Sidney Poitier and Michael Caine are on the run in a tense political chase adventure that somehow has gone unnoticed over the years. The story is strictly one-dimensional and is about a black South African freedom fighter who is aided by a British engineer in escaping from the government's agents who are hoping Shack Twala will lead them to the resistance movement's leader and organizer. The film has a great performance by Nicol Williamson as the evil, wily and determined South African state security agent on the trail of Twala and accomplice Keogh. A young Rutger Hauer appears as an oily and unreliable pilot who is obliged to lend his services to the wanted men and his own ex-wife. The only flaw in the movie is the rear-projection footage that spoils an otherwise well-made film. The dialogue is sprinkled with racist comments and there is also breathtaking footage of the Kenyan countryside as seen when a small aircraft is pursued by South African fighter jets as Twala and Keogh race for safety.
Caine or Poitier enthusiasts may see something more here
Based on Peter Driscoll's 1972 novel, this film is set in apartheid 1970-ish South Africa during the origins of anti-apartheid groups like the Black Congress movement, seeking to overthrow the government to achieve self-determination for the country's 18 million blacks (versus 3 million ruling whites).
One always has to wonder about films where the viewpoint is so one-sided with few shades of grey. This film treads a fine line indeed between politically correct propaganda and a wheels-within-wheels conspiracy thriller. This reviewer's initial fears that the propaganda element would overwhelm other considerations diminished when the plot took some unexpected twists and ended with a flourish.
Sidney Poitier is moderately successful in his characterization of a black who has been subdued and imprisoned by the contemptuous and repressive apartheid regime. Years of forced subservience (and his survival of them) have made his external persona almost stoic. Yet behind this apparent stoicism, he seethes with hatred and works for the total destruction of the apartheid system. Opening the film, the authorities mysteriously release him from prison. The mystery compounds when the authorities fail to re-arrest him despite any number of infractions (trumped-up or otherwise), choosing rather to follow him.
A young Michael Caine plays - Michael Caine, dragged in by accident for the ride and implicated by events. The other performances are routine excepting Major Horn (Nicol Williamson) and his side-kick Van Heerden (Ryl De Gooyer), as the arrogant, menacing and sadistic pursuing agents from the Bureau of State Security. These two never miss an opportunity to threaten and denigrate those who either cross their path or try to frustrate their curious agenda. Despite their limited screen time, Wiliamson and De Gooyer nevertheless bring something extra to their portrayals.
The original 1974 cinematography was apparently quite good, as the (Kenya) scenery is beautiful. The DVD picture is sufficient for enjoying the film; but purists will notice that it is fuzzy and the colors are washed out, so no re-mastering or other significant picture restoration was attempted. Sound is in the same category. The DVD keep case is fine. Be advised the film is mostly for Caine or Poitier collectors. For others it is little more than a couple hours' entertainment.
Wilby Conspiracy - Only Too True!!
Regretfully, the actions depicted by the South African secret police in the Wilby Conspiracy were only too true.
Via overt racist laws and covert actions, they were given a free hand to maintain the racist status quo and kill whoever tried to stop them, which several have admitted to having done.
i'm not going to go on about the movie as the other reviewers do a good job. it is a great movie, especially if you want to see how conduct disorder begins and becomes an adult antisocial personality. i do want to spend some time talking about the commentary, which is horrible. mr. cornfield provides the commentary and either has throat cancer or some kind of throat disease. he struggles talking and it's painful just to try to listen to him. it's embarrassing and i don't know why it was even recorded and presented. this is not a cut against what he says, but against mgm for even presenting this on dvd. they should of had someone else do the commentary, like some film critic. i still highly recommend the movie as it is a classic, but forget the commentary. More Info about this DVD Director(s): Hubert Cornfield DVD Release Date: Released the 20 January 2004 Usually ships within 24 hours
List Price: $14.95 Your Price: $13.46YOU SAVE $1.49!
Buy it
THE BEDFORD INCIDENT is a fair story but it is not the story which is gripping; it is the acting. Richard Widmark and Sidney Poitier play strong and intense characters at odds with each other and their interplay is fascinating. So too is the interplay with the other characters of the story.
The story takes place on a US destroyer at the height of the cold war. Widmark plays the captain of the ship. It is his job to protect the US and he takes the job seriously and does it well. He demands perfection from his crew in all things and the crew responds well. They know they are working for the best. Poitier plays a reporter who is intrigued by the crew's loyalty and the persona of the captain. He senses an interesting story. He is basically a decent sort but very skeptical of all... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Richard Widmark - Sidney Poitier Director(s): James B. Harris DVD Release Date: Released the 23 September 2003 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $24.95 Your Price: $22.46YOU SAVE $2.49!
Buy it
The up-and-down career of director John Milius had no finer moment than The Wind and the Lion, a dandy adventure tale. It's based on fact: An American (played by Candice Bergen) and her two children were kidnapped in 1904 Morocco by a Berber tribe, an international incident settled by President Theodore Roosevelt's "big stick" military muscle. The film's sweep and swagger are unabashedly old-fashioned, even as Milius occasionally pokes fun at the grand characters. Some of the peripheral material is sloppy, but as long as Milius keeps his sights locked on the two powerful protagonists, he's dead-on: Brian Keith makes a gutsy Roosevelt, and Sean Connery is in splendid form (with Scots accent in place--got a problem with that?) as the dashing Berber chieftain. Perhaps overshadowed... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Sean Connery - Candice Bergen Director(s): John Milius DVD Release Date: Released the 06 January 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $14.96 Your Price: $10.38YOU SAVE $4.58!
Buy it
This Mike Todd production was a star-studded, multi-million dollar extravaganza when first released in 1956. It remains enjoyable family fare, but time has somewhat dulled its shine. Still, it compares favorably to the overly long, TV mini-series starring Pierce Brosnan and Eric Idle.
Elegant David Niven plays the neurotically punctual Phileas Fogg, a British gent who is spurned on by a wager to prove he can travel around the world in 80 days. He is accompanied by his valet, played with persnickety humor by Cantinflas.
Nominated for several Academy Awards, this was written by John Farrow (Mia's dad) and S.J. Perelman, based on Jules Verne's 1873 classic. The fun part is the razzle-dazzle. Todd knew what he was doing with all those exotic locales and over 40 cameo appearances,... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): David Niven DVD Release Date: Released the 18 May 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $26.99 Your Price: $21.59YOU SAVE $5.4!
Buy it
Steven Spielberg had a banner year in 1993. He scored one of his biggest commercial hits that summer with the mega-hit Jurassic Park, but it was the artistic and critical triumph of Schindler's List that Spielberg called "the most satisfying experience of my career." Adapted from the best-selling book by Thomas Keneally and filmed in Poland with an emphasis on absolute authenticity, Spielberg's masterpiece ranks among the greatest films ever made about the Holocaust during World War II. It's a film about heroism with an unlikely hero at its center--Catholic war profiteer Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), who risked his life and went bankrupt to save more than 1,000 Jews from certain death in concentration camps.
By employing Jews in his crockery factory manufacturing goods... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Steven Spielberg DVD Release Date: Released the 09 March 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
List Price: $19.98 Your Price: $14.99YOU SAVE $4.99!
Buy it
