Oil (1977) User Reviews (4)

Stuart Whitman: my god man! Trim your eyebrows!

[Zbigniew_Krycsiwiki · 6/10 · 25 June 2015]

Why does IMDb list this as being a sequel to Explozia? Because there is no real connection, other than the director, Mircea Dragan, and a basic premise about attempts to extinguish a large fire burning out of control.

Anyway, this film has only two comments, the latter is nothing more than political ramblings, while the former is a moronically numbered list of points about it (any 12 year old can do that) so I will attempt to comment on the exploitation flick itself.

Anyway again, this is a moderately engrossing thriller about fire in a Saharan oil field burning out of control, and Stuart Whitman, and his double-breasted suit jackets, and bushy sideburns are sent to extinguish the blaze. Good pyrotechnics and photography (if a bit faded and washed out, or was that just the print I watched?) mix quite awkwardly with subplots of politics and corporate greed; perhaps that is why the second comment went the route it did?

If this was indeed meant to be a sequel to Explozia (a film which I highly recommend) , it never reaches the same heights as that film did, as it over complicates what is (or could have been) a simple, basic thriller, in the memorably unusual setting of Saharan Africa.

Gheorghe Dinica - respect!

[btitib · 10/10 · 27 January 2011]

To really understand the movie ... Romanian citizen must be (at least) has lived in Romania during those years ... The rest are just aberrations and opinions of some "speculative" claims by critics of ideas. Do not have anything to do with the reality of those times and even the topic itself. The film is made after a fact, that existed because the team won notoriety and respect in many battles with fire, as called for this ... "party" in his folly, namely political activists have decided to put in pictures of their accomplishments. Interpretation of exceptional Dinica, Piersic, Jean Constantin, Mircea Diaconu, and so on. It brings a distinct note of the film. Dinica If born in America ... certainly was DeNiro's caliber and reputation ... had the misfortune to be born in romania. God rest him in peace!

Let's weigh the pros and cons, shall we?

[madsagittarian · 29 August 2003]

REASONS NOT TO WATCH THIS MOVIE:

1) Ray Milland looks even more embarrassed here than in THE THING WITH TWO HEADS.

2) The captain of this hard-working team of oil firefighters puts a ban on anyone smoking while battling one particular blaze, then asks for a cigarette.

3) The American actors are all dubbed.

4) The cinematography here is as muddy, murky and (un)stomachable as a McDonald's coffee.

5) For a movie about people with such a unique and dangerous line of work, this is about as exciting as watching a houseplant grow.

REASONS TO WATCH THIS MOVIE: ...well, if you're THAT much of a bad movie lover...

decent

[Kirpianuscus · 13 July 2018]

You could critic hard. or see it as reflection of the spirit of a time. admire the performances of Romanian actors or see it as only a politic film. but its source is a real fact. presented not so bad to define it as a bad movie. using cliches as many others films about same theme. proposing, maybe not in the most inspiired mmanner, models and facts. so, a decent film about a dramatic event.