither did I find it really satisfying. ;