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I'm basing this review on recollection, but I was elated to find recently that it can be ordered, and on DVD no less. Long-time fans of this mostly-overlooked if not forgotten film will be eager to get their hands on a copy. If you like a ripping good adventure story with enough social dynamics for three movies, this is well worth considering.
You can find plot outlines here or elsewhere, so I won't rehash that. Suffice it to say that having seen this film in its theatrical release many decades ago, it still is pretty vivid in my memory. As others have noted, this film deserves much more attention than it got. You might think you've seen movies like this before, but this one steps outside the usual caricatures and gives you some meaty, real people you can identify with and mostly care about.
The acting by Stuart Whitman is exceptional, as his character reacts to the predicament and he becomes what he feels he must become to survive. He is changed inexorably and ultimately. The others are not just window-dressing and they all turn in fine performances.
As others have noted, this does have a rather surprising conclusion you won't soon forget. And I agree with the reviewer who commends the filmmaker for not doing the usual Hollywood "cop out". Life doesn't go as we plan, and neither does this movie. Nothing trite here!
"Sands of the Kalahari" hearkens back to an era where films didn't rely on special effects or cheap emotional appeals to win an audience. How many films like that do you see today?
This is one movie you can really sink your teeth into. Tense, unforgettable, even haunting. Seriously. It's that good.
score 10/10
rick-koenig 4 February 2012
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2560798/ |
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26-4-2020 00:05:09