Published via Ecency

(source:tmdb.org)

Slavery, at least when practised in its traditional form, is widely perceived to be something belonging to past centuries. Experiences from countries like Libya, where post-Gaddafi chaos returned open‑air slave markets, tell quite a different story. The phenomenon of modern‑day slavery nevertheless caught the attention of a small number of dedicated activists, as well as the Spanish writer Alberto Vázquez‑Figueroa, whose novel Ébano, inspired by official UN reports, was in 1979 adapted as the action‑adventure film Ashanti, directed by Richard Fleischer.

The plot begins in West Africa, where two physicians working for the World Health Organisation – Dr. David Linderby (played by Michael Caine) and his wife Dr. Anansa Linderby (played by Beverly Johnson) – arrive in order to carry out an inoculation programme. During a visit to one village, Anansa, who is descended from the Ashanti people, is mistaken for a local by a group of kidnappers led by the Arab slave trader Suleiman (played by Peter Ustinov). She is abducted and brought to a caravan carrying slaves across the Sahara, while David, faced with the difficult task of getting his wife back, receives help from the anti‑slavery activist Brian Walker (played by Rex Harrison), mercenary pilot Jim Sandell (played by William Holden) and native Saharan Malik (played by Kabir Bedi). They race against time across half a continent before the slaves, including Anansa, are delivered to prospective buyers, including the wealthy and powerful Arab Prince Hassan (played by Omar Sharif).

Critics greeted Ashanti with hostility, and Michael Caine agreed with them, later describing it as one of the worst films of his prolific career. The film, in which the title role is played by a former fashion model – known as the first African American to appear on the cover of Vogue and other prestigious magazines – might at first glance look like an attempt to exploit both the exotic setting of Africa and subject matter usually associated with exploitation pieces, much like Mandingo, the infamous film directed by Richard Fleischer a few years earlier. Ashanti, on the other hand, has a diverse, solid and capable cast, with veteran Peter Ustinov enjoying a rare opportunity to play a chief villain on screen. The relatively high budget is put to good use; cinematography by Italian veteran Aldo Tonti delivers many attractive scenes that transcend the predictable plot. The ending also features a dialogue exchange which looks quite prescient in the light of current debates about US foreign policy and the dilemma of promoting human rights versus protecting strategic geopolitical interests in the Middle East. Ashanti is not a particularly memorable film, but those who watch it may yearn for a time when films about important social issues could be made without sacrificing their entertainment value.

RATING: 5/10 (++)