The Wilby Conspiracy (1975)

If this movie had been set in any other time and place, it would be indisputably regarded as a fun adventure road movie.  As it happens, the movie is set in apartheid South Africa, and takes an unmistakably anti-apartheid stance.   Moreover, the setting is what drives the plot.  Depending on how you feel about that, can complicate your viewing experience.  Scenes that would otherwise  play out for laughs, may strike you as being in poor taste.   Verbal exchanges that would be considered witty, might lose some of their impact.  However, if you can separate the message from the entertainment value of the movie, there is a lot to enjoy, and there is a lot to think about.  Be warned: there are quite a few racial slurs thrown around that some viewers will find inappropriate/ offensive.

The movie stars Sidney Poitier and Michael Caine as a mismatched duo on the run from the police.  They can’t stand each other, yet they need each other. There’s nothing exceptional about their performances but they play off each other quite well.  The real scene-stealer, though, is Nicol Williamson as the brutal, intelligent police officer on their chase.  Also in the supporting cast is Saeed Jaffrey as a “politically committed dentist”.  Rutger Hauer has a bit role that is his first appearance in a major English language movie.

Here’s a link to the trailer: I’d advise caution in relying upon how it pitches the movie.