More than textbook exploitation, with plenty of intelligent twists and details to keep the viewer alert. Nót shying away from lots of violence, but (for instance) when it comes to the obligatory rape scene, the viewer must use more imagination than with other, similar movies, but in this treatment lies a nice twist of the top cop condoning vigilante justice. The acting is good enough, though not great, even if William Sanderson comes awfully close, portraying a seriously damaged white man who hides his fragile state by laying the racism, degradations and violence thick on anyone who gets in the way. The rest of the cast do their jobs adequately, but that's pretty much it.The ending, though it has the smart idea of exposing the fragile state of Jessie, felt rather off-handed. Even if exploitation films are all about the revenge, somehow this one didn't feel completely right. The best way I can explain this feeling is that the reverend's demeanor changes way too fast. It's sort of disappointing to see him lower himself to the baddies' standards, even if every blow he deals out is a just one - or am I getting too old for this shiii-it...? Nah. Other than that it is a pretty good exploitation flick, with a lot of violence (including the necessary gore and a little nudity) and some pretty smart writing here and there.A good 7 out of 10 for now, perhaps more in the future.

The premise of 'Fight for your life' sure sounds like an intriguing watch on paper: takes the vigilante rape/revenge format of films like 'Straw Dogs' (1971) and proto-type video nasty 'Last House on the Left' (1972) and apply it to a racial context. Even without the Civil Rights and Black Power movement still fresh in the public consciousness, the result was always bound to be explosive and some/many were always bound to be offended. However, the question concerning 'Fight for your Life' has always been: does the movie offer enough to escape the charge of just trying to shock? Many would answer "no", however I would disagree and say that, despite some flaws, it really does.William Sanderson (who would later star in 'Savage Weekend' and 'Blade Runner') plays Kane, the vehemently racist leader of a trio of escaped convicts who stumble across a house belonging to a black minister and his family and decide to hide out there. While there, the trio hold the family hostage and subject them to increasing levels of exploitation and sadism including a seemingly interminable array of racial swear words and a rape (although thankfully not graphically presented). However, the family resist the violence and abuse in various ways (some very moving) and as the upper hand swings and sways between the two groups the convincing performances from the cast definitely elicits fear, suspense, pathos, and rage from the viewer until the racists finally get their comeuppance.But is it a film about racism or is it a racist film? It's clear to me that, a similar way to D. W. Griffith's 'Birth of a Nation' (1915), it is a powerful film about racism and this power comes precisely from the depictions of racism in it. Sure there is an extraordinary amount of racially offensive language in it, but that's because the characters in it are racist! In fact, if there is any moral dubiousness in the film's premise it's the way the viewers' identification with the family sanctions the violent revenge enacted UPON the racists at the end of the film, a moral grey area acknowledged in the film by the police officer listening to the unfolding vengeance down the phone line.However, saying this, my issue with the film is that the while the racially offensive language used in the film is quite effective at the beginning, as it swiftly sets up both the perpetrators and the victims, the sheer quantity of these racial epithets lessens their impact considerably, even to the point of near boredom. I'm sure this felt "edgy" to the director at the time but set against the moral complexity mentioned before it comes off as unnecessarily crude. And yet, it was this very over-the-top language which got it on the list of Video Nasties drawn up in the UK in the 1980s and, like so many of the films on the list (although 'Fight for your Life' is more deserving than many of the others), it managed to gain a longer shelf life than it probably would have had otherwise.It's not a masterpiece by any measure, and the offence at times feels showy, but the film has heart and is definitely worth a (discomforting) watch.

Well, I've now seen two of the video nasties. While I'm sure I will encounter worse films, I'm sure few will be as damn uninteresting and boring as this. A standard house invasion/hostage movie with blaxploitaion/race wars crap thrown in, awful use of music, and a thriller script so standard that the only fun I had while watching this was giggling at the worst part and eating a Quality Street chocolate every time I guessed something right (drinking would have made the movie more enjoyable, and I'm attempting to sit through all these fully sober). That doesn't sound like much fun, does it? The movie's really no fun either. As for why it was classified as a video nasty, I have no idea, and I'm expecting to have a similar reaction to a bunch of other stuff.

This is a movie for people who enjoy offensive dialog and taboos on display. Movies like this are not made anymore and i feel that is sad. We live in a country that's at war but we are too afraid to show fictional violence. This was made in the era that put out such cult classics like "Last House on the Left", "Cannibal Holocaust" and "I Spit On Your Grave". Three convicts escape jail and then hold a religious black family captive in their own home. This film has all the exploitive treats like rape, humiliation, child murder and racism. For it's time "Fight For Your Life" had to be one of the most offensive movies in 1977. I have news for you it still is today. The cast was wonderful, especially the bigot played by William Anderson. He hit all the right notes when it came to portraying a despicable and hateful character. He makes a minister do a shuck and jive dance while shooting at his feet for crying out loud. The thing i like about exploitive films like this is that it delivers with eventual revenge. I don't mind being showed ugliness because it reminds me how wrong things like bigotry and crime are. If you want to see a movie with guts and thats willing to push the envelope and entertain, this is the film for you. The Grandma in this movie is hilarious , especially when the whole family is singing gospel at gunpoint. ***1/2/****