IMDb RATING
6.4/10
2.5K
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A black anti-Apartheid activist and a British engineer are forced to run from South African Secret Police.A black anti-Apartheid activist and a British engineer are forced to run from South African Secret Police.A black anti-Apartheid activist and a British engineer are forced to run from South African Secret Police.
- Director
- Writers
- Stars
Rijk de Gooyer
- Van Heerden
- (as Ryk De Gooyer)
Freddy Achiang
- Shepherd Boy
- (uncredited)
Bryan Epsom
- Judge
- (uncredited)
Oliver Litondo
- Minor Role
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured reviews
A fun politically charged, fast-paced action drama. No politically correct dialog here, as the principals give no quarter when the name calling and racial badgering ensues. A White man and a Black man are thrown together on a political twist of fate and have to overcome their mutual disdain for one another if either of them is to survive. Caine and Poitier, in my humble estimation, do a bang-up job of fulfilling the requirements of their respective roles. Neither widely known nor often mentioned, Prunella Gee does a nice job as Caine's sweetheart and Poitier's legal/political confidant, especially as it pertains to her keeping the peace between them so that they can achieve the task at hand.
What is also interesting is to see that even though Indian people and indigenous Blacks were similarly discriminated against in S. Africa (esp. during apartheid), there is still racial friction between those two groups. Not particularly earth-shattering news to many people, but a subject not often underscored in most modern cinematic fare.
If you like political melodrama with good plot development and plenty of action, you should like this one.
What is also interesting is to see that even though Indian people and indigenous Blacks were similarly discriminated against in S. Africa (esp. during apartheid), there is still racial friction between those two groups. Not particularly earth-shattering news to many people, but a subject not often underscored in most modern cinematic fare.
If you like political melodrama with good plot development and plenty of action, you should like this one.
I've seen many of the movies of this era. As remarked elsewhere, it is a fast-paced action film but has fetching little vignettes along the way that point out the characters' humanity.
Superb performances by Nicol Williamson and Michael Caine. Poitier plays his usual role to perfection. Many good supporting performances -Persis Khambatta is a revelation and there is really not a weak link in the cast. Not often remarked, this movie deserves a solid 7 out of 10. The Rutger Hauer sequence is worth the price of admission.
Superb performances by Nicol Williamson and Michael Caine. Poitier plays his usual role to perfection. Many good supporting performances -Persis Khambatta is a revelation and there is really not a weak link in the cast. Not often remarked, this movie deserves a solid 7 out of 10. The Rutger Hauer sequence is worth the price of admission.
This is a real gem of a chase thriller.I think this film isn't well known.Oscar winners Michael Caine and Sidney Poitier are well matched together.Nicol Williamson is quite a scene stealer and a wonderful actor.Available from MGM.and also stars Persis Khambatta from "Star Trek original movie" and Rutger Hauer,known for "Blade Runner". This film reminded me of the film "Defiant Ones" 1958.Pairing Tony Curtis and Poitier together. Sidney Poitier won Oscar for Lillies in the field 1963. Michael Caine won supporting actor for Cider House Rules 1999. So watch this movie and see if you agree with me that it is a gem! If you liked this film you might watch Shoot to Kill 1988.
This was really a surprise for me since I had never even heard of this film before. It takes a hard look at apartheid-run South Africa (remember this was 1975) in the form of an interesting action thriller with very good acting from all actors/actresses and with a plot that keeps you glued to your seat. This, even though (or because) it is not the typical "action-packed" kind of movie of this sort. You won't miss if you watch this.
This is definitely a sleeper. Not much is said about this film and yet it is one of my favorite movies starring Michael Caine. Sidney Poitier is on the lam with his new non-friend Caine who by mutual agreement have to escape. Prunella Gee plays the glue that for a while gets and keeps them together. The movie moves along quickly from cricis to crisis ending in a complete surprise. You are going to like this although there are some slow sections.
Did you know
- TriviaMost of this movie is set in South Africa, in Johannesburg and Cape Town, but due to the political sensitivity of anti-Apartheid, no attempt was made to film there.
- GoofsWhile hiding the car in a village on the way to Johannesburg, Twali speaks Swahili with the villagers. Swahili is only spoken in East and Central Africa, for example in Kenya, the location of the shooting, but not in South Africa.
- Quotes
Major Horn: Mukarjee could swear by the beard of the prophet or the nails of the true cross and it wouldn't mean a thing. Because Mukarjee is a goddamned, godless, atheist Marxist. And the only thing that he holds sacred is Che Guevara's foreskin.
- ConnectionsFeatured in In Darkest Hollywood: Cinema and Apartheid (1993)
- SoundtracksAll the Wishing in the World
(uncredited)
Music by Stanley Myers
Lyrics by Don Black
Sung by Diane Solomon
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