White Lightning Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		4.0

White Lightning Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov May 5, 2025

Joseph Sargent's "White Lightning" (1973) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber. The supplemental features on the release include archival program with Burt Reynolds; audio commentary by critics Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson; and vintage promotional materials. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-A "locked".

The booze running, motor gunning, law breaking, love making rebel.

Gator McKlusky is a character Burt Reynolds played twice. However, the original version of it from Joseph Sargent's White Lightning is not related to the second version of it from Reynolds' directorial debut, Gator. In White Lightning, McKlusky is a moonshine runner who is released from prison after cutting a deal with the FBI to take down a very corrupt and very powerful sheriff responsible for the death of his younger brother. In Gator, McKlusky is a retired moonshine runner and a whole bunch of other things forced by the authorities to help them get rid of a ruthless criminal. Both films are set in the South and feature a lot of good old-fashioned action. However, their styles and personalities are quite different.

In White Lightning, McKlusky has a bigger and more formidable nemesis. It is Sheriff J.C. Connors (Ned Beatty), who runs Bogan County, a made-up place somewhere in the great state of Arkansas, like a Chicago mobster. When Connors executes two newly converted revolutionary hippies, one of them McKlusky’s younger brother, somewhere in the swamp, the news reaches the state prison where McKlusky is serving a short sentence, and just days later he attempts to break out. But despite his best efforts to disappear into the boonies, McKlusky is immediately caught. Back in the state prison, much to his surprise, McKlusky is offered a deal. If McKlusky helps the authorities gather enough incriminating information on Connors, who according to multiple reports is a tax cheater, they will purge his record and set him free.

Down in Bogan County, McKlusky hooks up with Dude Watson (Matt Clark), a mechanic with a long rap sheet, who reluctantly helps him impress Roy Boone (Bo Hopkins), a delivery man for Big Bear (R.G. Armstrong), the biggest bootlegger in the area. Because Big Bear is in cahoots with Connors, McKlusky assumes he would have some documentation revealing the latter’s corruption. But even if he does not, it is the shortest way to get to Connors, whom McKlusky cannot wait to see dead.

White Lightning easily could have been directed by Sam Peckinpah because it unites several big actors he loved to work with and emphasizes key qualities that defined his films. For example, White Lightning is scripted as a contemporary western and oozes the raw energy that Peckinpah always wanted present in his work. It is packed with top-quality old-fashioned action that is no longer possible to stage and shoot. Despite being a very violent film, it is loaded with great unfiltered humor that now seems like a rare ancient art. While it visits the made-up Bogan County, it is shot as, and it is, a genuine piece of Americana, too.

Reynolds also plays McKlusky like a Peckinpah character. In fact, in the final act, where he and Beaty become engaged in a wild car chase, plenty of the material easily could have been extracted from The Getaway. While not an impostor, Reynolds also charms the ladies much like Steve McQueen and Kris Kristofferson would have. Indeed, there are seemingly endless similarities in all kinds of different places.

If White Lightning is such a complete, impressively shot film, why did McKlusky’s second appearance in Gator turn out so different? Reynolds had total control over Gator and went in an entirely new direction with it and McKlusky. Had Gator been a legitimate sequel, with Reynolds again only acting in it, Reynolds almost certainly would have been asked not to change McKlusky’s personality.

Sargent directed White Lightning from an original screenplay by William Norton, who also scripted Gator. Either these screenplays were drastically different or once Reynolds began shooting Gator a lot was changed on the fly.

White Lightning Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, White Lighting arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Kino Lorber.

There are several different Blu-ray releases of White Lighting in different territories. All have been sourced from the same older MGM master. I own Kino Lorber's original release, and Imprint Films' more recent release. While there is room for some meaningful improvements, I like this master quite a lot and think that it produces a very attractive organic presentation of the film.

If you are reading this article, you are probably wondering whether you should consider an upgrade if you already own Kino Lorber's original release, which uses a single-layer disc and has slightly elevated gamma levels. I did numerous comparisons between the original release and this release, examining closely brighter daylight and darker indoor footage. On this release, in some areas, select visuals have a tighter appearance that can almost certainly be credited to the superior encoding. Grain looks better exposed, but not by much, even during nicely defined close-ups. However, a lot of the busy panoramic footage at the end of the film looked superior on my system. I was very surprised because I expected the best improvements to pop up during static shots. It was mostly depth that impressed the most. Obviously, all density fluctuations that are part of the original cinematography look identical. Despite the gamma adjustments, I did not notice any serious improvements, though this is to be expected because saturation levels and balance are simply not optimal. If they were, the minor gamma improvements would have been easier to appreciate. So, what does all of this mean? This release does have the best technical presentation of White Lighting that I have seen to date. If you have a large screen, or project, it is the one to own. While it brings minor and inconsistent improvements, I think that the visuals it produces have the most pleasing organic appearance. It is attractively priced, so if White Lighting is one of your favorite films, pick it up for your library. (Note: This is a Region-A "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-A or Region-Free player in order to access its content).

White Lightning Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one standard audio track on this Blu-ray release: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

I do not have any new comments to add about the quality of the lossless track. (My original take on it is in our review of the Australian release of White Lighting). It is healthy and serves the film well, so it is good. However, I feel that a fine remastering job can open up some areas a little bit better. For example, one such area is in the second half, where Burt Reynolds is tied by R.G. Armstrong and his goons and offered a drink of their liquor. Here, the audio becomes a bit too thin. The car chase material sounds very good.

White Lightning Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Back to the Bayou - Part One - in this archival program, Burt Reynolds explains that initially Steven Spielberg was supposed to direct White Lighting and discusses its production and his work with various cast members. Reynolds also comments on the film's reception in the South and outside of it. In English, not subtitled. (10 min).

• Theatrical Trailer - presented here is a vintage U.S. trailer for White Lightning. In English, not subtitled. (3 min).

• TV Spots - presented here are a couple of vintage U.S. TV spots for White Lightning. In English, not subtitled. (4 min).

• Radio Spot - presented here is a vintage U.S. radio spot for White Lightning. In English, not subtitled. (1 min).

• Commentary - this audio commentary was recorded by critics Steve Mitchell and Nathaniel Thompson.

• Cover - reversible cover with vintage poster art for White Lighting.

White Lightning Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Steven Spielberg was supposed to direct White Lightning but changed his mind at the last minute and went on to do The Sugarland Express. It was for the better. In its current form, White Lightning is a terrific film, very easy to compare to several of the big cult films Sam Peckinpah directed. For this reason, I like the Gator McKlusky that emerges in it better than his reincarnation in Burt Reynolds' directorial debut, Gator. This Special Edition of White Lighting is sourced from the same older MGM master that Kino Lorber worked with to produce their original release of the film in 2014. However, it offers a slightly better technical presentation of the film with additional bonus features. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.