Good concept, poorly executed.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

On a scale of beauty that goes from 1 to 10, where 1 equals dog-ugly and 10 equals heavenly fascination, I give Ava Gardner's looks a solid 6.And, on a scale of talent that goes from 1 to 10, where 1 equals pathetically incompetent and 10 equals phenomenally brilliant, I rate Ava Gardner's capacity as an actress at a middle-of-the-road 5.And, since this less-than-overwhelming film was clearly a vehicle meant to showcase both Gardner's looks and her apparent talent as a means to carry its story through to its clumsy ending, I, for one, was left feeling very disappointed and let down. Indeed.As on-screen lovers in this hollow, melodramatic, fantasy mess, I'd say that the stuffy James Mason paired up with the brittle Ava Gardner was a miscalculated mismatch if there ever was one. There was absolutely no chemistry, whatsoever, going on between these 2. Not a single spark of believable passion was ever generated here. Their apparent desire for one another was flat, uninspired and way off the mark.Set on the very picturesque, Mediterranean side of coastal Spain - Yes. I will admit that this decidedly expensive production (Gardner's umpteen gowns, alone, must've cost a small fortune) certainly contained some fine camera-work, throughout, with its many, many blue skies and equally blue waters.But, alas, the facade of impressive Technicolor cinematography certainly wasn't sufficient enough to detract from the fact that the "Flying Dutchman's" story (along with its ludicrous characters and their absurd dramas) was nothing but stuffy, boring and pretentious nonsense of the highest order.And, to add insult to injury here - I was not in the least bit convinced that Gardner's character could competently play a piano (as a singer she sure hit enough bum-notes) and that Mason's character was, in fact, supposed to be an accomplished artist. Nope. I wasn't convinced, at all.All-in-all - "The Flying Dutchman" was pure escapist fluff. And, if you are "ok" with fluff, then, yes, this 1951 flick just might be your cup of tea. But, if you crave a film with more substantial depth and dramatic-bite to it, then I suggest that you look elsewhere.

This film is a reworking of the legend of the Flying Dutchman. A wild and slightly crazy lady (Ava Gardner) is flighty and, well, rather nuts. When a sailboat nears her home in Spain, she impulsively swam naked out to the boat and meets a man (James Mason) after she wraps herself up in a bit of canvas. He seems VERY preoccupied and moody--and is working on a painting that looks a bit like Gardner (though I didn't think it looked nearly as close as the film said). She is clearly intrigued by this new man and wants to spend much time with him.A bit later, Gardner's friend (Nigel Patrick) shows the moody dude something written in 17th century Dutch--and Mason seems to be able to read it with ease. That's because it is, in fact, his own personal memoirs! It seems he's the famous Flying Dutchman and the paper explains how he came to be cursed to wander the seas alone for eternity--unless, and this is weird, he can get a lady to agree to die for him. You also learn that Gardner is some sort of reincarnated version of the lady Mason murdered--hence, cursing him to his fate."Pandora and the Flying Dutchman" is a lovely film, as the color stock used is quite nice and makes the leading lady (Gardner) look her best. However, it's far from a perfect film and it wasn't exactly my type of film--even though I love older films. The film has two problems for me. First, it's an odd choice having the British actor James Mason play a person who is Dutch. It just didn't seem convincing--much as I love Mason in films. Second, the film took brooding to new heights--with LOTS of pained looks. And, third, the film seemed a bit talky--and I would have preferred a bit more action and romance. Worth seeing but far from a must-see.By the way, wasn't the murder a bit reminiscent of "Othello"? Just thinking...

The story of the Flying Dutchman is given a sumptuous production here, directed by Albert Lewin. Set in the 1930s, Hendrick van der Zee, the captain of a yacht, appears in the Spanish seaport of Esperanza. There he meets the mysterious and beautiful Pandora, a man magnet who has every man in the village, it seems in love with her. Pandora herself has never been in love, but there is incredible chemistry between her and Hendrick. Hendrick is soon found to be the 17th century Flying Dutchman, cursed to wander the world forever, unless he meets a woman willing to die for him.Lewin does a good job both on the screenplay and direction, though both have flaws, and the music is a little overpowering at times. The film moves slowly in places. But the casting is wonderful. The only woman who could have played Pandora in 1951 was Ava Gardner, stunningly beautiful and sexy with that low, husky voice and incredible face. And let's not forget her figure which was dressed in dazzling costumes throughout the film. James Mason is handsome and mysterious as Hendrik, and the entire production is gorgeous to look at.If you're an Ava Gardner or James Mason fan, don't miss this marvelous showcase for their talents. And do they make a fantastic looking couple or what?

In 1930, in the Seaport of Esperanza, on the Mediterranean coast of Spain, the fishermen find the bodies of a couple trapped in the net of their fishing vessel. The historian Geoffrey Fielding (Harold Warrender) recalls the beautiful, selfish and spoiled American singer Pandora Reynolds (Ava Gardner), who used to break the heart of her lovers. When Pandora is proposed by the British racing car pilot Stephen Cameron (Nigel Patrick), she demands that he drives his car off the cliffs to prove his love to her. Stephen does what Pandora has asked him and they schedule their wedding on September 3rd. When Pandora sees a yacht anchored in the bay, she impulsively swims to the vessel and meets the Dutch Hendrik van der Zee (James Mason) alone without any crew on board. Pandora immediately feels attracted by the mysterious Hendrik and introduces him to her friends. When Jeffrey finds a manuscript from the Seventeenth Century of the Flying Dutchman, he asks Hendrik to help him in the translation. Jeffrey leans the Hendrik apparently is the Flying Dutchman, a captain that stabbed to death his innocent wife believing that she was unfaithful to him. He is sentenced to death and his soul is cursed by God, doomed to sail alone for the eternity, unless he find s a woman that loves him so much that should be capable to die for him. Jeffrey is afraid that Pandora might be this woman and presses her to marry Stephen as soon as possible."Pandora and the Flying Dutchman" is an adorable timeless romance based on the legend of the Flying Dutchman. The beauty of Ava Gardner is awesome in the role of a woman that does not love any man until she finds the doomed captain Hendrik van der Zee, falling in love with him and becoming capable of an ultimate act of love. James Mason has an extraordinary performance, with solid and dramatic lines. The costumes of Ava Gardner are very beautiful, highlighting her elegance. The cinematography is wonderful, but unfortunately the DVD released by the Brazilian Distributor Platina Filmes is only of reasonable quality. My vote is nine.Title (Brazil): "Pandora"