Michael_Elliott White Lightning (1973) *** (out of 4) Gator McKlusky (Burt Reynolds) has a year to go in prison when he gets word that his younger brother was murdered. It turns out the crooked Sheriff (Ned Beatty) of their small town killed him so now Gator agrees to work with the Federal government to bring down some illegal moonshine. Gator's real plan to seek vengeance.WHITE LIGHTNING was a hit with fans and most critics when it was released and it helped keep steam in the Reynolds train that was burning pretty bright thanks to DELIVERANCE. This here is another one of those "good ol' boys" type of films where the South is shown as a dirty and corrupt place but to the rescue is a good looking and fun-nature man who knows how to drive really fast and knows how to make it with all the pretty ladies.If you're looking for ground-breaking entertainment then you're not going to find it here but WHITE LIGHTNING does offer some good laughs, some nice car chases and of course Reynolds doing what he does best. It's always fun watching these early performances by Reynolds because you can tell he's having a lot of fun and he certainly has no trouble bringing that charm across. I'm sure the ladies would say it was his looks. The guys would say it was his attitude. Perhaps both would agree that the legendary laugh is what did it.Whatever the reason Reynolds is certainly a lot of fun here playing the good guy and Beatty gets to really have fun playing the creep. There's no question that the two of them worked magic when together. We also get a nice supporting cast here including Bo Hopkins, Matt Clark, Jennifer Billingsley as the love interest and R.G. Armstrong as one of the big moonshiners. The film offers up a great mix of comedy and action and there's no question that the car chases are its main entertainment. There are a lot of wrecks and crashes and all of this was perfectly captured and it makes for a pretty entertaining slice of Hollywood's thoughts of what the South was.

Uriah43 While serving time in an Arkansas prison for running illegal moonshine, "Gator McClusky" (Burt Reynolds) is told that his younger brother has been killed by a corrupt sheriff named "J. C. Connors" (Ned Beatty). He also finds out that this particular sheriff has been receiving money from the local bootleggers so that they continue their illegal operations. With that in mind, Gator decides to cooperate with federal agents who are only too willing to grant him an early release from prison in order to nail this crooked cop. First, however, Gator has to worm his way into the local moonshine operation of that particular area and because of the high degree of paranoia by those involved in the area this is not an easy thing to do. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a solid action film which relied heavily on violence and car chase scenes. Likewise, the acting was decent and the Southern scenery also benefited this picture to a certain degree as well. In short, while this certainly wasn't a great movie by any means it was still somewhat entertaining and I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.

stratowing I disagree with "helpless_dancer", from brokeback...um I mean Brokenbow, Oklahoma. I recently saw this movie after many years of not having seen a Burt Reynolds film. I'm quite certain my IQ is above that of a "coon dog", although maybe not as high someone from Oklahoma...yeee haaa...True- the STORY doesn't seek to explore some deep philosophical issue or impart profound wisdom to the viewer. It's not complicated, nor does it have twist & turns, and complex relationships filled with intrigue, mystery, and profound statements about the universe. No. Its enough story to carry the film's intent, which I believe is character & locale driven.Its a visual presentation that develops the "richness" of the locale... The texture,if you will. The humanness of the gritty, sweaty characters provides an emotional connection. You have the deep south, a small town, unpretentious acting, ordinary people, (yes some are 'rednecks'), good character acting, old 70's car chases on dusty dirt roads, etc. Its just good fun in a setting and style that you just don't see anymore in films.

lost-in-limbo Gator McKlusky who's serving time in an Arkansas prison, finds out his younger brother is murdered by the corrupt town Sheriff J.C Connors. Wanting revenge, he agrees with the terms of going undercover as a moonshine runner for the feds and informing them of any important information to put away Connors. However it's Gator's personal quest of his brother's death, which pushes him to test the boundaries and power that Connors owns.Quite likable, and truly a thick southern slice of crudely good ol' fun and rousing mishaps. Burt Reynolds' charismatic appeal was specially made for the part, and along side him is a terrifically well-served cast including the despicable Ned Betty, glorious Jennifer Billingsley, amusing Bo Hopkins, twitchy Matt Clark, live wire Diane Ladd and a rigid R.G Armstrong. Splendid line-up, but Reynolds was the real scene-stealer. The story might be a simple revenge tale with some currents involving racism and narrow-mindlessness, but it's a exhilarating pot boiler that's neatly drawn up with plenty of flesh hanging off it, and its zips onto one scene after another with burning conviction. Look out for an enjoyable reference to Don Siegel/Clint Eastwood's southern thriller "The Beguiled (1971)". The authenticity of the sweaty southern setting is beautifully captured with Edward Rosson's sharp photography doing the trick. Be it during the quiet moments, or the well-engineered, gut-busting brawls and blistering car chases. Even Charles Bernstein's wonderfully flavoured and titillating music arrangement dominates and goes a long way to cementing the film's potent personality. Director Joseph Sargent rapidly, rough n' tumble style, goes down well the tautly wry script and delivers the action with the right intensity. Amongst the tough suspense and sweet fooling, there are some genuinely moving scenes. Always compelling, and one of Reynolds best performances.