Saturday, June 13, 2020

Movie review - "The Light at the Edge of the World" (1971) **1/2 (warning: spoilers)

Splendid rocky locations and lighthouse. Yul Brynner ideal as a pirate. Kirk Douglas in some late period stardom - he also produced.

At first I wondered why this movie cost so much. But then boats become involved - Douglas clambered over them, there's boats on the rocks, etc. That wouldn't have been cheap.

Good solid concept - Douglas is at a lighthouse that's taken over by pirates led by Brynner, who turn it into a wrecking location.  The development is less assured - Douglas runs around rocks and doesn't seem to have a plan; he kills the odd pirate then goes and hide again; his actions don't stop Eagger being pack raped and his associate being killed.

Surprisingly violent - the pirates kill Douglas' co workers relatively mildly, but when they get a boat to crash they go about killing women and children, hacking away. Later on a man Douglas rescued is flayed alive (skin ripped off) before Douglas shoots him dead, Samatha Eagger is pack raped by the ship's crew (which does happen off screen at least) on a ship which is blown up by Douglas so they all die.

Brynner seems more interested in Douglas than Eagger but at least it's well cast.  Not very tense. Strong idea - they should remake this.

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