REVIEW: The Gilligan Manifesto Communist connections feels like the castaways' choppy three hour tour
Is it true that one of American television's heralded nostalgic guilty pleasures from the turbulent 1960's in the classic sitcom Gilligan's Island was actually a celebration of sorts for Communist ideology at the height of the Cold War? Is it a fact that this innocuous beloved CBS slapstick comedy about seven marooned individuals from different walks of life that was once heavily condemned by television critics and network executives as a shipwrecked bomb is actually a satirical slap in the face to the thumbnail of democracy? Is the underlying message about the boob tube's most treasured band of seven stranded castaways an undercover affront to the liberties of American national sensibilities? Have generations of TV viewers underestimated and undermined the political in-depth message about that extremely popular wacky five-decade-plus island situational comedy that continues to resonate in global syndication TV markets?
Well, writer-director Cevin Soling's seemingly intriguing documentary The Gilligan Manifesto ambitiously tries to connect the dots and examine the possibility of civilization's annihilation as metaphorically proposed by legendary TV creator/writer/producer Sherwood Schwartz's comical creation. Indeed, it is a surrealistic and curious premise that the classic goofy-minded, coconut clumsiness that is Gilligan's Island could ever spin such a defiant hint of Marxist leanings. The mere fact that Gilligan and his fellow stranded passengers are representatives of a post-apocalyptic world where the very essence of Western democratic values are shunned definitely is subversive stuff to digest. However, The Gilligan Manifesto never quite feels compelling or insightful enough to exploit its radical revelations to its fullest sensationalism. The assertions about Gilligan's Island overtones of Communism cavorting is bold and eye-opening. Unfortunately, Soling's clunky documentary never delves into this colorful notion with tongue-lashing vibrancy.
Although the content and revelations are quite interesting and convincing in some respects, The Gilligan Manifesto drags on to the point that the 84-minute showcase feels more like the choppy three-hour tour that the S.S. Minnow passengers endured in the show's opening credits. Naturally, it is a welcomed sight to see the late Schwartz chime in regarding how his one-time dismissed TV project in Gilligan has more intrinsic significance beyond his vision for showcasing the simple concept of a microcosm of society banding together to exist in an isolated spacing away from the active world. Schwartz seems very proud that his Gilligan gift to the world is more valued for its newfound relevance than signature ridiculousness.
Gilligan Island fans will rejoice at the presence of the show's remaining surviving stars in Dawn Wells ("Mary Ann Summers") and now-deceased Russell Johnson ("Professor Roy Hinkley") adding their two cents worth of feedback regarding their iconic roles and the impact that their entertainment from yesteryear had in pop culture circles. Still, one is left wondering why Wells and Johnson were so limited in their succinct input? It certainly would have been more stimulating had the actors offered more insight beyond the brief talking points they quipped on camera. Also, driving home the point that Gilligan Island's glaring Communist confines may be realized are the inclusion of prominent Harvard University educators providing their unique viewpoint for Gilligan's galvanizing embracing of Marxism themes.
Soling's think piece does conjure up noteworthy images of Communist consciousness (The Senator McCarthy congressional subcommittee hearings, the A-bomb explosion, Cuban missile launches, bomb shelter depictions, etc.) and craftily suggests comparisons through Gilligan Island's awakening (remember, the program appeared on the CBS network a year after the end of the Cold War). Trivial fact: the Gilligan's Island pilot was shot on the same day of JFK's assassination in November 1963. So it is easy to see the Communist tie-in that Schwartz's program theorizes according to the notable sideline talking heads. Clearly, intelligent analysis and commentary are explored. The documentary even dutifully dissects a few Gilligan episodes to convey the evidence of Communism forethought through the castaways' questionable existence on the island as well as the countless visitors with a sinister agenda. Russian astronauts, mad scientists, devious doppelgangers, shady criminals, heartless hunters, eccentric wanderers...all are considered shady agents for the antithesis of democracy at its defined best. Even the concept of self-sabotage and thwarting of rescue by Gilligan and his crew is a bewilderment that puzzles everyone. After all, do the castaways really want to return to their Western ways of democratic capitalism or remain handcuffed by a dictatorial system that squashes independent motivation?
The Gilligan Manifesto generally does espouse some cunning tidbits about Schwartz's timeless televised "masterpiece" from yesteryear. There are salient observations from the Harvard-based intellectuals and Gilligan fanatics will no doubt view this silly-minded sixties gem in a different light. The meshing of digested cogent points, light-hearted animation fillers featuring the Gilligan cast in the Communist garb with flippant passages such as "Critique of Capitalism", and inclusive vintage of fallout shelter demonstrations register awkwardly. The disjointed presentation feels inexplicably unfulfilling and the golden opportunity to express these controversial beliefs to a trivial yet iconic kiddie-friendly situation comedy is wrapped up in a stiffened, matter-of-factly manner. Had Manifesto been more flexible and creatively fluid in its overthrowing reveal of Gilligan-oriented innocence then Soling's flat exposition--and the radiance of Gilligan Island's breezy subtext--would have made for an explosive expose that joyfully shocks.
