Vivre pour survivre

Superbly trashy and wondrously unpretentious 80's exploitation, hooray! The pre-credits opening sequences somewhat give the false impression that we're dealing with a serious and harrowing drama, but you need not fear because barely ten minutes later we're up until our necks in nonsensical chainsaw battles, rough fist-fights, lurid dialogs and gratuitous nudity! Bo and Ingrid are two orphaned siblings with an unusually close and even slightly perverted relationship. Can you imagine playfully ripping off the towel that covers your sister's naked body and then stare at her unshaven genitals for several whole minutes? Well, Bo does that to his sister and, judging by her dubbed laughter, she doesn't mind at all. Sick, dude! Anyway, as kids they fled from Russia with their parents, but nasty soldiers brutally slaughtered mommy and daddy. A friendly smuggler took custody over them, however, and even raised and trained Bo and Ingrid into expert smugglers. When the actual plot lifts off, 20 years later, they're facing their ultimate quest as the mythical and incredibly valuable White Fire diamond is coincidentally found in a mine. Very few things in life ever made as little sense as the plot and narrative structure of "White Fire", but it sure is a lot of fun to watch. Most of the time you have no clue who's beating up who or for what cause (and I bet the actors understood even less) but whatever! The violence is magnificently grotesque and every single plot twist is pleasingly retarded. The script goes totally bonkers beyond repair when suddenly – and I won't reveal for what reason – Bo needs a replacement for Ingrid and Fred Williamson enters the scene with a big cigar in his mouth and his sleazy black fingers all over the local prostitutes. Bo's principal opponent is an Italian chick with big breasts but a hideous accent, the preposterous but catchy theme song plays at least a dozen times throughout the film, there's the obligatory "we're-falling-in-love" montage and loads of other attractions! My God, what a brilliant experience. The original French title translates itself as "Life to Survive", which is uniquely appropriate because it makes just as much sense as the rest of the movie: None!

Rare exploitation gem about an ordinary man, Bo (Robert Ginty, star THE EXTERMINATOR and WARRIOR OF THE LOST WORLD!) caught in a crossfire between diamond smugglers and professional mercenaries.

When Bo was a child, a mysterious force sadistically murdered his parents. Only Bo and his sister, Ingrid (Diana Goodman) survived the bloodshed. Now, twenty years later...Bo and his sister are grown up. They are now employees at a diamond mineshaft located in the desert. As mischievous as they are, they stumble upon the discovery of a legendary diamond. However, this rapture for the diamond has provoked the angst of some short-tempered, not-so-nice villains.

Fred Williamson has a cameo as a take-no-prisoners assassin with his own agenda... Does he serve as an ally, or a foe for Bo and Ingrid?

The hitherto quiet existence of the diamond has now been shattered thanks to the naïve duo. The bad guys are willing to possess the diamond in any way...and hell is going to pay...

All of the dastardly scoundrels are united for one reason: to seek out the legendary 2000 carat diamond called the "White Fire," which the brother and sister twosome hope to gain access to this gem itself. What values does this jewel possess? The quest to capture the most sought-out diamond in the world is afoot...

WHITE FIRE (this film's original title is VIVRE POUR SURVIVRE) was one of those "What was the purpose of making this film?"-type movie. This amazingly low budget adventure picture features Fred Williamson at the nadir of his career and Robert Ginty at the pinnacle of his career. Yes, you do get to see Robert Ginty brandish a chainsaw though! You do get to see Robert Ginty woo with his sister!

WHITE FIRE believe it or not does have some attributes. The on-location filming at Istanbul, Turkey is a visual asset. Also, there are some decent themes about the relationship between brother and sister...and the eventual coping with loss... The electronic musical score is...attention grabbing and the songs are heartwarming (to an extent).

Unfortunately, WHITE FIRE has a lot more defects than strengths. First, the camera angles in this film were awkward and there seemed to be a technical problem with the sound effects. Also, unfocused direction and incoherent editing serve as distractions for this movie. Haphazard action sequences do not help either. Sure, there are lots of shootings, fights with various weapons, and comic quips. There is just NOT much excitement though...

The acting in WHITE FIRE was also pretty terrible. The bad guys had their stereotypical accents and Ginty is a nuisance as the good guy. Ginty was apparently more vitriolic than charismatic as the "hero," especially when he tried to be funny. The cast contributed some effort, but their valiant attempts to extricate this film were not enough to prevent this production from sinking down under...

WHITE FIRE was sleazy trash with no redeeming values. This was an unexceptional, mundane action film. The plot lacked credibility, the action lacked vitality, and the whole production was simply inept. I can understand that this film was extremely low budget, but the film itself looked as though it was shot with a camcorder for some home video production. The quality of the film's image is itself blurred at times, and this makes the movie seem more amateurish. The errors in logic, continuity, and consistency all obliterate an already doomed project. In other words, watch this movie for a good laugh. Luckily, Fred Williamson did not have such a substantial role in this movie.

RATING: NO STARS out of ****.

Low budget action/exploitation flick with lots of plot, mostly incoherent. If you like so-bad-it's-good" movies--and you know who you are--this is for you. Inane dialogue, forced set pieces, extraneous nudity, mindless violence. Must watch with friends so you can share all those "what the F was that?" moments.

It is important that you watch the big box TWE VHS tape which has a clear vibrant picture instead of the fuzzy washed out DVD put out by Westlake entertainment. Like many old movies, the DVD is made from a far inferior print to the VHS. You really want a nice clear look at Belinda Mayne's body.

There are a couple of scenes that make this movie a classic. The one that comes to mind is Spectacular Belinda Mayne taking a nude swim and providing full frontal nudity view of her spectacular body. Think a Ursula Andress, but better looking and nude. After some playful banter with her brother, Ingrid (Belinda's character) is attacked by a gang and uses martial arts while wearing only a white towel to kill or dispatch them.

The movie is fun, campy and watchable. You might also enjoy the sadistic female villain.

I appreciate that 'White Fire' kicks off with a scene of action-adventure. I also appreciate that the movie has no illusions about what it is; we are informed from the very start that this is a B-movie. While I suppose one could argue for either sincere effort versus tongue-in-cheek goofiness, it seems clear to me that almost everything is crafted to be only Just Enough. In how scenes are written and in how they're executed, this belongs to a subset of genre flicks where flimsy, sometimes ham-fisted dialogue is inserted in an attempt to boost the sense of urgency about action violence that is distinctly staged. Scenes effectively convey their course of events, sure, but without any meaningful thrills, impact, or genuineness. I'm unsure which is more dubious and unconvincing - Jean-Marie Pallardy's direction, or the scene writing in a screenplay variably attributed to Pallardy himself, or to Ted Francis.

Just when we're granted a fleeting moment of enticing value, in the next instant that potential worth is undercut by one means or another. Scenes that by their content should impart great emotional weight are bereft, and forced, especially with the accompaniment of an 80s rock ballad. Blood and gore is generally simply adequate, and sometimes plainly seems a bit much - though in fairness, other practical effects including explosions look good. Nudity is only ever gratuitous - and for the ways in which it's employed in at least a couple instances, altogether questionable. Characters seem to be free of the burdens of noteworthy intelligence or feeling - or maybe that's a flaw with the acting. Perhaps I'm overly generous, yet not least of all in light of how lackadaisical and flailing Pallardy's direction is at large, I'm inclined to think the often less than credible performances can be chalked up less to a failure of the cast, and more to the filmmaker's unmistakably feeble guidance. Delivery, expressions, and basic movements and individual actions mirror the scene writing with blunt portrayal and disingenuous, unnatural pacing. This isn't to say that the acting is all bad; I feel like Belinda Mayne in particular sometimes offers up some gratifying heart when it's needed most. But, for the most part, she stands alone.

Even Jon Lord's upbeat score, broadly defined with 80s album rock sensibilities and instrumentation, tends to echo the ham-handed, "Yep, this is definitely a good take, let's move on" slant of this action-adventure romp. So it is with the camerawork, too. On the other hand, filming locations are fetching at times, and the attention for hair and wardrobe, and I admire the ambition reflected in these and the set design; one is led to think that to some degree 'White Fire' cheekily tried to mimic James Bond. And, why - okay, the scene writing is suspect, characters are lacking, and dialogue is outright hackneyed at points. However, in concept I think there are good ideas in the narrative; the pursuit of a valuable MacGuffin by diamond smugglers and various criminals holds promise, and there is still other minor cleverness in the tale that could have been teased out into bolder, more engrossing directions.

At the same time, the plot begins to fall apart in the details. It's not always clear how certain characters or extras become involved, or why the scene shifts to a particular location. There are absolutely times when the course of events just doesn't feel cohesive - including the climax, which comes and goes rather abruptly. Above all, though - wholly bizarre and worse than any of this - is male protagonist Bo's relationship with his sister Ingrid; his reactions to her and to another woman, Olga, that enters the story; and the direly unbelievable emotions that are or are not felt throughout it all. I don't wish to betray plot points here, but suffice to say that I was wholly flabbergasted by this aspect of the feature. It could have used to build a different kind of story, but not in a picture as direct as this one is.

This isn't all bad. It's passably entertaining, in its own way, and I see what the film could have been in more capable hands. Yet that's just it - Pallardy's contribution as director is more harm than help, the writing in a mess in every way, and actors mostly can't break through the constraints placed on them. And, once more for emphasis, the dynamics between Bo and Ingrid, and especially between Bo and Olga, are mind-blowing to the point of being problematic. What IS this movie?

There's no reason at all to go out of your way for 'White Fire,' but if you happen to come across it, there are worse ways to spend 100 minutes. Anyone considering a view just certainly needs to bear in mind inarguable deficiencies and indelicacies that detract significantly from the entertainment on hand.