Conrack

The film begins in the Spring of 1969. Jim Crow is barely a faded memory and the ink on the Great Society is still wet. The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. happened the year previous. Budding author Pat Conroy (Jon Voight) takes an assignment on an island off the coast of South Carolina as a substitute teacher to itinerant black children. What he finds is truly horrifying. These adolescents through systematic neglect and indifference are illiterates. These kids have no basic life or survival skills. They have no knowledge of Western culture, or any culture outside the island for that matter, or the finer things in life. These wretches would have been better off in a Confederate plantation where at least the masters or overseers provided at least something of substance to them. Conrack, as Conroy is affectionately nicknamed by the children, instills into these kids a zest for learning and living. Conrack inevitably finds out that there is a price to pay for bucking the system. Director Martin Ritt was probably the most humanistic director to ever work in the industry. Ironically he was a victim of the blacklist in the Fifties. You can sense the outrage in this work but Ritt gently informs the audience without bludgeoning the point. Love the evocative use of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony in the film's closing moments. Adapting Conroy's "The Water is Wide", Irving Ravetch and Harriett Frank's script brims with warmth and knowingness. They paint pictures of people so that even the nominal heavies are not caricatures. Voight is stupendous as Conrack instilling the man with zest and a zeal for action. I think my favorite scene in the film is one where Conrack tells an island moonshiner (Paul Winfield) that he would absolve himself of racism by twice drinking a black man's urine. "Conrack" is a relatively obscure film today which is perplexing. I remember seeing this is in a high school English class almost forty years ago and it resonated with me. The themes outlined here are timeless and universal. I would not hesitate viewing this to the kids of today.

On a Saturday afternoon in 1974, when I was 11 years old, I went with my two best friends to the local movie theater (remember when movie houses only showed one movie at a time, not twelve??) to see the new version of "The Three Musketeers." Much to our dismay, and not un-typical of that time, we discovered that the Main Feature would be preceded by another full movie (something called a "double bill" which no longer exists anymore). That other movie--which we didn't pay to see and didn't want to see--was "Conrack." Four decades later, I can remember nothing about "The Three Musketeers," but "Conrack" remains the movie I've never been able to forget, one I stayed up late nights to watch on TV before there was such a thing as a VCR (let alone DVD or Blu-Ray Player), one I've eagerly awaited to be released in digital format while thousands of far less worthy films were released and re-relased. And all along, I've wondered why a movie of such compelling characters, superb performances, stunning cinematography, and even Hollywood pedigree (Jon Voight, Paul Winfield, Hume Cronyn for crying out loud! and director Martin Ritt) has gone virtually unnoticed.You can imagine my reaction when I just happened upon the item page for "Conrack: Limited Edition Blu-Ray" here at Amazon.com. My heart nearly leapt out of my chest.This movie, based on Pat Conroy's "The Water is Wide" tells the story of an idealistic white schoolteacher arriving on a remote and utterly isolated island off the South Carolina coast to teach the children of the exclusively black population. What follows is alternately fascinating and infuriating, funny and touching, loathsome and lovable. Among other things, it raises questions about the roots of racial discrimination and the constitution of educational curriculum. If that sounds boring and pedantic to you, the movie's really not. Maybe some will find it a little corny--especially the final moments of the film--but I find it hard to believe that anyone could view this movie and not at least be moved by the children (so wonderful!) and the title character's interaction with them.I can't say for sure that my experience with "Conrack" circa 1974 is what made me grow up to become a writer and a high school teacher, but it just might be.3,000 copies available in this Limited Edition, folks. Get it while you can.

This Movie just came up in my Auto Feed & a quick glance at the Title & Color of the Thumbnail photo, my first thought was, "Nah. Sounds & looks like a Cop flick." Then I looked again & saw Jon Voight & realized it was an old film. Great Actor so looked further. Pat Conroy? The author? Finally realized it was a Biographical style film so having enjoyed many Pat Conroy books in the past, started watching. I'm SO glad I did!This is a little GEM of a Movie & a very telling "slice of Life" of Pat Conroy - now I know where his sensitive & poetic style of writing stems from. Like a Short Story, it was also too short of a film wishing it would have been longer! A very touching film without a lot of sentimentality either. Just an inspiring piece that is as appropriate now as it was then. It also didn't take on any heavy racial tones that would have been so easy to do - the point was made just in the telling.This Movie is so worthy of ones time and you might find yourself wanting to go out & purchase the book from which it came - Conroy is a wonderful Story Teller and easily translate to film.Thank you Amazon for posting & offering this Film that really shouldn't be missed!

Had to send back. Can't play Blue Ray on my equipment. Too bad. Conroy's book.....The Water is Wide.....is a wonderful book and is a must read for all Conroy fans. He is sorely missed. What a terrific author.

Just what I was looking for as a Christmas gift for hubby. He's a movie freak and has wanted this collector's item for a while now. He was thrilled to open it on Christmas morning.

Only wish that the movie distribution had been larger. Read what you can about Pat Conroy. He fought all his life for better treatment for the ancestors of slaves on barrier islands, and was the first white man to be buried in the black cemetery where he's interred, ironically with the school master who fired him.

this is one of the best shows made IMHO... john voight is excellent, the story is based on true life and hasn't been 'hollywood'ed beyond recognition. Hume Cronyn does an awesome job of being the man you love to hate! well done show, i'm just so happy to have found it on something other than VHS!