MovieChat Forums > Fight for Your Life (1980) Discussion > disturbing?

disturbing?

posted 17 years ago by jordinho_efc
13 replies | jump to latest

i have read quite a few reviews, watched the trailer and looked at this forum. I think the trailer made the film look like I would enjoy it. Im in britain now so its not easy to get hold of. I've heard it was banned due to the racism mostly but I just want to know, is this film disturbing in any way? I know there are a few deaths and all but was anyone shocked or disturbed. Ive seen Salo and AU mordum and thought they were disturbing but I could handle it. Does this even compare???

[–] Xcalat3 17 years ago

just very weird

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[–] jordinho_efc 17 years ago

number 1 on my wishlist i gotta see this anyone got any links?

[–] captainloco 17 years ago

I remember this film. The weirdest scene has to be the father bible whipping one of the intruders. LOL! I think it was that guy that played Larry with the two brothers named Darryl on the Bob Newhart show. LOL!

[–] sljones44 17 years ago

A unique film that on the surface is a throw-away exploitation flick, but actually is a debate between 60s idealism and late 70s violent vigilantism. The reverend is coerced into becoming violent in order to survive, while the "institution" (police ) can only stand by, then purposely fail to interfere in the revenge of the family.

(spoiler) the scene where the child has his head bashed in and is whimpering the last throes of life was one of the worst things ever captured on film.

[–] MovieCriticMarvelfan 17 years ago

Everyone has their opinion. For me it's a mixture of both exploitation with some themes on racism, the prison system, etc. There are clearly many parts of the film there to shock the viewer and some are littered with bad taste (dog peeing on criminal) I guess meant as comic relief. These criminals wouldn't know a good debate if they had one. Jessie is a lowlife criminal clearly mad over his time in prison and the fact that his father was also a loser like him. The cops are made to look like idiots...and near the end that scene with the family "freeing" themselves temporarily from their captors is done so poorly I laughed especially with that 70's soundtrack.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] Dark_Star_69 16 years ago

The worst parts of this movie for me wasn't the racism, as the racist get what's coming to them at the end; The worst part is what happens to the children in the movie.

Also, you can get this film on Amazon in the UK for around £5 inc P&P. It's the US Blue Underground version, for a few pounds more you can buy it with the brilliant Larry Cohen movie BONE.

[–] freudified_n_funkified 16 years ago

BONE is amazing and would make a great double feature with FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE, which isn't "disturbing", per se, by today's standards but I think the aggression is much more trying than the violence. And I agree - what all the kids have to witness and experience are the harshest parts. The reaching implications of the rape and what the son had to go through, if one is so inclined to go there, are pretty awful. I did think the intensity of sequences in the Turner home was betrayed by the parallel police investigation.

[–] holt-lover 16 years ago

This movie tried to be disturbing but in the end the whole thing felt so unrealistic and cartoonish it was hard to take it seriously. This movie probably gets its notoriety from the racial theme because the violence isnt any worse than whats in your average "Death Wish" movie. One of the curious things about this is there are two trailers in the extra section labeled "white" trailer and "black" trailer- each has a different name for the movie and approach- kind of funny and really dated.

[–] Eighty_One_Satanic_Markings 16 years ago

There are some disturbing moments, I don't want to spoil it for you but to me the most disturbing involves a toddler.

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[–] Isnam777 12 years ago

I think it's pretty tame compared to films like Salo, which is a very artsy (if abstract) approach to political oppression. It also doesn't have any scenes that are worst then what you might see in the August Underground trilogy, but it's blaxploitation approach to the subject of racism is done in a serious manner, even if there are some scenes of unintentional humor, is unique. I agree the the only real "shocking" and "disturbing" aspects of the film is the aggression from the criminals and the racism from the ring leader. The gun to the baby's head was a tense scene that showed even the ring leader's henchmen aren't willing to be that evil. That's as best as I can explain it.

Peace is not the absence of affliction, but the presence of God. ~Author Unknown

[–] ElectricWarlock 10 years ago

Yes, I think it is very disturbing. It felt very authentic to me because it felt like something that could easily happen to any one of us in real life. I think it was well written, the characters were believable and realistic. Not once did I disbelieve anything in the film and felt very sorry for the characters because it felt like you were watching it actually happen to real people rather than just a film. It also has the same sleazy atmosphere of similar films like I Spit on Your Grave. I enjoy the movie very much.

Death lives in the Vault of Horror!

[–] Mrmojo4700 (20441) 2 years ago

That’s about right. After the Asian convict bashes the young kid’s head in with a rock you get the feeling anything could happen. This really is an odd film.