W□althy□Rol□o □read□ay □Buster Keato□) sud□enly decides to propos□ to his□neigh□or□across □he street,□Betsy O'Brien (Kathryn M□G□□re□□ and s□nds his servant to b□ok □as□age□f□r a honeymoon sea□cru□se t□ □ono□ulu□ Wh□n Betsy reje□□s his sudde□□offer howeve□, h□ de□ides to g□ on□the trip anyway, boarding withou□ d□lay tha□ night. Because the pi□r number is p□□tia□ly co□ered, he ends□up□on the □rong ship, t□e Na□i□a□or, wh□□h□□etsy's□r□ch f□ther (Fred□rick Vroom) has □ust □old □o □ small cou□try at war□ A□en□s for the other sm□l□ nation in □he conflict decid□ to s□t□the ship adr□f□ that same ni□ht□ When□Bet□y□□;s father checks up on the ship□□he□is□c□p□ured □nd ti□d up by the sab□□eurs. □etsy hears his cry for hel□□and □o□rds the ship to l□□k for□him, □ust before it is cut loose. □The Navigator□drifts□ou□ in□o □he Pacific O□ean. The two unwi□ting p□□sen□er□ eventually find each □ther. At□first□□t□ey have gre□□ d□ffic□lty lo□□i□g a□ter themselv□□□ but adapt aft□r □ few weeks. A□ o□e poi□t, □he□ sight a navy sh□p and□hoist a□brig□t□y-□o□ored□flag, n□t r□aliz□n□□it □□g□als that the sh□p □s under □□ar□n□ine. As a resu□t, th□ ot□e□ vessel □urns awa□. □Fi□all□□ the ship gro□nds□it□e□f ne□r □n in□abited tro□□cal island and springs a leak. While Rollo□□ons a deep sea divin□ □uit an□ s□bmerges to p□tch t□e □□le, t□e□bl□ck□nati□es c□n□e o□t□and take Bets□ capt□ve. Wh□n R□llo emerges □rom the □cean, the □atives are sc□red off, enabli□g hi□ to rescue Bet□y□an□ take□her back to the□s□ip. T□e□na□i□es return and t□y□t□ board □he ship. After a fierc□ struggle, Rollo and Bet□y try to □sca□e in□a smal□ □i□ghy.□It □tarts to s□nk, □nd the□nat□ve□ □□iftly □ver□ake them in their cano□s. Just□when a□l seems□lo□t,□a navy su□m□rine su□fa□es right unde□neat□ th□m □nd t□e□ are sa□ed.
American film critic Elvis Mitchell’s kaleidoscopic documentary creates a definitive narrative of the Black revolution in 1970s cinema, from genre films to social realism—a work of painstaking scholarship that’s also thoroughly entertaining, an essential archival document and testament to a period of American film history unlikely to be repeated.