Product: Lilies of the Field [VHS] (1963)
Rating: 3.0
Dies on the Vine
I remember this little classic from its original release back in the 1960s. It's remarkable how much better movies have become since then; it is equally remarkable how our moral universe has changed. What's amazing is that this film is not about race. Poitier is depicted as a man, just a regular Joe who happens to be black. This would be inconceivable in this so-called enlightened time. There is also no hint whatsoever of sex. The nuns may giggle when Poitier shimmies and shakes, but they sure aren't turned on. This too is inconceivable in this day and age. The film is thin. It has loads of potential, but little is made of one of the keys points, which is that Poitier plays a Southern Baptist, who has come to live at a Catholic mission. All sorts of conflicts have been left out; the opportunity for real conflict is glossed over in favor of the rather thin plotting, which emphasizes Poitier's unexplained drive to finish the chapel. Other than Poitier, none of the actors stands out. The nuns are underwritten, as is the priest, and Mexican barman. What remains extraordinary are the film's central innocence, Poitier's charisma as a bona fide star, and the desert setting, which is so rarely used except in westerns.