Search - The Sandpiper on DVD

Campy and unintentionally funny

Candace Scott | Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA | 04/20/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Ah, Big Sur in 1965... the world's two biggest stars descend upon this gorgeous town in California to film this travesty of a movie. But wait... There are redeeming features to this campy, excessively poorly-acted soap opera. There is Elizabeth Taylor at the age of 33, looking more gorgeous than in any film except "A Place in the Sun." She is overweight ("zaftig," as she preferred to be called), barefoot and dressed in frumpy caftans throughout this film, but who cares? Liz is still breathtakingly beautiful here. Richard Burton also never looked better. At 39, his pockmarked, booze-soaked face seems fit, tan and marvelously sexy. He overacts miserably and shouts lines which should be whispered, but when you look as good as Burton did in 1965, few would complain.The actual plot of the movie is interesting: Burton is a minister who meets Taylor, an artsy Bohemian painter who sells her work once every Leap Year. One wonders how this starving artist can afford a multi-million dollar pad perched on the shore of Big Sur? Burton mightily struggles with guilt and wants to remain loyal to long-suffering wife, Eva Marie Saint (who is totaly wasted in this role), but of course he eventually succumbs and embarks on a passionate affair with Liz.Predictably, there are oodles of love scenes between Burton and Taylor; they kiss reclining on the floor, the beach, standing in restuarants and carparks, in bed... in the surf... you name it. All titilating to the audiences of 1965, who followed the couple's every movement. Charles Bronson shows up as a beatnick and gives the only sane performance in the film. The script is wretched and offers up some incredibly campy moments, such as when Liz shouts wearily, "Men have been following me around since I was 11 years old!" Another hilarious scene has Burton stumbling from Liz's beachside mansion after kissing her and then beating the roof of his car with his fists, screaming, "I must not succumb to temptation!!"The scenery around Highway 1 is spectacular, the "Shadow of Your Smile" remains a compelling soundtrack theme, but the real reason to enjoy this movie is to see Taylor and Burton in their only decent love story. Their chemistry is real and never forced and neither ever again was as beautiful as they were in this campy movie. Watch it and own it if you are memmerized by their debauchery and mutual beauty. Several scenes will have you in stiches, guaranteed!"

If you like music.....!

Ross C. Anderson | Anacortes, WA | 06/19/2000

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Like the previous reviewer, this film has haunted me since first seeing it at a Sacramento drive-in during the late 60's. But, not for the same reasons. The movie itself is interesting, but barely so. What is exceptional is the opening titles. A beautifully crafted montage showing the Monterey and Big Sur coastline while 's lush, haunting arrangements of "The Shadow of Your Smile" played in the background. WOW! Variations of the title theme are interwoven throughout the movie, making it a a worthwhile experience."

The love story of the century!

Candace Scott | 03/11/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This movie has stayed in my memory since the first and only time I saw it, as the best love story that I have ever seen"

Taylor and Burton deserved better

Kona | Emerald City | 01/12/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The 1965 melodrama, "The Sandpiper," stars Elizabeth Taylor as free-spirit/painter Laura. Her son gets in trouble and is sent to a strict private school run by the Rev. Dr. Hewitt (Richard Burton) and his wife (Eva Marie Saint). Laura dislikes all authority and flaunts her "wicked ways," much to the consternation - and delight - of the good Reverend. Their affair is a foregone conclusion, played out against the crashing Big Sur surf.

Burton is pretty good in his role, but is given such corny dialogue that he must have been embarrassed. Taylor overacts horribly, shrieking her lines, writhing with fake misery, and she does it all with a British accent, even though her character is from Indiana. The middle-aged crowd she parties with aren't very convincing as "beatniks," she wears way too much make-up, and sports silly caftans that were someone's idea of avant-garde fashion. The little subplot of healing an injured bird is sweet, but actually becomes laughable when the bird nests in Taylor's hair during a supposedly torrid love scene. Beautiful music and scenery; corny dialogue and mis-cast Taylor.

Kona"