Satan Never Sleeps (1962)

Director: Leo McCarey
Starring: William Holden, Clifton Webb, France Nuyen

Synopsis:
An American priest is assigned to China just as the Communists are taking over.

Impressions:
This would actually be something of a romantic comedy if it was just about Father O'Banion dealing with Siu Lan's infatuation with him. Unfortunately for the characters, what would otherwise be a fairly light-hearted plot is set against the backdrop of the Communist takeover of China. It gets bad really quick and only gets worse. William Holden is reliably solid and Clifton Webb delivers a strong performance as the elderly Father Bovard, but I absolutely loved France Nuyen as Siu Lan. She has great flirty charm and I know I'd have trouble sticking to sacred vows with someone like her around. While the character is mostly despicable, I have to give it up for Weaver Levy as primary antagonist Ho San. The whole angle of him being a fallen disciple of Father Bovard makes for a strong character dynamic. The brutality of the Reds can make it hard to watch at times, but this is definitely a film worth seeing.

Rating:
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