White Fang

Fulci's 'White Fang' is a struggle both in terms of its plot and audience participation, the horror maestro bringing his sadistic brand of storytelling to bare upon an overlong tale of an Inuit boy who befriends a wild wolf.

Picturesque but regularly brutal, Rey is a standout as the immoral priest, Brit expat Steiner plays his usual brand of cool, calm and ultimately sadistic villain and Italian siren Lisi features in the supporting role of a nun whose travelled to the gold fever town of Dawson to offer medical services. Also good to see the big Bavarian Raimund Heimstorf as Nero's faithful companion and French-American Carole Andre playing his somewhat tainted love interest.

The savage dog fight between White Fang and Battaglia's prize hound Satan is uncomfortable to watch even if it's perhaps not entirely what it seems, but the bear vs dog fight that soon follows is just plain barbaric.

Fulci's White Fang '73 (followed by 'Challenge' a year later) is little more than a violent spaghetti western set in the Yukon and despite some vague allusions to a positive new frontier theme, it's dark, sombre tone and bloody body count proves you can take the boy out of horror, but not horror out of the boy.

This adventure movie is set in 1896 , on the Klondike region of Yukon, Canada . It has the wolf-dog named White Fang befriends an Indian boy and his father (Daniel Martin , A fistful of dollars) . Later on , the dog teams up a journalist (Franco Nero, Djanjo) along with an adventurer (Raimond Harmstorf) who arrive in the small gold town named Dawson City . There they find a priest (Fernando Rey, French Connection) , his daughter , a gorgeous saloon-girl (Carole Andre, Sandokan) and the nun Sister Evengelina (Virna Lisi, How to murder your wife) . The reporter and his faithful mate , the wolf-dog , attempt to stop the evildoer , an ambitious , snarling businessman (John Steiner, Tepepa) and hoodlum (Rik Battaglia) . They're deceiving by faking manner to the prospectors who are working in the Alaskan gold mines and to profit from them .

It's a tepid and light-hearted adventure about known and classic novel by Jack London . Lumpy blend of adventures , action , villainy , though needlessly violent and aimed to young people . The talent of diverse and wasting casting is redeemed in part for the spectacular outdoors filmed on Austrian landscapes . Weak screenplay written by Peter Werbeck or Harry Allan Towers who produced in similar premise : 'Jack London's Call of the wild (directed by Ken Annakin and starred by Charlton Heston) . Atmospheric and evocative musical score by Carlo Rustichelli . The film is rated PG-13 (Parents guide) , because containing some violent scenes about killing , a cruel fighting between bear and dog and brutal biting . The motion picture is regularly directed by Lucio Fulci , a famous expert in gore and splatter (N.Y ripper , House outside cemetery , City of the Living dead) . Followed by an inferior sequel ¨The return of White Fang¨ (Fulci , 1974) with similar characters and actors . Other adaptations about Jack London's classic are : ¨White Fang(1991¨ by Randal Kleiser with Ethan Kawke as young prospector and Klaus Maria Brandauer and ¨The return of White Fang(1994¨ by Ken Olin with Scott Bairstow and once again Ethan Hawke .

Based on the Jack London story, White Fang was well done. The main drawback is its violence. Lots of fighting and killing, including graphic scenes of shooting, stabbing and animals fighting. My young children (5 and 7) were upset by this. It is surprising that the video had a PG rating.

Otherwise, acting was good, cinematography was excellent. English-language dubbing was a bit slipshod and noticeable.

White Fang (1973)

*** (out of 4)

Jack London's classic story is brought to the screen in a rather good adaptation from director Lucio Fulci. Most people know Fulci for his graphic horror films starting with ZOMBIE and continuing throughout the 1980s. A lot of people seem to forget that he also directed comedies, action films, Westerns, giallos and even family movies.

WHITE FANG is certainly a family movie, although there are enough dark spots to where even the adults are going to be entertained. We have Franco Nero playing the good guy who befriends White Fang and an orphan Indian boy. John Steiner plays the villain who also wants the dog but for a different set of reasons. Then there's Fernando Rey as Father Oatley and Vima Lisi plays Sister Evangelina.

I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed this film. The cinematography is quite good and there's no question that you really do feel as if you're in the Alaskian wilderness, although the opening scenes with White Fang in the trap were obviously filmed on a set. The performances are very good and we're also given a good amount of action throughout the picture. There are some dog fights that are pretty violent but they're also quite intense and well-done.

Fulci proves here that he was able to do more than just throw graphic violence and gore at the screen. The film certainly contains some flaws but for the most part it's a very entertaining movie.

Virna Lisi, not very young and beautiful like in the '50 and '60s, 37 years old here, in the role of a nun, looking even older, Franco Nero as a good guy, a journalist, friend of Raimund Harmstorf, another good guy, John Steiner villain as usual, Rik Battaglia right hand of the villain, and Fernando Rey as a drunk coward priest, who becomes brave in the end. The best "actor", the one who is actually the whole movie, is the dog.