The 1970s R-Rated Thriller Prosecuted And Successfully Banned
Sometimes a movie can be so controversial that it gets straight-up banned so nobody can be subjected to its content. In the UK, banned films end up on a “video nasties” list, which is normally reserved for low-budget and exploitation films because of the gratuitous amounts of violence they depict. But 1977’s Fight for Your Life has a nasty reputation of its own because of its overtly racist dialogue, and it’s the only video nasty to appear on the list for its use of language alone.
After a 1977 release in the United States, Fight for Your Life was refused a UK cinema certificate in 1981, meaning that it never showed in theaters, and was not allowed a proper home release. Though the controversial film was released by an independent video label (Vision On) in 1982, it was outlawed in 1984 when the Video Recordings Act was passed. In the US, where the film was produced, Fight for Your Life saw an official DVD release in 2004.
The original film negative was destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, so it’s unlikely that we’ll ever see 4K remaster for this flick.
You can watch the full uncensored version of Fight for Your Life on YouTube if you’re brave enough. Aside from the blaxploitation film’s flagrant use of racial epithets, you’ll find yourself cringing at the violence directed toward children, and the implied sexual assaults that happen off-screen.
As for the overall story that Fight for Your Life tells, the best way to describe it is as a home invasion thriller like Funny Games (either version), but with horrifying amounts of racism peppered throughout. The story centers on Jessie Lee Kane, an escaped redneck convict who steals a pimp’s car with the assistance of his criminal companions, Chino and Ling. After robbing a liquor store, they decide to lay low and hole up at the Turner residence.
The Turners are the primary protagonists in Fight for Your Life, and their lives are on the line because Kane and his men have the upper hand. The family patriarch, Ted Turner (Robert Judd), is a black minister who doesn’t want to resort to violence due to his peaceful disposition and inherent desire to avoid conflict. But when Kane takes things too far (verbally and physically), Ted’s hand is forced in a way that doesn’t allow him to turn the other cheek.
In many ways, Fight for Your Life is a solid revenge film despite its problematic premise. In 2023, we’ve countless home invasion films, and they all play out similarly. But it’s worth noting that the racial slurs that are so casually (and frequently) spoken by the kidnappers are so over-the-top that it takes you out of the film, and for good reason.
But there is a silver lining Fight for Your Life that’s worth mentioning. When the officer in charge of the covert listening device hears the Turner family mercilessly assaulting their assailants inside their house, he tells the other officers that he didn’t hear anything so the beatings could continue.
In other words, justice is ultimately served in Fight for Your Life. But watching the film all the way through its third act is a painful experience, to say the least.
I’d argue the United Kingdom’s National Viewers’ and Listeners’ Association (NVALA) was right to feel that the movie was offensive enough to be taken out of circulation. But if you want to see Fight for Your Life and arrive at your own conclusion, you should be able to. Watch at your own risk.
