Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951) Review

Pandora and the Flying Dutchman can best be described as "dreamlike". It shares this distinctive feature with two other films that immediately come to mind, the original the Mummy with Boris Karloff and Val Lewton's I walked with a Zombie. I find it to be no coincidence that those other two films are both horror films because the dreamlike sensation comes from the films' mix of the real with the unreal, the fairytale with the ordinary, this is the basis of many classic horror films and in this case it is the basis of a romance. I also find it quite interesting that of all the movies I've seen I would say Pandora shares many similarities to that first Mummy film, both in effect and in plot and story. To try and summarize the plot of this film would really be quite futile so I will just say you'll have to see for yourself. It's a supernatural romance set in the 1930's on the Spanish coast. The real star of the film is not the plot but the visuals. As brilliant as many earlier Technicolor films might be (the Adventures of Robin Hood, the Wizard of Oz, and Gone With the Wind) the only problem with them is that they lack the creative use of light and shadow that make the black and white films of that era so wonderful to behold. Pandora remedies this with its brilliant Technicolor visuals which give off the effect as if they'd been painted onto the screen. There is wonderful use of light and shadow here and that combined with the scenery of the Spanish coast makes for a wonderful viewing experience. As far as acting is concerned everyone is in fine form especially James Mason who plays the lead with a suave, urbane, quality that he has become so known for. Overall with the acting, the strange story, and the visuals this movie has this is one dream you won't mind having,  4.5/5