Katanga

The band of awkward soldiers and ex-soldiers willing to do everything for money is represented well here. A formula to be repeated over and over again mainly in Italian "Wild Geese" clones finds its embodiment in Rod Taylor, who brings his schooling of 120 % acting over as usual. His long time comerade is the overconscious Ruffo, a native of their Congolese country of action played by former football-jock and blaxploitation icon Jim Brown. I have the feeling the American version had an important side of the coin taken out: More interesting than the routine plot of escorting diamonds in a train through areas infested with wildman rebels is the inner struggle of Rod Taylor's character with the omnipresent racism towards his black pal, mainly shown by Sergeant Henlein, played by very German actor Peter Carsten. In the German dubbed version this is explained well: Taylor - who has got the German name Willy Krüger - and Henlein were comrades in the Nazi Wehrmacht. The bad guy still acts like a nazi while Taylor/Krüger even tries to forget his past by being a complete almost anti-patriotic mercenary. Technically the film does not fail to entertain. Solid characterizations, good acting throughout, colourful photography and a lively Africanized jazz score make "The Mercenaries" a great adventure movie.

This film, which I came to know as "Dark of the Sun" (the better title, as most believe), is one of those compulsively re-watchable pictures year after year. I saw it as a kid but it was later, when I was around 30, when I caught it on a PBS TV station, that I was stunned to realize it is one of my favorite films of all time. I nearly became obsessed with it, recording it for repeat viewing (sometimes 2 days in a row), later buying a quality VHS version, and finally obtaining a widescreen version, a goal of the last half-dozen years. From the first frame, during the credits, when you hear the perfect jazz-influenced score by Jacques Loussier, to the haunting ending, this film draws you in and doesn't let go, inviting you back again & again. I say 'you' but of course I'm speaking of myself; I can't really explain the hold it has on me and what director Cardiff put together that connected so strongly with me. Many familiar with this film call it Rod Taylor's best work and I agree there. He epitomizes the man's man here, tougher, by necessity, than all the other tough guys around him; able to outfight anyone mano-a-mano; and, at the same time, able to command - demanding and keeping the loyalty of his men. Besides the obvious violence & gun-play, throughout are hints and mention of the savagery, the brutality of war, but nothing can or should faze him - until, that is, he loses his best friend. This is something, the one thing, he was unprepared for. And he loses it, he loses all his control, his command of himself and others. It's a fantastic ending. And, like many other scenes, complemented by that fabulous score, it calls me back over & over. Once again, I see that train car break off; again I see it slowly roll back to the waiting bloodthirsty Simbas, all the passengers doomed. I know what will happen, but it demands my attention again, as if in a recurring nightmare. I suppose this may be a great thing about films - sure, they may not ever make them like this again, but you always have these past adventures to savor as many times as you wish. And the films will always give you that same or similar emotional satisfaction you crave.

DARK OF THE SUN ( As I know it though there`s several different titles for the film ) is the simple stoy of a bunch of mercenaries in 60s Congo liberating a bunch of Europeans ( And more importantly a lot of diamonds ) besieged by the muderous Simba nationalist cult. Throw in a load of cliches like a drunken doctor , a damsal in distress , a nazi war criminal , a redemption sub plot with the hero gaining his humanity , tedious moral dialogue about the future of Africa and several revealing mistakes where the victims of Simba violence are quite clearly stuffed dummies and you might think this is a really bad film . Maybe it is but it`s also good old fashioned entertainment . The battle scenes may have dated somewhat compared to BLACK HAWK DOWN and SAVING PRIVATE RYAN but they still pack a punch especially the editing when the action cuts from the Simba hordes attacking the train to the hero and the banker waiting patiently for the time lock to open the vault where the diamonds are stored. If you liked THE WILD GEESE you`ll like this film too

First half is solid if at times too brutal action/adventure (i.e. didn't much care for the execution of two kids by the cartoon Nazi) with paradoxically lovely location shooting in Jamaica, standing in for The Congo. Unfortunately, in the second half, director Jack Cardiff yields control to Ranald McDougal and Adrian Spies' too talky screenplay and the action has to find its way around dull scenes of soul searching and philosophizing over the Big Question of "What is the basic immmorality of a mercenary?" Sound a bit pretentious? Yeah, I thought so, too. As for the acting it's hit and miss. Rod Taylor is much better in the first half with his sardonic Aussie bit than he is in the second half with his blood streaked, breast beating bit. As for Jim Brown he is, as usual, wooden throughout. Peter Carstens does as well as can be expected with the stereotyped "Ve vill make you talk" storm trooper role and Yvette Mimieux is ok eye candy. Best performance is Kenneth More as the drunken doc (another cliche, but More embraces it well) . Give this one a C plus.

Great story line - Mercenaries are sent in to the middle of the Congo under the guise of rescuing the village people but their real mission is to recover 50 million dollars of diamonds. Good versus evil with an undertone of racial discrimination.

Superb cast - Robert Taylor, Jim Brown, Yvette Mimieux, Kenneth Moore, and the evil doer Peter Carsten.

Brilliant cinematography - the color scheme is very pleasing to the audience's sense of comfort and appeal

Screenwriting - greed, lust, good versus evil, this film has it all,

Action - non stop

I give this 54 year old film a well deserved 8 out of 10 IMDb rating, Now this is a true action/adventure film.