Michael Caine has often claimed that 1979’s Ashanti was was “the only film (he) did purely for the money” as well as “the worst film he ever starred in.” The last point could certainly be debated, but there’s no denying it’s not one of the highlights of his illustrious career. Released in 1979, Ashanti arrived at a time when Caine was seen in a series of flops—The Swarm, Beyond the Limit, etc.—and this film, advertised as, “an all-star action movie that deals with the ultimate sexual humiliation…slavery in the 1970s!!” would continue that trend.

World Health Organization doctors Anansa (Beverly Johnson), an African-American, and David Linderby (Caine), a Brit, travel to a small West Africa village as part of a United Nations-sponsored inoculation program. Shortly after arriving, she decides to take a swim nearby. Unfortunately, slave traders mistake her for a local and kidnap her. Following the slave route through the Sahara, Arab Suleiman (Peter Ustinov) and his men discuss plans to sell her and a dozen or so others, into sex slavery and domestic servitude in Saudi Arabia.

Ashanti (1979)Meanwhile, Linderby is horrified his wife is missing, but there’s little local authorities can do. David is approached by an anti-slavery activist Brian Walker (Rex Harrison), who in turn puts Linderby in touch with Jim Sandell (William Holden), a mercenary and helicopter pilot. The hope is that Sandell can get Linderby close to his wife, but the gamble doesn’t pay off. Refusing to give up, David gets the help of another mercenary, named Malik (Kabir Bedi) who manages to track Anansa through the Sahara. During her time in captivity, Anansa has let Suleiman know he kidnapped a United Nations doctor, not just a “mere” tribeswoman. Suleiman is intrigued and wonders if he might be able to sell the doctor for top dollar, if he can find the right “client.”

Michael Caine has given some fine performances over the course of his career, but he seems misplaced here. He plays David Linderby with a cold detachment. This is particularly strange, given the fact that he’s supposed to be distraught over his missing wife. Beverly Johnson isn’t terrible, given the fact that she didn’t really have any acting experience. Like most inexperienced performers, Johnson tends to enunciate a bit too much, but she does a commendable jobs. Rex Harrison and William Holden are old pros and do what they can with what the script offers.

Ashanti offers an interesting premise and some wonderful scenic views, but the story lacks a real emotional center. As a result, the viewer never truly cares about the fate of the characters. To make matters worse, the film ends with a final showdown that will likely illicit fits of laughter. That’s never a good thing for a movie that’s supposed to be a drama.

Brought to Blu-ray courtesy of Severin Films, the 1080p transfer is delivered in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio. Generally sharp looking, colors are nicely saturated. There are occasion stability issues, but for a film that’s more than thirty years old, this is an acceptable, if not superior transfer.

Audio is delivered via a lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 track. While things are somewhat compressed, dialogue and Michael Melvoin’s score come across nicely. This track won’t shake anyone’s walls, it fits the film nicely.

Subtitles aren’t available.

Along with a standard DVD of the film, the following special features are included:

  • Beverly Johnson Remembers Ashanti (HD, 26:56) In this surprisingly informative featurette, Johnson discusses the production and the many difficulties that occurred behind-the-scenes.
  • Trailer (SD, 2:30)