Last Friday night, I was all relaxed and settled down to watch a straightforward and undemanding 70's hillbilly car-chasing movie! And guess what; - that's also exactly what I got with Joseph Sargent's "White Lightning"! So that means that I should be really satisfied, right? Well, only partially, because for some reason this film continuously raises the impression that it easily could have been a lot more than just a long series of virulent chase sequences and Burt Reynolds showing off his womanizing skills. Usually this kind of cinema simply revolves around a charismatic thug bootlegging illegal booze and outsmarting the dim-witted redneck sheriff of a small Southern community, but there's actually a lot more depth and intelligence hidden in the screenplay of "White Lighting". Particularly the character of Sheriff J.C. Connors (and the terrifically sober and integer performance by Ned Beatty) easily could have uplifted the status of this film to a more respectable level. The Sheriff is a totally corrupt and vicious bully who controls the moonshine ring himself and also doesn't hesitate to cruelly execute long-haired hippie protesters in the forsaken swamps of his Arkansas County. When the Sheriff drowns the younger brother of Gator McKlusky, Gator closes a deal with some federal agents that release him from prison in order to pick up his bootlegging business undercover and bring down Connors. But Gator – rebellious bastard that he is – obviously cares more about extracting his personal revenge. The opening sequences in the swamp are grim and atmospheric, but with the introduction of Reynolds' character everything quickly turns into a light-headed and prototypic Southern car chase. Some of the most potentially fascinating supportive characters, like primarily Sheriff Connors but also the liquor-smuggling locals Big Bear and Roy Boone, sadly remain underdeveloped and on the background. But hey, as I stated at the beginning of this review: "White Lightning" nevertheless stays an utmost fun and exhilarating little flick. The Southern filming locations are splendid, and so are the soundtrack and ensemble cast. Joseph Sargent ("The Taking of Pelham 123", "Nightmares") assures a steady direction, while Hal Needham is credited as his second unit director. Needham would go on making car movies starring Burt Reynolds that are far more legendary (but not necessarily better) than this one, like "Smokey and the Bandit" and "Cannonball Run".
Review of White Lightning
