Two years after this movie, Richard Burton would star opposite Elizabeth Taylor in the emotionally ripping Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, a great movie based on a great play that is hard to watch, because it is the story of a couple who have spent years ripping each other apart.I kept thinking of WAVW when I watched this movie tonight. Especially as it moves on, it becomes the story of alcoholics who know each other's weak points and therefore how to hurt each other when they themselves feel hurt. Everything works out in the end here, which is not really the case in WAVW, but there is still a lot of rending of flesh. Though it is well done by fine actors, at least tonight I found that I wanted it to end, that I didn't want to watch Burton and Gardner hurting each other any more. Kerr's wonderfully enunciated, calm explanation of what she has learned in life, delivered to Burton while he is trussed up in the hammock on the veranda, provided the only relief to all that flesh rendering. I hadn't seen this movie in 50 years, and I think I could go another 50 without seeing it again.If you haven't ever seen it, treat yourself. It's a well done movie. But make sure you're in a good mood. Anything less and this could devastate you.

John Huston sometimes broke completely loose in sophisticated but splendid comedy, and "The Night of the Iguana" is probably the best example. Here Tennessee Williams and Huston have found each other fitting each other perfectly in a black comedy of fall and crisis of human decency. Not only Richard Burton is defrocked, but everyone is. When his tormenting shrews at last leave him alone there is nothing left of them, and they are abandoned with delighted glee to their further unavoidable disasters. Ava Gardner is indestructible as the already completed waste of a life she is, which she has learned to make the best of with her beach boys, and there is nothing pathetic about that enjoyable resignation. Nonno the poet is exuberantly played by Cyril Delevanti, who makes a formidable caricature of a passed out poet and manages to make him not only credible but talented - a 97-year old poet couldn't be more convincing. But most impressing is Deborah Kerr, who by just being herself in all human intact simplicity somehow manages to save the dignity of them all. The supreme award however goes to Tennessee Williams for his remarkable charting of human nature in these totally different characters in a dialogue that never ceases to engage in admirable eloquence. This is one of those films to always return to at least once every decade to find new details in it to cherish, laugh at, learn from and memorize. Even Nonno gets to finish his last poem as the iguana somehow manages to resolve the whole situation. This might be John Huston's best film, although he made many good ones.

There is something really enigmatic and magical about American film "The night of the Iguana" as it captures the raw beauty of Mexico as a preferred destination for pleasure seeking American tourists.It is one of those acclaimed films directed by renowned American director John Huston which succeeds at almost all levels.It is quite a pleasure to watch such a mature,serious film full of intellect and wit based on a humanist play by acclaimed American playwright Tennessee Williams.This film has its own balanced share of comedy and drama as everything in it is a remarkable ode to human judgment."The night of the Iguana" is able to strike a chord in viewers' minds as it has been transformed into a great character study thanks to amazing acting performances by famous actors Richard Burton,Ava Gardner and Deborah Kerr.How can a moody man retain his sanity in an environment full of doubts and passion seems to be this film's core issue.It is an extremely complex issue for both men and women who have to deal with it using their limited resources.Both men and animals need to be freed from shackles to act and think freely appears to be this film's humane message.

Reverend Shannon is a defrocked priest. He roams the wilderness of Mexico as a tour guide for a cheap bus company. He is a drunkard, and in his party he contains a bunch of baptist teachers from Texas. One girl in his party, Charlotte has a crush on Shannon. Her guardian is deeply suspicious, and Shannon tries to ward off her advances, but he is unsuccessful. He is caught, and when threatened by Charlotte's guardian the fear of losing his job becomes too much. He drives his party to an old hotel in the middle of the jungle, to meet Maxine, and old friend.He keeps the tour group in the hotel until he can change their minds, and possibly save his job. At the same time, an old poet and his granddaughter also arrive in the hotel, and then day fades into night...I do not like Tennessee Williams. I've seen A Streetcar Named Desire, Suddenly Last Summer and this film. While Streetcar is very overrated, it at least had great performances, and some kind of cohesive plot. Suddenly Last Summer is a plot less mess, and only Katherine Hepburn's performance made it bearable. However, this film is an exception. I genuinely enjoyed it, even on my second viewing.The performance's are excellent, for the most part. Richard Burton gives his character a crazed energy that showcases exactly how good an actor he was. The material is putty in his hands, and he morphs it into a man whom could be deemed disgusting, and who becomes quite relatable. His character is pitiful yet entertaining at the same time, thanks to Burton's talent. Ava Gardener, whom one could deem as past her prime in this film, sparkles with a repressed sadness.Gardner may have been popular in the 40s and 50s, but here she truly shows that she can act. Her Maxine is similar to Burton's character, she contains a repressed sadness that only bubbles out in the end. However, the true delight of the film for me was Deborah Kerr. I've always thought that Kerr was immensely talented, but here she shows exactly how talented. She never succumbs to being over the top, and dominating the film. Instead the exact opposite occurs. It is only later, when one reflects on the film that Kerr's true brilliance is revealed.For example, there is one monologue that she gives that takes up about five minutes, but I never got bored. I did not because I kept watching Kerr's face and admiring her talent. It is only on re watching the film that I truly understand what drew me to Kerr's portrayal in the beginning. Sheer brilliance. Also excellent is Grayson Hall as the cloying chaperon, and Cyril Delevanti as the world's oldest poet. However, if there is a weak link in the cast, it is certainly Sue Lyon.Fresh off her debut in Stanley Kubrick's Lolita, Lyon here does a lot of pouting. And flirting woodenly. Don't get me wrong, she certainly looks the part, but she doesn't act it well. Her line deliveries come off as flat, and uninteresting. She was good in Lolita, but perhaps it was the director that shaped her performance in that film. Here, she is the most boring character, instead of one of the most interesting.While I do not like Tennessee Williams as a writer, he could certainly write great parts for actors. He was also a quick thinker, apparently. In Huston's autobiography, he states that a scene in the film was coming off flat, and then Williams told him to have Burton knock over a glass bottle, and have him walk over. That little thing immensely helps the film.The writing is good for the most part, but the story is kind of soapy. Still, if you go with the flow, the end result is quite entertaining. The cinematography is vibrant and although the film feels stagey in some parts, the cinematography elevates it from the stage, and into the jungle's of Mexico. The score is also quite good, especially for a Huston film.Speaking of Huston, his direction here is vibrant and it feels alive. It feels as if he just recharged his batteries and came out of the gates running. To be fair, it does appear as if Huston directed the film in his normal style, but I can't help feeling entertained. His relaxed direction is confident and it works well. While Huston mainly directed novels, after this film, I'd love to see him do another play.While, it may be outdated and stagey, this film is still incredibly entertaining and the cast is uniformly terrific.The Night Of The Iguana, 1964, Starring: Richard Burton, Ava Gardener and Deborah Kerr, Directed by John Huston, 8/10 (A-)(This is part of an ongoing project to watch and review every John Huston movie. You can read this and other reviews at http://everyjohnhustonmovie.blogspot.ca/)