Ashanti (1979) User Reviews

Michael Caine says it's his worst film. He's wrong - by a fair margin, too - though it's certainly a mediocre work.

[barnabyrudge · 4/10 · 5 January 2005]

Michael Caine has always claimed that Ashanti was "the only film (he) did purely for the money" as well as "the worst film he ever starred in". Hold on, Michael, weren't you in The Swarm and Hurry Sundown? And weren't both of those films a good deal worse than Ashanti? Perhaps Caine remembers only too begrudgingly the physically punishing demands of filming an action film in searing 130 degrees Fahrenheit temperatures (the director, Richard Fleischer, was hospitalised as a result of sun-stroke during the shoot). What Ashanti actually emerges as is not the career low-point of Michael Caine. Instead, it is a very average chase thriller with a talented cast, exotic locations, boring stretches and a highly formulaic storyline.

Dr. David Linderby (Caine) is a W.H.O medic who is left devastated when his black wife Anansa (Beverly Johnson) goes missing during an aid trip to an African tribal village. Linderby gradually realises that his wife has been snatched by slave traders - led by Suleiman (Peter Ustinov) - and he sets off on a continent-wide pursuit which eventually leads to the Middle East.

Along the way, big stars pop in for ineffective and superfluous guest roles. William Holden has a poor cameo as a chopper pilot; Omar Sharif displays little of his customary charm or grace as a pampered Arab millionaire; Rex Harrison looks rightfully bored during his brief role as a helpful contact who assists Caine in his quest. The film is based on a best-seller entitled Ebano, by the little-known author Alberto Vasquez-Figueroa, but the suspense that made the book so popular is largely absent in this adaptation. Ustinov is charismatic as the slaver (he seems in all his movies to be incapable of giving bad performances), and Caine generates believable anguish as the man who thinks he'll never see his wife again. There are occasional flashes of action, but on the whole Ashanti is quite slow-moving. All in all, it is a resistible piece of action hokum - not by any stretch as awful as Caine has frequently suggested, but not a very inspiring film and certainly a let-down from all the talent involved.

Not that bad

[807 · 5/10 · 10 August 2009]

Beverly Johnson and Michael Caine as an interracial marriage of doctors try to help some African kids when the woman is abducted by a ruthless slave hunter (Peter Ustinov). Seeing that the local officials are not too willing to do anything about it, Caine decides to take the justice into his own hands and starts chasing Ustinov across the vast deserts of Maghreb.

Despite all the warnings, not that bad movie. The pace is somewhat slow, and the acting somewhat absent (though both Malik and Ustinov try to do their best), but generally, an acceptable filler on a rainy afternoon. The high points are the shots of North African desert and the Omar Shariff's short appearance.

Beverly Johnson is pretty chick, but she's seen only periodically (still she has one scene of full frontal nudity, although very brief). And the grimy subject definitely deserved a better treatment. All in all, not a definitely bad movie; just nothing really memorable, exceptional and shining here. 5/10.

Poor, yet not as bad as Caine says

[mcnpauls · 4/10 · 19 November 2006]

I saw this recently with my wife and discovered it's better than Caine believes, although it's not much cop. Britain's greatest ever screen actor does not seem too interested in this role, which is a pity as he might have elevated it with more conviction in his playing. Rex Harrison seems even less bothered, perhaps unsurprisingly, as his character is very poorly written. William Holden is better, but his screen time is fleeting and, again, his character is not well scripted.

Beverly Johnson is as beautiful a woman as I have ever seen, but is given very little to do, the film might have gained a great deal by concentrating more on her story. Ustinov steals the show, but basically by playing a comic character quite out of keeping with the film's serious tone. The music is poor and Omar Sharif makes one of his many pointless cameos (his career has been based on this for decades now).

Richard Fleischer has to be blamed for not directing this more effectively, he was an infuriatingly unpredictable film director, and this is one of his weaker movies.

What happened here?

[malcp · 5/10 · 25 February 2008]

A woeful lack of pace and equally thin if thankfully minor roles for some notable actors (Harrison, Holden and Sharif) could perhaps be excused if the story was told well enough for us to care about the main events. Despite the inclusion of strong language, violence, cruelty, and even some great acting, this film comes across as an insipid, mediocre and at times almost lighthearted look at the 20th century slave trade. Ustinov plays his role as the evil Suleiman with so much relish, you can't help but like him as one of the few characters with any real depth. Caine works tirelessly to try to pad out his matchstick thin role, but is let down again and again by weak plotting, tedious dialogue and non-existent direction. Is anyone convinced that the child slaves in the desert are as bothered about their situation as he is? Is he really as worried about his wife's situation as Harrison, Holden and Bedi? There are a lot worse films, but few with such a potentially stirring story handled so feebly.

Watchable Enough Though It's Easy To See That Caine Dislikes It

[Theo Robertson · 6/10 · 23 December 2005]

ASHANTI is a somewhat typical movie from the late 70s/early 80s starring Michael Caine . It's certainly watchable in an undemanding way but no more than that but neither is it bad enough to be virtually disowned by its star .

The story itself is intriguing an Afro-American doctor working for the UN is kidnapped by slave traders and it's up to her English born husband to track down the kidnapped woman . I guess the movie could have concerned itself more as to dispelling or building myths about the present day slave trade but it's not that type of movie and rightly concentrates on action and adventure

One can't help thinking that maybe Caine's dislike of the movie is down to the fact that he's playing a hero and as everyone knows heroes are by their very nature boring . Undoubtedly Malik played by Indian actor Kabir Bedi is the most interesting character while Peter Ustinov as Sulimen gets by far the best lines and scenes like " A father , a father , a father " . Very frequently Caine gives the impression that as soon as the movie is finished and the cheque is in the bank he'll be firing his agent

ASHANTI is a movie that demands very little from and offers little to its audience except to sit back and be enthralled . Film buffs might complain that this is a poor movie considering it was directed by the legendary Richard Fleischer , well maybe but I think the only thing the director can be criticised for is casting an obviously unwell William Holden in a needless cameo

Actors Boredom Transferred To The Audience

[bkoganbing · 3/10 · 8 August 2008]

If Ashanti had been a serious attempt at a film about the institution of slavery, still prevalent in third world countries the film might have been better received. Instead it turns into a star studded disaster of a movie where the stars came in, said their lines, and picked up their paychecks without much conviction.

Michael Caine and his wife Beverly Johnson work for the United Nations World Health Organization and are busy doing their humanitarian thing in East Africa. Along comes Peter Ustinov who can barely summon enough ham in him to make a go of the part as a Moslem slave dealer. As Johnson is black he grabs her anyway along with a lot of children and a few adults as well.

Of course Caine doesn't take kindly to the kidnapping and the rest of the film is spent in a rescue attempt. The rest of the cast has such folks as William Holden, Rex Harrison, Omar Sharif and Indian film star Kebir Bedi in parts and looking so incredibly bored with the whole thing.

Usually in something like this talented people like those mentioned above will just overact outrageously and feast on a diet of scenery. But Ashanti doesn't even have that going for it.

What an incredible waste of time. The aroma of tax write off is permeating the air.

"The worst, most wretched film I ever made."

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 13 December 2020]

The above quote is from Michael Caine, who starred in "Ashanti"...a film he said he only did for money and which was pretty much crap! But is it really that bad or was Caine just using a bit of hyperbole?

After seeing "Ashanti", I could see that it was a far from perfect movie. But I really wonder if Caine's hatred of the movie is possibly more because of the hellish shooting locations as well as his rather unexciting character. After all, being in the desert with temperatures approaching 130 (about 55C) would be absolutely horrible and I am amazed that he agreed to make a movie in such conditions. Plus his character seemed a bit like an observer than an actual participant most of the story.

When the movie begins, Drs. David and Anansa Linderby are working in rural Africa...treating the locals for a variety of medical issues. Unfortunately, when Anansa is out bathing, she's taken prisoner by slave traders and they set off with her and other unfortunates across the continent. Her husband is determined to catch up with the slavers and rescue his wife, though he isn't exactly thinking clearly, as the trek will take him across the Sahara AND when he does find someone crazy enough to do it, it's only him and the guide against the slave traders! And, to make it worse, David is not exactly an action hero...in fact, he's pretty useless when it comes to violence. Can they possibly catch up to them AND what will they do if they do find them?

As I already alluded to, this is NOT a terrible film. It takes on slavery which is STILL a problem despite it receiving very little publicity...and the film does show that this sick industry still exists. This is a major plus. And, the story is modestly entertaining and worth seeing. However, I'll also point out that sometimes the story makes little sense and it is silly seeing Peter Ustinov cast as a Muslim slave trader...he just seemed rather out of place here. Worth seeing but hardly a must-see.

By the way, the best performance in the film was Kabir Bedi as Malik...the man who helps the Doctor. He was exceptional and I'd like to see him in more movies. Sadly, most of the other actors were underwritten.

Even the actors cannot save it

[dbdumonteil · 25 December 2007]

With "Ashanti", Richard Fleischer,one of the most talented (and underrated)American directors hit rock bottom.Was it the same man who made "Clay Pidgeon" and "Follow me quietly" (early period) ,"Violent Saturday" and "the Vikings" (middle) and finally reached a breath-taking maturity with "The Boston Strangler" "10 Rillington Place " or "Solyent green" (which contains what might be the most moving scene in the American movies of the seventies:the death of E.G.Robinson)."Solyent green" was also Fleischer's death as an artist;there's simply not one movie worth seeking out afterward:"Mandingo" "the Don is dead" (A poor man's "Godfather" where Fleischer met up with Quinn he had already directed in his remarkable "Barabba" ) "Conan" or "Amytiville (3D!) are dreadful stuff.

"Ashanti" is no exception in Fleischer's dismal final years.The slave trade which still exists today was a good subject though;after "Mandingo" why not "Ashanti"?But James Mason could not save that movie ;Both Ustinov and Caine ,two veterans of the English cinema ,cannot save "Ashanti.Peter Ustinov gives a tongue in cheek performance,knowing that the only way to deal with such a screenplay is not to take it seriously.Even Omar Sharif comes to the rescue (so to speak).It seems the one mistake that the slave trader made is to have abducted an educated woman (a doctor!).

Too bad a subject so serious should be botched that way.

a cheap-feeling, much-maligned revisit of David Lean territory

[Aylmer · 5/10 · 27 September 2013]

ASHANTI is one of those films that has plenty of excellent little moments (Caine rescuing the children and having to abandon them in the desert, the small boy's and the gorgeous Ms. Johnson's escape attempt, and Kabir Bedi getting revenge on an old enemy) but overall is a fairly dreadful mess of a film. The main problem is in its execution. Nobody seems too excited about this potentially quite exciting material, including the director and most of the cast.

Although he does steal the film, Peter Ustinov feels tremendously out of place to me as he channels a lot of the same larger-than-life pathetic / comedic energy he displayed as the villain in Disney's animated ROBIN HOOD and as the Caliph in THE THIEF OF BAGHDAD made around the same time. It just doesn't fit in with the dark and serious undertones of the film, and how everyone else underplays as much as he overplays.

The direction by the usually reliable Richard Fleischer is adequate but filled with moments of bizarre incompetence, such as the final showdown on the boat with Bedi just standing there waiting to get shot. There's plenty of other flaws including some bad dubbing, poor special effects involving an airplane crash, a dreary and dated musical score, and a lot of uninspired cinematography.

While the cast is certainly top notch, featuring Omar Sharif returning to LAWRENCE OF ARABIA territory along with the Indian actor he famously shot at the beginning of that movie (marking the start of his international career), most of the performances are unbelievably weak. Rex Harrison and William Holden seem wholly unenthusiastic about every bit of dialog, while star Michael Caine goes through the entire film with an annoyed wince on his face, like he just can't wait to cash his paycheck and get back to England and out of the sun.

Nicely, this film takes place almost entirely outdoors and showcases some splendid African locations. The pacing is fairly leaden but picks up later in the film, and Kabir Bedi's performance as Caine's vengeful guide ranks among his best and gives the film an air of gravity and authenticity. Not to mention Beverly Johnson is one of the most outrageously attractive women ever filmed, so her scenes alone are worth the price of admission.

Writer Alberto Vasquez Figueroa covered similar ground involving modern slavery in the period pieces MANAOS and IGUANA which are both worth checking out for those lucky enough to find them. He also wrote TUAREG THE DESERT WARRIOR, one of the few more original Italian B-movies from the early 80's (as in not an obvious cash-in) featuring some similarly fascinating expose on North African culture, though distilled into cheap action movie conventions and the odd casting of NCIS's Mark Harmon as an African chieftain (??)! Of all Figueroa's works, this may be the one to reach the widest theatrical audience and fail the hardest, but I can appreciate it along with all his other works for their relative originality.

Well, it certainly isn't Lawrence of Arabia but..

[ColonelFaulkner · 7/10 · 21 May 2011]

..it wasn't all that bad. 'Ashanti' has contrivance, plot holes, implausibility and more, not to mention plenty of cliché and stereotyping, while a single sentence can describe the plot; 'White husband pursues across Africa his hot black wife and her abductors who intend to sell her into slavery to wealthy Arabs'. Done. I wasn't expecting a whole lot, but actually I found this quite watchable and pretty entertaining.

Certainly it isn't great and I may even be being slightly generous in giving it a seven, but it was pretty light, didn't seem to take itself too seriously and if other viewers don't take it too seriously either then I doubt they'll be disappointed. Sure, this will never make any 'must see' list, but it wasn't a waste of a couple of hours and Michael Caine was far too harsh in his own criticisms of it. He must have had bigger expectations of it being some epic which it didn't live up to.

It's worth a look.

There's a reason you've never heard of this movie

[Wuchakk · 5/10 · 13 March 2014]

"Ashanti" has loads going for it: Released in 1979, it was directed by Richard Fleischer and stars Michael Caine with an impressive supporting cast, including Peter Ustinov, Omar Shariff, William Holden and Rex Harrison (the latter three in very minor roles). If you're into exotic women there's Beverly Johnson, not to mention great exotic locations -- Israel, Kenya and Sicily (although much of the story takes place in the Sahara Desert). Caine's co-star, Kabir Bedi, is impressive as well.

The story addresses modern-day slavery. Caine's black wife is apprehended by slave-traders and he chases them across the Sahara Desert all the way to the Red Sea. I know of two beautiful women who completely disappeared abroad. What happened to them? Were they apprehended by slavers? Did they become sex slaves? No one knows. The film illustrates this very-real possibility.

"Ashanti" plays like a wannabe "Lawrence of Arabia" but doesn't even come close. It's marred by a horribly dated 70s score whereas the score to "Lawrence" is timeless (even though it's older by about 17 years!!). Plus, "Lawrence" is believable from beginning to end, whereas I found myself mumbling "Yeah, right" numerous times while watching "Ashanti." In other words, too many scenes come off unconvincing or slightly awkward.

BOTTOM LINE: "Ashanti" sounds great on paper but they needed to take more time in the creation process to work out the kinks in the writing, acting, directing and score.

Still, the locations are great, there is a lot of action and the film provokes thought on an important subject. It's definitely worth picking up if you're a Caine fan or if you're into desert-survival flicks, especially since it's so cheap. Same thing if you favor Beverly Johnson (who's not the greatest actress). It's quite a bit better than Caine's similar African adventure "The Wilby Conspiracy" (1975).

The DVD features only a full screen version but the picture is quite good. Unfortunately the menu is cheap, featuring only "Play Movie" and "Trailer;" there isn't even a scene selection option.

GRADE: C

Excellent adventure, slightly predictable, wonderful acting

[rochvelleth · 9/10 · 6 August 2006]

Ashanti is a very 70s sort of film (1979, to be precise). It reminded me of The Wild Geese in a way (Richard Burton, Richard Harris and Roger Moore on a mission in Africa). It's a very good film too, and I enjoyed it a lot.

David (Michael Caine) is a doctor working in Africa and is married to a beautiful Ashanti woman called Anansa (Beverley Johnson) who has trained in medicine in America and is also a doctor. While they're doctoring, one day she is snatched by slavers working for an Arabic slave trader called Suleiman (played perfectly by Peter Ustinov, of all people). The rest of the film is David trying to get her back.

Michael Caine is a brilliant actor, of course, and plays a character who is very determined and prepared to do anything to get his wife back, but rather hopeless with a gun and action stuff. He's helped out first by a Englishman campaigning against the slave trade that no one acknowledges is going on (Rex Harrison!), then briefly by a helicopter pilot (William Holden), and then by an Arab called Malik (Kabir Bedi). Malik has a score to settle with Suleiman (he is very intense throughout, a very engaging character), and so rides off with David to find him and get Anansa back - this involves a wonderful scene in which David fails miserably to get on his camel.

Then there's lots of adventure. There's also lots of morality-questioning. The progress of the story is a little predictable from this point, and there are a few liberties taken with plotting to move things along faster, but it's all pretty forgivable. The question is, will David get to Anansa before Peter Ustinov sells her on to Omar Sharif (yes, of course Omar Sharif is in it!)?

Exotic as well as entertaining adventure movie based on a novel by the Spanish writer Alberto Vazquez-Figueroa

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 19 March 2013]

¨Ashanti , land of no mercy¨ is an amusing picture with great loads of action , thrills , violence and adventures . It has a passable direction by Richard Fleischer , a superb casting and spectacular scenarios .The picture begins in the following sentence : ¨ Slavery stills exists today ,thousands of people disappeared in Africa last year . This story is based on fact ¨. The film's "Ashanti" title refers to the name of a proud African tribe who fought the Dutch and British armies during the 18th and 19th Centuries , the descendants survived to form the modern African state of Ghana . It deals with a doctor named David Linder (Michael Caine) along with his wife Anansa Linderby (top-model Beverly Johnson, she also was the only female character in the cast) acting as missionary in a medical mission in Africa . When the wife is kidnapped by a slave trader named Suleiman (Peter Ustinov, publicity for the film stated the part was Ustinov's first out-and-out bad guy role in his then thirty-year-long career) begins a relentless pursuit . From this moment the doctor finds himself alone in a battle to rescue her from a band of slave traders . The chase spans many Middle Estern countries and starts to look bleak for our man . Later on , David is helped by Malik (Kabir Bedi of Sandokan ; though Omar Sharif was originally going to play this type role of desert-guide Malik but had to bow out ; instead, Sharif played the smaller role of Prince Hassan), an expert Arab seeking vendetta . Only two men could rescue her , one driven by love, the other by revenge.

In this weak film there are thriller , suspense , emotion , frenetic action and for that reason is amusing . Apparently, the flick is actually allegedly based on a real true-life story . This adventure movie also contains fantastic elements as when the sorcerer boy kills a nasty and has gorgeous moments when the desert pursuit and there appear slavering children . This movie about modern slave-trading was developed, made and released right on the heels of ¨Roots¨, a popular high-rating television series about historical slavery . On a hand it is an enjoyable adventure film , including usual ingredients : deserts , camels , jungles , oasis , Tuaregs and many other things . On the other hand the valuable cast and promising screenplay are undone by sometimes slow pace . The picture is based on a novel with same title by successful Spanish author , an adventure expert and prolific author called Alberto Vazquez Figueroa who gets numerous cinematographic adaptations such as ¨Manaos¨ , ¨The Iguana¨ , ¨Ocean¨ , ¨Oro Negro¨ and ¨Rottweiler¨ . Publicity for this picture stated that the United Nations had at the time the film was theatrically released a Special Committee on Slavery operating within the UN's Human Rights Division. Factual reports on slavery presented to the UN were a key source when author Alberto Vázquez Figueroa wrote this movie's source 1975 novel "Ebano". The picture was distributed by two studios, Warner Brothers and Columbia Pictures, depending on the territory . Excellent and talented cast as Michael Caine as an unexperienced man who faces off extraordinary dangers , he has said many times that he acted in this film purely for monetary reasons and considers it the worst project , most wretched film he's ever done . In addition , gorgeous supermodel turned actress Beverley Johnson was the first ever African-American model to be featured on the cover of "Vogue" magazine in 1974 . Peter Ustinov goes through familiar role as the villain as well as Omar Sharif . While top-stars are really wasted as Rex Harrison and William Holden as a mercenary , helicopter pilot have little more than cameo characters , this is one of the final feature films for both actors . William Holden accepted a lowly seventh billed role on this picture so he could work on location in his beloved Africa where he owned a safari club . Furthermore , Johnny Sekka , Jean-Luc Bideau and veteran Eric Pohlmann as a swarthy portly man in one of his last acting . Colorful and shimmer cinematography by the Italian Aldo Tonti filmed on location in Israel , Kenya and Sicily, Italy and scenes set in the Sahara Desert in North Africa were actually filmed in the Sinai Desert in Egypt. Director Fleischer and cinematographer Tonti previously worked together on Barrabás . Functional musical score though composed by a TV composer by means of synthesizer .

The motion picture was middling directed by veteran filmmaker Richard Fleischer who replaced Richard C. Sarafian, the film's original director, who dropped out of the production, though the action is in his safe hands . About four years prior to this picture, Richard Fleischer directed another film about slavery called Mandingo. Richard has directed all type of genres , such as classic adventure : ¨Vikings¨ , ¨20.000 leagues under sea¨ , noir cinema : ¨Narrow margin¨, ¨Clay pigeons¨, ¨Trapped¨ and Sci Fi : ¨Fantastic voyage¨ , ¨Soylent Green¨ . However , ¨Ashanti¨ resulted to be a failure at the international Box office , being today better considered .

Films like this remind us that a good hobby is essential

[screenman · 3/10 · 19 March 2006]

There seem to have been any number of films like this released during the 70's. And the fact that I cannot recollect the title to a single one of them off-hand is a measure of their impact. These are what novelists would call 'pot-boilers'. They are scarcely more than a vehicle for keeping movie-stars in the public eye.

We have Micheal Caine, Peter Ustinov, Omar Sharif, Rex Harrison and William Holden; more than enough names to get bums on cinema seats. Every taste in hero is catered for. Though one suspects that most of the audience still went away disappointed.

Their talents are simply thrown away, and I wonder that stars with so much money and such reputation can be yet so desperate or lacking in good sense. This sort of movie hardly adds gilding to a CV. Sometimes maybe actors should choose their director instead of the other way round.

It was pretty obvious that it would be crap even from the outset. That ludicrously mismatched jaunty-jazz theme music, which also percolated up every time some incidental noise is needed, had all the atmospheric conviction of elevator Muzak. Who imagined employing a jazz band when a scene depicted the steamy jungles of central Africa, or the endless Sahara with camels and palms as a backdrop? Definitely a serious goof-ball. Ennio Morricone would have known what to do; and his results would have oozed enough atmosphere and tension to raise my rating a good two points. This director should have taken the trouble to watch 'Lawrence of Arabia', or even Sergio Leone's westerns; he might have learnt a few things. But then again, probably he wouldn't.

Alfred Hitchcock played the disappearing wife theme to good effect in his film 'Frantic'. It was later remade with equal panache staring Harrison Ford. In each case the confusion surrounding her loss and the tension of the chase was tangible. Here, when Michael Caine might be otherwise compelled to employ a little brain and bravado, Rex Harrison kept popping-up out of no-where like some wily old genii, to put him back on track whenever the narrative stumbled.

At least the photography was rather good, with excellent use of the often beautiful environment. But then the dumb music must pipe-up and blow to atoms what little ambiance this created.

Action scenes were also contrived and stilted, with such ineptly choreographed fight sequences that they might have been staged in a first-year drama class. And, of course, the players must fight to a jazz accompaniment - as you do.

And that's about as much comment as this item deserves. Except to say that the script was pretty wretched as well.

Stick with your hobby on this one. Even if it contained your favourite movie-stars, you're sure to be disappointed too.

I found every moment of this film interesting and thought provoking.

[chemiche · 12 April 2000]

This is a film about modern day slavery and slave trade. At the same time it is a tale about love and how a person would go to all lengths to get back their loved one. Inter-racial marriage may be a touchy issue for some, but I found that it worked perfectly here. Dr. Anansa (a black woman) is kidnapped, and her husband ( a white man) spares nothing to get her back). When I watched the horrors that the captives endured it reminded me of the horrors that African captives endured over the centuries. This film brought out my emotions as I despised the human injustices portrayed. At the same time I could feel the love that the Linderby's had.

Hitting rock bottom

[MOscarbradley · 1/10 · 5 August 2007]

The worst, and chock full of people who really ought to know better, (the cast have six Oscars between them). It's set in 'contemporary' Africa, (it was made in 1979), and is about the slave trade. It's appallingly scripted and acted, (Michael Caine, Peter Ustinov and William Holden reach a career low in this one), and completely lacks excitement never mind any moral focus. It's also ludicrously plotted. You don't for a minute believe that any of the characters would behave in the way they do under these circumstances. Richard Fleischer directs but you get the impression it was over the telephone. This is as bad as it gets.

Good Cast in a Little Above Average Product

[ragosaal · 6/10 · 5 November 2006]

Richard Fleischer was a very prolific director with a simple style but he was brave enough to enter films in all genres ("The Vikings", "Barabbas", "Compulsion", "Blind Terror", "The Boston Strangler", "Soylent Green", "Tora, Tora, Tora") with very good and acceptable results indeed.

With "Ashanti" he gets a watchable film and a sort of testimonial one dealing with slavery in the XX Century as a pretty female Doctor rendering services for the United Nations among primitive tribes in Africa is kidnapped to be sold in the eastern Arabian markets; her husband goes on a long pursuit of the slave traders to recover her. Shoot in jungle and desert wide-open outdoor locations the film is sort of slow at times but it also has some good moments.

An all star cast is a plus. Michael Caine renders an acceptable performance as the willing husband and model Beverly Johnson does too as his abducted wife. Peter Ustinov steals the show as the fiendish chief slave dealer Suleiman in what is probably the most interesting character in the film. Rex Harrison and William Holden not at the peak of their careers back then make correct appearances in small roles. Omar Shariff and Kabir Bedi are there too.

Not a great film at all but worth a watch in my opinion. It's a 6 out of 10 for me.

Racial bias; good acting

[mgoldberg101 · 3/10 · 8 July 2006]

The story at the outset is interesting: slavery in the (late) 20th century from west Africa to the Arab Middle East. The problem with it is that it intentionally castigates two of director Richard Fleisher's favorite enemies: Arabs and Germans. To make us believe that very Arab-looking men would be free to roam around and easily catch Blacks in West Africa is as believable as Whites hunting for slaves in "Roots". Obviously both trades are/were run by locals and involve(d) much more sophisticated networks. While Arab countries are complicit in today's child and sex slave trade, Israel is one of the worst violators according to Amnesty International. So why only point out Arabs and then choose a German as the only European buyer? It's obvious bias and hatred of those people by a Jewish director.

The acting is above average, especially by Peter Ustinov (Suleiman) and Kabir Bedi (Malik). Michael Caine (Dr. Linderby) is good as always.

Deserves to be more widely seen

[HEFILM · 7/10 · 14 April 2006]

An obscure film, but so what? IF you do find it give it a look

The worst element may be lousy music score really knocks this down several stars. But at least there isn't a lot of music.

Does Caine really think this is worse than BEYOND THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE, BLAME IT ON RIO, JAWS 4, THE SWARM, or even the recent THE WEATHERMAN? He was probably really hot on location and that's all he remembers. Good to great actor though he is, this isn't really in his worst 10, not in his best 10 either but...it's well worth watching.

He does seem to have chemistry with the wife character and there is a memorable scene with him and a bunch of slaves who don't want him to leave them. Also an early scene involving his wife's abduction is very well done--so the story gets off to a good start.

Director Fleischer was friends with Rex Harrison, who is just fine in the film, and Holden is okay too. This film always remains interesting even it may not catch fire--it actually drags in the middle but has a pretty lively wrap up--but everyone treats it with seriousness. A noble cause sort of thing.

It may well be the last really serious role Ustinov had certainly one of his few villain performances. Shariff is also good and helps juice up the ending.

The photography is beautiful and the locations are very well used, too bad it sort of stumbles around about a third of the way in. It has a good sense of place in the details throughout.

Aside from a blandly shot helicopter crash the action, what there is of it, is well done. I believe Fleischer took this over from another director and probably deserves credit for what's good about the film more than what's weak.

Worth a look, though the ancient full frame VHS doesn't do it justice in 2014 a good looking DVD finally became available.

Give that camel an Oscar!

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 8 April 2021]

When a camel who refuses to get up gets more applause than the human actors, you know you're watching a film where reality has left the building. This isn't the talking camel of "Road to Morocco" or even the scene-stealer from "Ishtar", just one that looks at the person screaming at it and growls. I growled at the human actors too, obviously paid for a trip to the Middle East to film this disturbing action film about slave trading and doctor Michael Caine's effort to find his beautiful wife, Beverly Johnson.

Assumed to be a peasant without worth, she's actually a doctor working with her husband, and because she's black, assumed to be just another one of the natives. Johnson indeed is exquisite, and it's easy to see why Caine's character would be in love with her. She's smart and loyal and compassionate, and she certainly wouldn't approve of his leaving behind a group of black children that he rescued from another group of slave traders in the hot desert sun.

The head of the slave trading ring is Peter Ustinov who should have remembered the bad reviews he got for playing an Arab King in "John Goldfarb Please Come Home". Ustinov doesn't play the role as comical at all, but for those who have seen that film, you can't help but laugh at him in memory of that fiasco.

Then there are William Holden and Rex Harrison, cast in extended cameos, nearing the end of their film careers, aiding Holden in various ways in finding his wife. Omar Sharif and Kabir Bedhi play Arabic characters, and the more well known Sharif is pretty much a bit part as an Arab ruler who is given the opportunity to purchase Johnson.

The desert footage is breathtaking to look at with its vistas, and I'm sure on a big screen, it looks fantastic even if it is not at all a good film. It isn't a bad one, but for those who like films with scenery, it is enjoyable simply for that element. The scene where Caine yells at the children to leave him alone is heartbreaking although he knows that he really can't help them even though by leaving them in the desert, they are risking a worse fate than being sold as slaves. There's also a scene in the slave market involving children that is very disturbing. It's easy to see why this has been forgotten because it is overly long and rather depressing.

A Fairly Interesting Action Movie

[Uriah43 · 6/10 · 13 November 2013]

While helping her husband, "Dr. David Linderby" (Michael Caine) vaccinate an isolated African village "Dr. Anansa Linderby" (Beverly Johnson) is kidnapped by slave traders. But before the notorious leader named "Suleiman" (Peter Ustinov) can collect his money for her his small party must first travel 3000 miles across Africa to a port in the Red Sea. Realizing that David is going to need all the help he can get to rescue his wife, an anti-slavery official named "Brian Walker" (Rex Harrison) arranges to have a mercenary by the name of "Jim Sandell" (William Holden) and later a desert nomad named "Malik" (Kabir Bedi) to assist. But time is of the essence and Africa is a big continent. Anyway, rather than detail the entire plot and risk spoiling the film for those who haven't seen it I will just say that this was a fairly interesting action movie. Both Michael Caine and Peter Ustinov performed rather well but it was Kabir Bedi who really stole the show. I also enjoyed the scenery provided by Beverly Johnson. On the flip side though, I thought the enormous talents of Rex Harrison, William Holden and Omar Sharif (as "Prince Hassan") weren't fully utilized as much as they should have been. Even so, this was an enjoyable movie for the most part and I rate it as slightly above average.

Michael Caine's third-worst movie. So what can numbers one and two on that list be like?

[JamesHitchcock · 3/10 · 9 April 2020]

David and Anansa Linderby (he white and British, she black and American) are a married couple and both doctors with the World Health Organization on a medical mission in West Africa. The title refers to Anansa's ethnic heritage, although it may have been used here because the director, Richard Fleischer, had a few years earlier made another film, "Mandingo", with a title derived from the name of an African tribe. The film was based on a Spanish novel called "Ébano", but the film-makers did not use the literal English translation, "Ebony".

While swimming in a river, Anansa is kidnapped by Arab slave traders. The distraught David tries to persuade the local police to help, but they are reluctant to get involved, as the government prefers to believe that the slave trade no longer exists. Greater assistance is provided by Brian Walker, the local representative of the Anti-Slavery Society, who believes that Anansa's kidnappers will try and take her across the Sahara Desert and Red Sea to sell in the slave-markets of Arabia. He puts David in touch with a mercenary helicopter pilot and with Malik, a man with his own reasons for seeking revenge against Suleiman, the leader of the slavers.

Given its star-studded cast, "Ashanti" should have been a success; besides its male lead Michael Caine there are contributions from Peter Ustinov, Omar Sharif, Rex Harrison, and William Holden. The film also had a well-known director in Fleischer, although it must be said that he could make bad films as well as good ones. Yet the result is far from being successful.

I think that the reason lies in the fact that it would have been very difficult to make a film on this particular subject without relying very heavily on ethnic stereotyping. In his private life Ustinov, originally a German of Russian extraction who became a naturalised British citizen, who also claimed French, Italian and Ethiopian ancestry and spent much of his life living in America or Switzerland, was a cosmopolitan figure who campaigned enthusiastically for the cause of international peace, tolerance and understanding. In his portrayal of Suleiman, every Westerner's stereotype of the corrupt, brutal, venal and hypocritical Arab, he undid much of the good work he had done for this noble cause. Sharif's character, Prince Hassan, is just as corrupt and inhumane as Suleiman, even if he hides his corruption and inhumanity beneath a veneer of wealth and sophistication.

Black African characters are portrayed as passive, at the mercy of the predatory Arabs and reliant upon Western saviours like David or Walker, who does far more to protect them than do their own complacent authorities. Even Anansa, before her kidnap, falls into this category; she may have a black skin but is nevertheless an educated Westerner. She is only kidnapped because Suleiman wrongly believes her to be an African; had he known she was an American doctor he would never have dared to touch her.

Caine's performance here is not his best, but perhaps he had a thankless task playing David, a one-dimensional hero whose only visible emotion is angry indignation, whether over his wife's predicament or over man's inhumanity to man in general. The beautiful supermodel Beverly Johnson, who plays the heroine, looks stunning, but does little to change my view that supermodels are not always super-actresses. (She seems to have liked the film; she named her daughter "Anansa" in honour of the character she plays. Anansa has since become a well-known model in her own right). Holden makes little impression as the helicopter pilot. The best acting contribution probably comes from Harrison as Walker, a seedy, shambling but surprisingly effective Englishman abroad who could have been straight out of a Graham Greene novel.

Caine (an actor whose films can vary wildly in quality) is said to have claimed that "Ashanti" was the third-worst film of his career after "The Magus" and "The Swarm". I must admit that I have not seen either of those, but of Caine's films that I have seen I would rank this one as the joint worst, along with the equally dreadful "Blame It on Rio". If "The Magus" and "The Swarm" are even worse, I cannot say that I will be in a hurry to see them. 3/10

Entertaining action with an all-star cast

[TigersLair · 8/10 · 20 October 2019]

Not as interesting as the original Figueroa's novel, but a well done and entertaining movie anyway, with a beautiful photography by Vittorio Storaro, a nice soundtrack, and an all-star cast. Peter Ustinov is impressive in the role of the slave trader Suleiman, Kabir Bedi is perfect and intense as the lone warrior Malik, Beverly Johnson is very beautiful and acts decently (considering that she is a model, not an actress), and Michael Caine does his job even though with not much enthusiasm. He said that this was his worst movie and he did it only for the money: he probably forgot "The Swarm" or "Jaws 4: the Revenge" (where he courted Captain Brody's widow, chased by a vindictive shark... with said shark roaring out of the water multiple times in the final sequence...), not to mention "Austin Powers Goldmember"... Maybe Caine was envious because in "Ashanti" he had to share the scene with much sexier actors like Kabir Bedi and Omar Sharif... It's true anyway that a more profound approach to the slavery theme, and a bit more insight into the main characters would have helped the story, but the main goal of the movie is obviously to entertain, therefore the potential of the talented cast looks a bit wasted: Rex Harrison and William Holden only make small appearances, nothing memorable, Bedi and Sharif would have both deserved more space and even Caine looks a bit confined in his character; only Ustinov has room and lines enough to express his talent an he really rules the story. Also the supporting actors are all good and right for their roles.

Compelling Underreported Current Subject Matter, Good but Misses the Mark

[commortis · 6/10 · 20 March 2006]

My rating considers the subject matter, modern-day slavery (!), some good photography ( captives walking through Lawrence's desert, a couple of good cameos), and gives Caine, and the director, a pass for execution. I agree that there could have been a much better musical score, however, this film tickled my imagination when I first saw it in 1980; not just about how it could have been a better film, but simply by the fact that slavery, and a slave trade, continues to exist: a fact later confirmed and documented by activists as recently as 2001. As this film was originally released in 1979, I wonder how much of a budget the film would have had it been made more recently, in light of current knowledge about this phenomenon. I have ordered this film to be included in my collection. Some films' impact is only realized over time, perhaps with repeat viewings, or some time after viewing to consider their whole; some have their greatest impact upon first or second viewing, with subsequent consideration or viewing either reducing said impact, or by that impact's simply not continuing to swell. This is a film that, while it didn't continue to grow in significance for me, neither did its significance decline. It could certainly have been better, and it's unfortunate that Michael Caine, an actor whose work I largely admire, wasn't happy to have worked on this film, but I do believe that it is much better than many other b- films to be found.

The things people do for money

[AttyTude0 · 1/10 · 5 November 2014]

I can't believe someone like Albert Vazquez-Figueroa would allow anyone to translate one of his books into such an embarrassing mess of a film. I read several of Figueroa's books and they are extremely entertaining. And with such a good cast I was expecting something at least watchable. But this film is appalling. It looks like everybody (including the director) could not wait to wrap things up and get out of there. Even the illustrious cast could not save it. Caine sort of sleepwalks through the whole thing. Holden is just too old for the role. Harrison looks understandably embarrassed. Kabir Bedi is great to look at, but he is not asked to do much more. Ustinov is the best of the lot as the Arab slave-dealer (Arabs were the ones who were most involved in the slave trade in Africa, but of course we can't say that these days, so it's more politically correct to blame the Jews; and let's see if IMDb has the guts to post my opinion).

However, it's the utter fantastic situations that makes one throw one's hands in the air. Caine drops into a river in the middle of the African jungle (a place totally alien to him) after the helicopter carrying him crashes and the pilot of course dies, and in the next scene we see him clean and healthy in an airport ready to board a plane. How the blazes did he get there?! People walk barefoot in the burning sands of the desert for miles without getting so much as a blister. Sand troughs in oases contain crystalline water. In abundance. I could go on, but you get the general picture. And how about the sound track? Elevator music! I kid you not.

A total mess. Get the book and avoid this silliness.