Strange Cargo (1940 film)

Strange Cargo 1940 is a MetroGoldwynMayer feature film directed by Frank Borzage and starring Joan Crawford and Clark Gable in a story about a group of fugitive prisoners from a French penal colony. The screenplay by Lawrence Hazard was based upon the 1936 novel, Not Too Narrow, Not Too Deep, by Richard Sale. The film was produced by Joseph L. Mankiewicz and was the eighth and last film pairing of Crawford and Gable. The supporting cast includes Peter Lorre.

Verne joins the escapees, taking Julie with him. The gentle Cambreau a Christ figure exerts a spiritual influence over the others, often reading from and quoting the Bible. As they trek through the jungle, most die with only Verne, Julie, Hessler, and Cambreau surviving the ordeal Hesslera Judas figuredisdains Cambreaus salvation and is last seen slinking off into the night, knowing as a gale arises that there is no turning back. Verne initially scoffs at Cambreaus spirituality, but saves him from drowning as Cambreau clings to driftwoodagain, as a Christ figure on Calvarys cross and penitently decides to return to the prison to finish his sentence. Julie has grown to love Verne and promises to wait for him.Though both the original novel and the films screenplay are allegorical with many Christian elements, they present an ultimately humanist philosophy rather than evangelical Christian theology as the storys central message. ........

Source: Wikipedia