A safari guide takes two white men in to the African Veldt during the summer season. This is colonial Africa and the whites act as superior and impose their rules on the black tribesmen. They want to kill Elephants and claim Ivory (much like that stupid Chinese medicine nonsense) When however they fail to pay respect to the tribal chief, this leads to them being turned against. They are captured and taken back to the tribes camp. Once there they are brutally abused and then finally murdered in very creative ways. Their servants are tortured and one is roasted alive. The others are killed without mercy. The guide however is saved from this and instead is put into a deadly game of cat and mouse. Sent to run away from the tribes camp, he will be chased down by a select group of tribal warriors. They are armed and deadly, well used to the surface and area around them. They hunt wild animals and kill. Bringing them back for the camp and its familes. They know how to track a man for miles, days even. He is not used to any of this. It might well mean the end of him or this might be the beginning of him as a wild warrior?

When actors turn to directing the results can range from self delusional creation to auteur masterpiece. Cornel Wilde was one such actor turned director and his film has the stamp of an auteur all over it. It is hard where to start on my personally reaction to this film. I personally loved it and found it utterly engrossing. I also understand how a modern audience can see it and empathise with this reaction. We must however remember a few things about why this film is so good and what it is truly trying to say. Like many action films, even from this era it is playing on racial and cultural stereotypes and this is an obvious statement. Less Obvious is Wildes vision, that seems to have the space as reflecting hunted. Nature seems to want everything tracked and at war. Fight without flight or strong versus the weak. Magical in its execution….

So the disc itself is a thing to speak of.The film looks amazing with its 1080 transfer on blu ray. The blood red shines and glows. It seems to soak the light and flash it back. The shade looks amazing. There is nothing else of real note on it as an extra however. It is empty except a rather slow and dull documentary on Wilde. The booklet is great and in the end so is the film…