The Light At The Edge Of The World (1971)

On a bleak coast on the tip of South America, a lighthouse keeper (Kirk Douglas) leads a lonely existence. But when a sadistic and murderous pirate (Yul Brynner) and his thugs take over the island in order to sabotage the lighthouse and purposely lead ships to crash on the shore while they kill and plunder, the lighthouse keeper hides in a cave and struggles to survive. Based on the novel by Jules Verne (AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS) and directed by Kevin Billington (RISE AND FALL OF MICHAEL RIMMER). I've not read the Verne source material but I've read several Verne novels so I feel safe in stating that it's highly unlikely that the ample sex and graphic violence present in the movie are in his novel. I don't know who thought Billington, whose previous work includes the 1968 romance INTERLUDE, was the man to direct an epic pirate adventure. It's overlong with very little excitement to be had. With one exception, Brynner's band of cutthroats are all played as leering apes, they're laughable cliches. The one exception is Jean Claude Drouot's transvestite buccaneer who leers but isn't played as an ape, he's still vicious but he's pretty. Filmed in Spain, it's a good looking film thanks to Henri Decae's (LE SAMOURAI) wide screen lensing. With Samantha Eggar, Renato Salvatori and Fernando Rey.