Mother Lode is a 1982 movie starring Charlton Heston in a dual role as Ian and Silas McGee, a pair of Scottish miners in British Columbia. After their friend, George (Rocky Zantolas), goes missing, Andrea (Kim Basinger) and Jean (Nick Mancuso) head into the wilds of British Columbia to find him. The official story is George was surveying for minerals for his company. However, Jean suspects he was searching for gold and found it.
While on the hunt for George (and, hopefully, his newfound fortune), the two come across Silas, who has spent the last thirty years searching for a legendary gold mine and he's not too keen on strangers looking for his prize. From here, the movie spins into a thriller, involving everything from mistaken identities to bagpipes.
There are a number of rough areas in the plot, though at the same time, it does such a great job of pulling you into the moment, it's easy to overlook some of the hiccups. It's really cool to see how well the story spins from one element into something completely different.
That said, Mother Lode takes its time getting to the point. The first half drags its feet a bit only to burst into a full speed run towards the end. The slower pacing magnifies the script's problems. It's irritating - you know where things want to go, but it takes a little while getting there.
Most of the movie takes place in the wilderness, leading to some picturesque shots. Some of the scenery is absolutely beautiful and well shot. However, once the film's pacing picks up, the cinematography takes a dip. Later scenes are dark and hard to see. Granted, they take place in a series of caves and the darkness adds a bit of tension, but at the same time, I wanted something a little brighter.
As first-time releases go, Mother Lode is light on extras except for an interesting Behind the Scenes featurette with writer/ producer Fraser Clarke Heston. The feature runs about thirty minutes and covers nearly every aspect of the film, including the inspiration and filming. It's not required viewing, but Heston does share a few interesting filmmaking tidbits.
The real treat with Mother Lode is the chance to see, as far as I can tell, a somewhat obscure Charlton Heston film. It isn't a great movie, nor is it Charlton Heston at his best, but it's a good one and worth watching, if only to see Basinger in one of her earlier roles or hear Heston pull off a Scottish accent.
