White Lightning (1973)
★★★ — White Lightning (1973)
White Lightning arrived at precisely the right moment for Burt Reynolds, sitting between his breakout in Deliverance (1972) and the runaway success of Smokey and the Bandit (1977), and it arguably laid the groundwork for the good-ol'-boy persona he'd spend the rest of the decade refining. Directed by Joseph Sargent (perhaps better known for The Taking of Pelham One Two Three the following year), the film was produced by Levy-Gardner-Laven for United Artists and shot largely on location in Arkansas, giving it a genuine bayou texture that studio backlots couldn't have replicated. The early 1970s Southern action picture was a modest but commercially reliable genre, and this one proved no exception, performing well enough to prompt a sequel, Gator, in 1976, which Reynolds himself directed.
Big muscle cars, southern moonshine bonanza. Burt Reynolds knows how to make those southern movies. Great car scenes. Perfect for an old gear head like me. Soundtrack was great. Generally the movie was a little predictable but it's good old fashioned cinema.
Rating: ★★★ | Year: 1973 | Watched: 2025-04-25
Where to watch (UK)
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Physical: Amazon UK
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Related on Movies With Macca
More with Burt Reynolds: Smokey and the Bandit (1977) · The Cannonball Run (1981)
More from the 1970s: Fantastic Planet (1973) · Here and Elsewhere (1976) · Italianamerican (1974) · Punishment Park (1971)
More drama: Viy (1967) · Wonder (2017) · A Better Tomorrow (1986) · Beautiful Boy (2018)
More action: A Better Tomorrow (1986) · The General (1926) · Hand of Death (1976) · Daredevil (2003)
