Viewed on DVD. Mail-order brides Hawaiian style. Judging from the boat load (make that multiple boat loads) of contributors listed in the end credit crawl, this was a pioneering crowd-sourced film. It ends prematurely (a sugar-cane laborer uprising was being planned), perhaps, when the money ran out? Acting, direction, and cinematography are fine. Shot on location with plenty of that distinctively red Hawaiian soil on display plus a waterfall (or two) cascading down the Pali. A major dramatic event involving the burning of the fields is poorly executed and patently fake. The lead actress seems to be miscast given her real/projected fragility compared to the harsh demands of a field hand (taking in washing aside). Nonetheless, this is a pleasant and engaging little film even though it follows the well trodden path of making the best of an unpleasant situation forced upon the protagonist plus a trace of the "Stockholm syndrome." WILLIAM FLANIGAN, PhD.
Review of Picture Bride
