(1968) 3 Nathan Southern It would be interesting to know just how much (or how little) Mike Sarne's Joanna grossed during its initial 1968 run. One guesses that it might have drawn semi-decent box office, based on the studio's willingness to hand Sarne another directing gig. Bad move. In some respects, the content of this picture should have spared everyone the misery of watching this man helm any additional films. In 40-year retrospect, Joanna's surfeit of poor directorial choices (from the first frame to the last) clearly foreshadow all of the the self-indulgent excess inherent in Myra Breckinridge. But unlike Myra, Joanna (for better or worse) isn't without her charms. Sure, the film is rife to bursting with self-indulgence -- such as the "Hail, Hitler" imposition on the soundtrack immediately following Beryl's mention of the Nazi party. And these choices almost sink the picture. Almost. What saves Joanna are the overwhelmingly bright, Demy-ish pop colors that fill Sarne's canvas from first frame to last; the occasionally inspired stylistic breaks in the action -- such as the closing-credits musical number, which taken alone is one of the most uplifting and exhilarating sequences of its kind in movie history -- and, above all else, the central character. Thanks in no small part to actress Genevieve Waïte, Joanna herself is such an endearing creation -- so sweet, innocent, and charming -- that she ultimately transcends the material and deserves to be in a much better movie. It is this quality (above all others) that really explains and justifies the film's loyal cult following of folks who caught Joanna back in 1968. Donald Sutherland also does a nice job in a supporting role as Lord Peter Sanderson, an aristocrat dying of leukemia; his performance is beautifully modulated, as is his interpretation of the character -- playing Sanderson as a man who has chosen whimsy and merriment to drive the melancholia out of his life. No mistake about it: Joanna is one of those films where a number of the compositional elements are so strong and demonstrate such potential that the work aches for less onanistic direction.

Joanna on AllMovie

Joanna (1968)

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Adult Situations
Not For Children

genres

Drama

sub-genres

category

Feature

directed by

Michael Sarne

countries

UK

released

1968

run time

107 min.

produced by

20th Century Fox, Laughlin Films

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by Hal Erickson synopsis

Forgotten 20th Century Fox starlet Geneviève Waïte and forgotten "trendy" director Michael Sarne teamed for the eminently forgettable Joanna. Waïte stars as the title character, a swinging London art student who uses up men like other people use Kleenex. Her carefree lifestyle comes to an end when she is impregnated by Gordon (Calvin Lockhart) -- one of the first black-white relationships in a major motion picture. Joanna frequently becomes a musical, notably in the final sequence, in which the heroine joins in a chorus with the entire cast and production crew Donald Sutherland co-stars as one of Joanna's wealthy paramours. Director Michael Sarne went from Joanna to Myra Breckinridge, then disappeared from view.

characteristics

- Playing The Field

- Pregnant

- Student

- Pregnancy

- Art-school

- Knocked-up

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