West of Zanzibar

West of Zanzibar is a real historical oddity. Besides being the only sequel that Ealing Studios ever produced, the film does highlight true to life conservation and social issues that still impact our contemporary world some 65 years later. It's just a pity that in searching for solutions to these issues, it's frequently inferred that the white colonial masters often have the best ideas, whilst playing down past colonial involvement which may have led to the problems beginning.

I have no idea why these Bob Payton yarns were so popular at the time. It can't have been the magnetic charisma of Anthony Steel, the actor playing the game warden character. He simply doesn't have any. Neither does he have any chemistry whatsoever with his onscreen wife, Mary. He also manages to have his acting pants pulled down, by Edric O'Connor, who plays Ushingo, the chief of the local Galana tribe. O'Connor is quite exceptional in the role and clearly was no amateur performer.

The dramatic content focusses on illegal ivory poaching and smuggling (the I suspect, real life footage of an elephant being hunted and killed for its tusks is jarring) which as mentioned earlier still plagues our world and especially the elephant populations of the planet. A sub-story deals with the Galana's tribal lands being affected by soil erosion, with the resulting effect of younger tribal members drifting off towards the city and both its attractions and associated social problems.

Harry Watt, a regular Ealing director, specialised in both raising socially aware issues in his films, whilst making said films overseas. I direct interested readers towards his 1959 offering made in Australia, The Siege of Pinchgut, which is definitely NOT your typical crooks versus cops siege movie.

In WOZ, Watt is less successful in laying down a coherent narrative and sustaining a pacy delivery supplemented by a good deal of suspense. Things do pick up in the third act, where I found the constant back projections and use of inserted documentary stock footage, rather entertaining, but probably not for the right reasons. It was also amusing watching Mary Payton thundering through the African plain lands punishing this ancient 4 wheel drive truck, come personnel carrier.

This is by no means a flawless film. But Watt and his script writers, obviously had a handle on some of the big issues affecting the African continent in the 50's. Come the second decade of the 21st century and folks, they still haven't been resolved.