"The Wilby Conspiracy" is a strange film--there's no way around that. Now this isn't to say it's bad, but its unpredictability and very unusual plot left me feeling a bit bowled over by the whole thing.The first portion of the film looked a bit like a re-working of the Sidney Poitier-Tony Curtis film "The Defiant Ones" and according to IMDb, the studio played this up to the hilt. Portier has spent the last ten years as a political prisoner in a South African jail and has just received his release. As he and his lawyer and Michael Caine (who has no discernible reason for being there) leave the court, they are attacked by police and he and Caine beat the crap out of the two cops. Naturally, this is NOT going to make the rest of the police happy and the two men are now on the run. But it's not exactly like the earlier film--they are NOT handcuffed together and the don't hate each other.The film abruptly changes and moves into very strange territory. It then becomes a film all about the smuggling of diamonds to the rebels outside of South Africa. And, for much of the rest of the film there are plots, counter-plots and a lot of action near the end. It's all pretty interesting--just not what I'd expected. And while it is obviously an anti-Apartheid film, the message is a bit lost (at times) in the process. In other words, it's not as clearly anti-Apartheid as later films such as "A Dry White Season" or "Biko". This isn't a complaint--more just an observation about the overall tone of the film. I did enjoy it--it certainly was entertaining. My only complaint is that there were two sex scenes that seemed to have absolutely no reason for being there. I am not a prude--it just looked a bit sloppy and pointless. Still, with the rest of the film being rather strong, this can easily be overlooked.By the way, if you care, this is Rutger Hauer's first non-Dutch film.

The years in which South Africa was under the Apartheid rule are viewed in this film of 1975 directed by Ralph Nelson. We watched it recently on what appears to be a remastered DVD that has a great look, something that other films from that era have not kept.The story involves a man, Shack Twala, that has served ten years in Robben Island, where most political prisoners were sent, for being a voice that was a threat for the white ruling class. Shack Twala's lawyer, Rina Van Niekirk, makes a case for the violation of human rights being taken away from him, and surprisingly enough, the prisoner is set free. Happiness for his release is only short lived. As Rina, her boyfriend, Jim Keogh, and Twala go downtown, their car is stopped and the police apprehend the just released man again.There were forces in higher places that did not take lightly the fact that a black man would get away, because they understood that Twala would naturally try to go North to the friendly Bostwana, to get away from his tormentors. Major Horn, one of the most cruel men in the police force, follows Keogh and Twala as they move up North, a chase that will bring them to a final battle in which justice will prevail.Not having seen this film, we were interesting in watching the duo formed by Sidney Poitier and Michael Caine, two excellent actors in an action film that is never dull. Mr. Poitier has a steamy scene with the gorgeous Persis Khambatta in a closet, as he is being sought by the police. Saeed Jaffrey offers some comic relief with his dentist Mukerjee. Nicol Williamson plays Major Horn.The film, for obvious reasons, could not have been shot in South Africa, so Kenya was used for the exterior photography by John Coquillon, who gets the beauty, and barrenness of the country it tries to stand for.

I remember when this first came out. It was part of the sweep of outrage that eventually ended the regime.That was in the day when South Africa tortured prisoners and suspended justice in other ways in the name of fighting terrorism, and the US did not. Seeing it today gives a whole different film experience so far as the story. I'm seeing a lot of these right now... films that are different now than they could have been. More powerful in a way.There's another haunting experience here. Persis Khambatta plays a secondary role. In a better script (this one is pretty bad) she would be an interesting character. She isn't here. But she sure is beautiful. For those who don't know, she was Miss India ten years earlier. They take their beauty contests very seriously there, and there are now "talent" considerations. It should be no surprise that she is a poor actress. But I think she deserved a better life than she got. She played the pretty girl is a few movies. Then had a minor role in Start Trek when it was dying. She was in a car accident which ruined her face. She died of a heart attach at 47, penniless and alone. Seeing her here is sad, adding to the other sadnesses surrounding this tale.Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

A fun politically charged, fast-paced action drama. No politically correct dialog here, as the principals give no quarter when the name calling and racial badgering ensues. A White man and a Black man are thrown together on a political twist of fate and have to overcome their mutual disdain for one another if either of them is to survive. Caine and Poitier, in my humble estimation, do a bang-up job of fulfilling the requirements of their respective roles. Neither widely known nor often mentioned, Prunella Gee does a nice job as Caine's sweetheart and Poitier's legal/political confidant, especially as it pertains to her keeping the peace between them so that they can achieve the task at hand.What is also interesting is to see that even though Indian people and indigenous Blacks were similarly discriminated against in S. Africa (esp. during apartheid), there is still racial friction between those two groups. Not particularly earth-shattering news to many people, but a subject not often underscored in most modern cinematic fare.If you like political melodrama with good plot development and plenty of action, you should like this one.