La fièvre de l'or

I remember seeing this movie when it first came out. The opening scene scared the heck out of me. Seeing it so many years later, it still holds my attention.

As is stated already, the cinematography was well done and the acting (particularly by Heston) is first-rate. I thought the director did a very good job of creating an atmosphere that scares as well as intrigues. The story is a good one, the sort that you hear around the camp fire.

And yes, I agree that this should be on DVD. I'd buy it in a second.

A well made movie that stands the test of time.

Though this review is written 18 years after the fact, this film remains among the top of my all time favorites. Introducing the great wilderness in the manner portrayed within the story was breath-taking and this introduction was significant in eventual Canadian and Alaskan adventures. When films can have such an impact on a person, they cannot help but remain close to the heart. The story was fun & exciting and very well played, yet, hats are off to the big screen impact this film portrayed of the Canadian Wilderness.

Not only do the daylight scenes in this movie visually stun the viewer, but the dark cloak of night or being underground chill to the bone! The dark look of the film is all the more compelling when terror explodes out of the darkness to grip the viewer by the throat, eliciting screams! "Stay the hell outta my mine, laddie!" Why don't they listen . . . ???!!!

This movie was incredible. The drama was taut, the frights were well developed and the story was compelling. This movie was a perfect vehicle for Charlton Heston who scared the crap out of me in this film. The script was ideal for him and his style and he was completely believable in this role(s).

Strongly recommended!

Decent wilderness adventure with the legendary Charlton Heston directing himself in a tale of two young people, Jean (Nick Mancuso) and Andrea (Kim Basinger) flying to Northern British Columbia. They do it ostensibly to look for a colleague / friend who'd come there and disappeared, but the lure of a potential windfall in gold proves too strong to resist. Unfortunately for them, already residing in the area is grizzled old Scottish miner Silas McGee (Heston), who's not as friendly as he initially seems to be. Heston, directing from a screenplay by his son Fraser (Fraser was also the producer), does a capable job of drawing us into this story with good acting and well orchestrated thrills; the second unit direction was the work of Joe Canutt, son of another legend, Yakima Canutt, so there are two second generation filmmakers filling out important roles here. The film is well shot (by Richard Leiterman) in claustrophobic settings and paced well. Mainly, it's worth seeing for Heston's fine performance (there's a major twist regarding his character, but you won't hear it from me) as he completely immerses himself in the character and does a good job with the accent to boot. Basinger looks great as usual and she and Mancuso are both quite capable. John Marley is Elijha, the forest dweller who lends some much needed assistance and he's just a delight. This is quite well made technically, with some breathtaking aerial photography and lots of gorgeous rural scenery. Ken Wannbergs' music likewise adds to the overall enjoyment. It's too bad that this little film is not that well known nowadays, but it is on DVD now so more people can discover it for themselves. Not that it's anything truly *great*, necessarily, but it's tense and gripping stuff and entertaining all the way. Seven out of 10.

Like the title says, you've probably never heard of this under-marketed suspense thriller with Kim Basinger (long before Vicki Vale), Nick Mancuso, and Charlton Heston. It sets up its premise quickly, with a search for a missing man that turns into a tense quest for gold in a played-out gold mine. Nothing terribly thought-provoking; it's not War and Peace, but it's a fun, claustrophobic little thriller with a plot-twist that maybe isn't the most original in the world, but the cinematography is well done and might have you jumping at shadows by the end.