Review of White Lightning

Introduction

Made in the days before Burt Reynolds grew a moustache and his amiable showoff screen persona, White Lightning is uncompromisingly an action-thriller rather than the usual kind of vehicle he made in the 1980s. Reynolds stars as "Gator" McCluskey in this 1973 redneck revenge picture opposite his Deliverance co-star Ned Beatty (turning in a loathsome performance as a crooked sheriff). Gator is released from jail to work undercover for the Feds cracking a moonshine ring, but he has his own agenda - to find out who murdered his brother Donnie.

Distinctly lacking the playful air of his later movies, Burt Reynolds turns in a harder performance more reminiscent of The Longest Yard or Deliverance. Sterling support comes from Ned Beatty, Jennifer Billingsley and Bo Hopkins. Stunts were supervised by long-time Reynolds associate Hal Needham.

This is one of those hot-and-dusty hot-pursuit movies set in the deep South. While not as fatalistic as some other movies made around the same time, it shares that jaundiced view of members of the law-and-order fraternity. Surely there must be one straight cop in the South?

Smokey and the Bandit this picture is definitely not, but a competent thriller it certainly is.

Video

The movie is presented in its original 1.85:1 as anamorphic widescreen. Colours are realistically subdued in the hot, bright sunlight. The transfer is acceptable, mastered from not-ideal source materials and the picture suffers from wear and tear.

Audio

The soundtrack reproduces the original mono mix via Dolby Digital 2.0

Features

Subtitles, but otherwise this is a barebones release.

Conclusion

Less than edifying redneck revenge movie complete with loathsome, crooked sheriff and good-ol`-boy hero. Burt Reynolds doesn`t quite project his usual screen presence, but Ned Beatty turns in a memorably nasty villain.