The Comedians (1967)

Set in Haiti during the repressive reign of terror headed by Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier (reputedly over 30,000 killed), a British hotel owner (Richard Burton) attempts to avoid the political repercussions of Duvalier's regime. But when an English businessman (Alec Guinness) arrives on the scene, his naivete and dishonesty force the hotel owner's hand. Meanwhile, he's having an affair with the wife (Elizabeth Taylor) of a South American ambassador (Peter Ustinov). Based on the novel by Graham Greene, who also wrote the screenplay, the film received tepid if not hostile reviews when it opened in 1967. A reception which I think was unfair. I suppose the critics were tired of the Burton/Taylor coupling (you couldn't pick up a magazine without them on the cover), both on the screen and in life, and this might have clouded their judgment. To be fair, the romantic coupling drags the movie down and Taylor, in what may be her worst performance, has never been more unappealing. But the film itself provides a colorful but terrifying portrait of a poor island nation under siege by its own government. Burton and Taylor may be the stars but the film belongs to Alec Guinness and to a lesser extent Peter Ustinov. The director Peter Glenville (SUMMER AND SMOKE) should have trimmed some of the extraneous fat from the film but that would have necessitated cutting down Taylor's role. But if you're willing to put up with the dull parts, you'll be rewarded. The score by Laurence Rosenthal is a particular standout. With Lillian Gish, James Earl Jones, Cicely Tyson, Paul Ford, Raymond St. Jacques, Roscoe Lee Browne, Gloria Foster and Georg Stanford Brown.