Burt Reynolds has never been better than he was as Gator McKlusky. A role so good he played it twice. Kino Lorber has released the first White Lightning in a beautiful and stacked Blu-ray special edition.
The Film
I love Smokey and the Bandit as much as the next person but when you’re talking Burt Reynolds starring as a bootlegger in a fast car taking down the man… give me White Lightning any day of the week and twice on Sunday. The Joseph Sargent-directed action film is as lean and mean a film to come out in the 1970s as there ever was.
Gator McKlusky (Reynolds) is in prison when he hears his younger brother has been murdered. Specifically, he’s been murdered by the County Sheriff J. C. Connors (Ned Beatty). McKlusky is out for vengeance and will work for the Feds to turn stool pigeon and use anyone and everyone to do so. Though McKlusky has met his match in Connors and the various proxies he must face off against to get his justice.
Make no mistake, White Lightning is as hard a piece of action that’s come out of the 1970s. This isn’t a “wink and a smile” Burt Reynolds venture but one that’s playing for keeps. The script’s biggest strength is its script. Screenwriter William W Norton manages to fill the story with characters with character. No one is ever left without something to play off or given really great juicy dialog. Look to Beatty’s Sheriff Connors whose every part Gator’s equal maybe even smarter. Or R.G. Armstrong’s Big Bear, Connor’s partner in criminality, whose character is someone Gator must reckon.
Director Joseph Sargent brings the same sort of lean economical directorial style that made The Taking of Pelham 123the masterpiece of tension it is. White Lightning is imbued with less drive, but it gains that character-based Southern Falkner style where people are sitting around being and existing in a way that reveals character masked perfectly. Though make no mistake when the film shifts into an action set piece the film soars. There’s a lean punchy style that Sargent and the stunt men led by Hal Needham give the action that would be a signature of a Reynolds picture.
Though White Lightning would not be the masterpiece it is without the star power and charisma of one Burt Reynolds. The film is the type of movie you show to someone who isn’t a Reynolds fan to either shut them up or make them a fan. Either way, Reynolds in White Lightning is in full-on hungry superstar mode to be on the rise. It isn’t just the way Reynolds performs during action scenes. It is the way that the star interacts with everyone in the entire picture. There isn’t a performer that takes any scene from him. Beatty, Connors, and Matt Clark all try to take scenes from under Burt but fail. Though Jennifer Billingsley as Gator’s paramour Lou comes close with her southern wildflower that charms Gator and the audience. Reynolds as Gator is such a force to reckon with that it’s undeniable, that he was destined to be a Superstar after this performance.
Fifty years later White Lightning remains a perfect piece of action filmmaking.
The Transfer
Kino Lorber has treated White Lightning with the care and respect they have with any of their biggest titles. The image is clean and free of any dirt, hair, specks, or scratches throughout its runtime. They’ve wisely kept the film’s grain structure intact which leads to a truer representation of how the film was shot and produced. Fans of the film will be excited to revisit this upgraded transfer for the film.
The Extras
They include the following;
- NEW Audio Commentary by Film Historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson
- Back to the Bayou: Part I – Interview with Star Burt Reynolds
- TV and Radio Spots
- Theatrical Trailer
The all-new Audio Commentary by Film Historians Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson opens with Thompson discussing he grew up in Georgia and his affinity for the film. Some of the details include the misspelling of Diane Ladd’s name in the title sequence; the filming locations for this production; the fact that the film was produced in the summer and the problems with that time in the south; the building of a good villain in Ned Beatty here – which leads to a larger discussion of Beatty as a performer; a discussion of the Cosmo Centerfold picture of Reynolds and its place in pop culture at the time and in the future; the history of the “moonshine” subgenre – where White Lightning comes into the subgenre both in time and quality; Reynolds’ stunt work here and throughout his career – which leads to a larger discussion about Reynolds sports career in college; the fact this was originally to be directed by Steven Spielberg – and the reasons why he dropped out of the project; the hiring of Joseph Sargent; Reynolds stardom at the time and his relationship with his fans at the time; the surprise box office success of the film – both in the south and in the north; a larger discussion of the work of director Joseph Sargent – and a larger discussion of Sargent’s career; a larger discussion throughout the track about of the various actors that were cast including various details about their career; and much more. Mitchell and Thompson deliver another winning track that’s a great mixture of informational (with some great quotes from various sources), anecdotal, and personal.
Back to the Bayou: Part I – Interview with Star Burt Reynolds (9:55) – in this great interview Reynolds discusses the origins of the project and how Spielberg was initially set to direct but panic set in and eventually Joseph Sargent was hired. Some of the great details include screenwriter Richard Norton was an ex-gunrunner and spent time in prison; Hal Needham working on the picture – some great anecdotes about the legend; some great stories about the production stunt work; and much more. Reynolds is an utter charming delight speaking about one of his truly great films – for him and for audiences.
TV Spots (3:44) – 5 TV Spots
Radio Spots (1:05) – two radio spots play over the original poster art for the film.
Rounding out the special features are trailers for White Lightning (2:26); Gator (1:09); Fuzz (2:59); The Longest Yard (4:04); Hustle (3:14); Semi-Tough (2:11)
The Final Thought
White Lightning is a stone-cold classic. Kino has treated as such with this excellent Blu-ray edition. Highest Possible Recommendations!!!