Review: White of the Eye (1987)

Directed by: Donald Cammell | 110 minutes | thriller | Actors: David Keith, Cathy Moriarty, Art Evans, Alan Rosenberg, Michael Greene, Danielle Smith, Alberta Watson, William G. Schilling, David Chow, Marc Hayashi, Mimi Lieber, Pamela Guest, Bob Zache, Danko Gurovich, China Kong, Jim Wirries, Katie Waring, Fred Allison, Clyde Pitfarkin

The film starts with lengthy shots of a flying eagle. Nice recordings in itself, if it were a nature film. The atmosphere in which the film was filmed is typically 80s style. In the beginning it seems like you get to see a good cult movie. The spoken word takes a while, but this wait is offset by images of the vast American landscape.

The first murder scene can be called artistic and has the promise of an artistic film. If it weren’t for just this one show. Ultimately, the film turns out to be anything but an expression of art. The dialogues, which eventually do make their appearance, are incoherent and detract from the story rather than create clarity in the whole. The madness of the protagonist is slowly gaining the upper hand and is to say the least brilliant. A role that can only be shaped by David Keith in this way. Besides that of Cathy Moriarty, the acting of the other actors can be called mediocre. The investigator in charge of the case is more of a bad parody of “Columbo” than a serious character in the film. In addition to this role, there are a number of characters that pass in review, of which you keep wondering what added value they have in the whole.

“White of the Eye” deals with murders similar to ancient Native American rites. A nice theme for an exciting and dark plot, but unfortunately it doesn’t really come out in “White of the Eye”. Rather, the question arises of what this announcement ultimately does for this film and misses its mark. The music is consistent and at times the only guide for the viewer whether the scenes take place in the present or during a flashback. The announcement has glued the promise of 110 minutes to the picture tube. But only for the absolute movie buff of the 80s will this promise be fulfilled.