A very feeble attempt at affirmatie action

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

It's not exactly a surprise to learn that this movie turned out to be M-G-M's top box-office attraction in New Zealand for 1958, but it's hard to believe that James A. Michener had anything to do with this impossible charade of a story that focuses on unintentionally laughable New Zealanders. A mixed cast cannot overcome the silliness and ineptitude of characters, plot and dialogue. Actual location filming only serves to pinpoint the absolute phoniness of the studio scenes with their ridiculously luxurious sets. In fact, the film is so constricted by Hollywood conventions in sets, make-up and costumes that Robert Wise's direction often seems elephantine, clumsy and heavy-footed.Oddly, New Zealanders themselves didn't seem to mind that all the characters, plus the background and the story-line, were so grossly out of kilter with their real New Zealand. In fact, they took this movie as a great comedy and laughed themselves sick!

What exactly was going on during World War 11 in New Zealand when American forces were there?This awful story of 4 sisters was really pathetic to view. Can you imagine casting Joan Fontaine as the older sister to Sandra Dee? Fontaine looked more like her mother. Even funnier was that Fontaine becomes pregnant in the film.Piper Laurie and Paul Newman who showed such great on screen chemistry 4 years later in "The Hustler," have no scenes together in this film. Laurie plays another sister who goes off to Wellington to tramp around there, despite the fact that she is married. Woe to her when her husband comes back from the war.Jean Simmons is widowed and finds romance with a much subdued Paul Newman. There is even romance for the young Miss Dee here.The picture has little to no meaning. Are they trying to say that all is fair in love and war? If they are, they did a poor job in selling this.The conflict of interest with Newman and Simmons is quickly disposed of. That is what should have been quickly done to this terribly disappointing film of 1957.

This film was written by famous writer James Michener and also a very famous director Robert Wise along with a great cast of actors who made this into a great 1957 Classic to view and enjoy. The story revolves around sister's who live in New Zealand during the war and most of the men have gone into the service of their country and left a small town without any men and strictly women. As the war continues, these women seek men and when the United States troops arrive in New Zealand many women want to get married, some have babies out of wedlock and the war upsets the morals of all men and women in this small town. Jean Simmons, (Barbara Leslie Forbes); Joan Fontaine Anne Leslie and Sandra Dee, (Evelyn Leslie) are all sisters, some married and some simply living with one man after another. Sanda Dee plays the role of the baby sister in her teens who also begins to fall in love. Paul Newman, (Capt. Richard Bates) has a great interest in Barbara Leslie after her husband is killed, but he will not commit himself to her and is really afraid to start a relationship because he has to fight in the Pacific against the Japanese Government. This is a very emotional film and shows the horrors of war and the suffering it causes men and women. Enjoy.

Four sisters in New Zealand live in a house with a fantastic view when WW II breaks out and they suddenly find themselves surrounded by American servicemen. The presence of the Americans is foreshadowed by the fact that the character played by Sandra Dee sounds more Yank than she does a native New Zealander. The sister played by Piper Laurie marries a real kiwi lout named Shiner who ends up killing her with a sword. Her demise really comes as no surprise as movie women back then with multiple sex partners never seemed to live happily ever after. Personally I would have been satisfied if they would have had Piper move to a suburb in New Jersey as her screen punishment. My favorite scene is when Paul Newman reaches in the glove compartment of his vehicle and produces a bottle of his salad dressing. "This is all I need," says Newman to Jean Simmons. Of course we the viewer know that Paul needs more than just his salad dressing, and sure enough, by the time "The End" pops up on the screen, he and Jean are committed to spending the rest of their lives together.