Hale's Courtship Of Jerusha example essay topic

As a small child in parochial school, Thursdays were collection days for the Missionaries. It wasn't made very clear to us exactly what Missionaries were, but we were informed that our nickels helped them to convert and save "pagan babies" far away. My nickels were dutifully turned over every Thursday, knowing that I was saving some poor baby an eternity of Purgatory, simply because she or he hadn't been baptized. As my early parochial school upbringing did not endorse free-thinking, it never dawned on me to question the logic of this. These unfortunate souls would be doomed eternally if not for the goodness of the Missionaries -- and my nickels. That all changed however when I saw the film version of James Michener's "Hawaii" in fourth grade.

This stunning film, based upon Michener's equally brave book, was my first awakening to the reality of racism and hatred in God's name. From that day on, my nickels were kept firmly in my Brady Bunch coin purse in an act of school-age rebellion. While this 1966 film is certainly dated in both film quality and acting styles, the message is as relevant and important today as it was 34 years ago, showing the treatment of Native peoples at the hands of more "civilized" white settlers. The film opens with a monologue given by Keoki (Manu Tu pou), a native Hawaiian who has become a devout Christian. Keoki narrates the combination of myth and fact that are his people's history of the Islands to a group of seminary students. He then admonishes them for what has happened to his people since the Islands were "discovered" by white sailors.

He pleas with them for assistance in converting the natives to Christianity and civilizing them so that they can be better equipped to deal with the intricacies of trade and colonization. Intrigued and eager to take on this task are two seminary graduates, Reverend Abner Hale (Max von Sy dow) and Reverend John Whipple (Gene Hackman). While it's clear that Reverend Whipple would be well suited to the task of Missionary, the church elder has a difficult time approving Reverend Hale. Hale is a new minister so full of himself and the written word of God that he has little room for the actual Spirit of God in his heart. There's also the problem of a wife, as single men could not be sent as Missionaries.

Enter Jerusha Bromley (Julie Andrews), a woman pining away for a Captain who professed his love for her then sailed away for two years without a single letter. In truth, her beloved had been dutifully writing to her, but these letters were kept away by her family who felt he was not good enough for her. Not wishing his 22 year old daughter to stay a depressed 'old maid', Jerusha's father (Carroll O'Connor) arranges a meeting between Jerusha and Hale, hoping that she will agree to marry him. For a brief moment in time, Hale's courtship of Jerusha is his only show of humanity and humility, and he becomes almost likable in his fumbling way.

Jerusha, a very devout woman herself, feels that God has put Hale in her path, and agrees to marry him and accompany him to the Islands. The special effects of the ship's voyage to Hawaii pale in comparison to today's, however for 1966 they were quite impressive, with a gripping scene of the boat's near demise. Hale manages to irritate everyone on board, both Christian and otherwise, with the fact that he is the only one spared a hideous seasickness. Finally arriving at the Hawaiian Islands, Hale shows his first instance of superiority and racism by informing Keoki that although he called him "Brother Hale" on board the ship and in America, on the island he should refer to him with proper respect fitting his race, and address him as "Reverend Hale".

After all, Hale is an ordained minister, and Keoki is not. Jerusha disapproves greatly, and informs Keoki that as far as she is concerned, they will always be Brothers and Sisters in Christ. Hale is offended also at Keoki's respect and honor shown to his mother, the High Priestess of the Islands. Played magnificently by Jocelyn La Garde, her first-time performance of Queen Malama is one of the most impressive I have ever seen. A large woman who brings new meaning to the term "Big Beautiful Woman", her face, voice, emotions and body language portray pure Goddess energy. This breathtakingly beautiful woman steals the entire movie, as she radiates love and understanding throughout the entire film.

Keoki jumps the ship and swims to bow to his mother and father, and Hale is horrified when he informs him he bowed because she is a Holy Woman, the source of all their Manna (blessings). Keoki has no trouble blending Hawaiian customs with his newfound Christian devotion, but to Hale it is an abomination, as in his thinking all of Hawaii is dark and evil. Malama dominates every scene she is in and provides not only laughs with some of her comments, but many wise sayings as well. When Hale is telling her she is not humble enough to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, Malama informs him she will find humility when he does. Both lovely and heartbreaking are her scenes when she tries to integrate her wish to become a Christian with her love for her brother / husband. "No better man, all these Islands", she states, when she is told she cannot be a Christian and still remain married to her brother.

His love and devotion for her are apparent, and she decides that she has plenty of time before she dies to set him aside and state she is a sinner. She cannot comprehend the fact that loving a man who has treated her well her entire life would be considered a sin, and while Hale is disgusted by this custom, Jerusha takes pity and feels deeply for them. Malama takes an instant liking to the "adorable puny white women", in particular Jerusha whom she chooses to be her personal teacher. When Hale insists that this is entirely inappropriate, she dismisses him by knocking him aside with one of her massive arms. Inside Malama's hut, Jerusha is worked to exhaustion by Malama's insistence that she will learn how to write within one month, finally fainting dead. During her swoon Malama discovers Jerusha is newly pregnant, a condition that deeply worries the local Doctor.

It's apparent that Jerusha is a frail and fragile person, and Hale is strongly advised to send her home immediately as childbirth is extremely dangerous to her. Hale refuses; he is sure that God will take care of her entirely. Hale shows incredibly arrogance and stupidity during the harrowing childbirth scene when he refuses the assistance of native midwives and insists on delivering his child himself. Jerusha's submissiveness to her husband becomes annoying at times, as it's obvious she is an intelligent and thinking woman. At the end of the film however she makes up for this in spades, when she gives her husband a well-deserved tongue lashing regarding his arrogance and racism. She informs him that as far as she is concerned, if his view of Christianity is the only true view, then she can no longer consider herself a Christian.

Jerusha refuses to believe that any Hawaiian would be denied entry to the Kingdom of Heaven because they weren't converted, as she believes that they are naturally filled with God's Grace. Hale's character is intriguing to the end, and you can't help but utterly despise him and his oafish attempts at converting the Hawaiians. Ignoring the fact that their beautiful religion had served them well for thousands of years, ignoring the inherent beauty, goodness, grace and natural spirituality they portray, Hale instead shows his disgust again and again at their religion and customs. While some customs are difficult to accept, such as brother-sister marriage and the infanticide of deformed or sick babies, it should be noted that such customs have been practiced by many tribal peoples - including the Northern European tribal ancestors of the disapproving Reverend Hale. While Jerusha tries to minister by example, service and love of God, Hale bellows and blusters his way through every situation. His arrogance in telling Keoki that he will never ordain him as a Minister because he isn't white is the final straw that makes Keoki turn away from the Church and back to his native religion, marrying his sister who will become the new High Priestess.

By the end of the movie though, it's important to note that the already enlightened Reverend Whipple has left the Church due to his view of their treatment of the Hawaiian people, and Reverend Hale shows a true spiritual awakening. Realizing that a large sin is being committed against the Hawaiians by the appropriation of their land, his end mission is devoted to helping them keep ownership of that which defines and validates them -- their connection to the natural world. At the end of his life, he seems more filled with the Spirit of God than the written Word of God, and in his old age becomes as endearing as he was when courting Jerusha. You truly believe that God works through him in the end, and you believe his heart is as open and pure as the Hawaiians he now embraces. He ministers with love, example and service instead of intimidation and condemnation. The film does contain two irritants that are more an indication of the year rather than the story line itself.

There is a silly and unbelievable coincidental meeting between Jerusha and her lost Captain love that stretches the imagination. Also it's annoying to see a film that explores racism show racist tendencies of it's own, as in Hollywood at the time it was acceptable to show the bare bodies of nonwhite women - and this is exploited at every chance. These two faults notwithstanding, this film remains a classic and is highly recommended to anyone wishing to watch an old-fashioned Hollywood epic that educates as it entertains. This was original written for Epinions.