Les échappés du néant

This tale was previously filmed in 1939 ,by the same director ,John Farrow and in that version it was a lean,mean and exciting B-movie.Here it lasts 20 minutes or so longer and this additional running time consists mainly of padding ,which serves to dilute the impact of the movie.It means that the minor classic of an earlier era has become a solid and enjoyable movie from the era in which it was made . The story revolves around a plane crash in the remote jungles of South America. The pilot declares he is able to repair the plane and it will fly some of them back to safety ,the problem being there is only room for 5 people on board the repaired vessel ,which means some will have to stay behind and take their chances with the inhospitable terrain and the hostile natives who are unhappy about this incursion into their domain . The survivors are a disparate group-there is the hard drinking pilot (Robert Ryan) ,a Vegas performer (Anita Ekberg),a criminal en route to execution (Rod Steiger) and the sadistic cop accompanying him (Fred Clark),a socialite and her milquetoast fiancé (Phyllis Kirk and Gene Barry),the co-pilot (Keith Andes),a distinguished elderly academic and his wife of many years (Cameron Proudhomme and Beulah Bondi).The party is rounded out by a 4 year old boy(Jon Provost) The movie sees the party disintegrate under the strain as tensions erupt and violence breaks out before the final decision is a made

The movie is well acted -,especially by Steiger ,Barry and Ryan ,has a crisp Franz Waxman score and delivers solid entertainment all round .It would ,in my view have benefited from being a tad leaner and more economical but there is still a good time to be had from watching it