Die Wildgänse kommen

Allegedly, loosely based on the incredible adventures of "Mad Mike" Hoare and his mercenary unit operating in the Belgian Congo in the early sixties rescuing Westerners and stemmimg tribal violence..."The Wild Geese" is a real "Boys Own" adventure that races along like a good action film should !

Ageing mercenary leader Allan Faulkner (Richard Burton) is hired by wealthy, but unscrupulous, merchant banker Sir Edward Matherson (Stewart Granger in an oily performance) to rescue an imprisoned African leader, Julius Limbani (Winston Ntshona) from terrorists and turn him over to his own people...at stake are copper mine concessions in Africa worth millions !!

Burton enlists the aid of war time pals, Capt. Rafer Janders (Richard Harris) debonair pilot Lt. Shawn Fynn (Roger Moore), ex-South African troubleshooter Pieter Coetze (Hardy Kruger) and 'tough as nails' RSM Sandy Young (Jack Watson) as well as about 40 other mercenaries to engage on one last adventure for truth, justice and a very large paycheck.

Burton & Co. parachute into darkened Africa and all goes well....until a double cross emerges and the Wild Geese are running for their lives....outgunned and outmanned by the pursuing brutal, machete-wielding Simba troops

When the action commences in "The Wild Geese"...it comes thick and fast...the film is filled with gritty firefights, fast paced entertainment and colorful use of African savannah / veldt locations for the battle scenes....highly recommended for fans of the action / war genre !!

Just when is this film going to come out on DVD ???

Thrilling/ straight action/adventure story about some mercenaries hired to spring an abducted African leader from well-secured prison and the incidents this triggers . A British multinational seeks to overthrow a vicious dictator in central Africa as hires the much-wanted mercenary Colonel Allen Faulkner (Richard Burton miscast as chief of mercenaries) , as he travels to London invited by the British millionaire Sir Edward Matherson (Stewart Granger) to rescue the African President Julius Limbani that had been kidnapped in a coup d'état by the dictator Colonel Mboya. Sir Edward has interest in the copper mines and intends to negotiate with Limbani. Col. Faulkner hires his friends Captain Rafer Janders (Richard Harris), a tough, two-fisted mercenary and Lieutenant Shawn Fynn (Roger Moore),an expert on planes . The trio selects their old friends and contacts other mercenaries (Ronald Fraser , Percy Herbert , Ken Gampu) to form the rescue team. They plan the whole operation and succeed in their mission .The commando is led by Colonel Faulkner , a sergeant named Sandy (Jack Watson) along with Lieutenent Pieter (Hardy Kruger).The adventure starts when the veteran band of mercenaries land deep inside the African country to rescue Limbani and destroy installations .

This fast-paced film packs adventures, large-scale blow-up , plot-twists routine plot , and lots of action for the most part . It's a comfortable mix of action-packed , adventure, thriller and wartime genre . From the beginning to the end the suspense , non-stop action and intrigue is continued . Interesting screenplay by prestigious Reginald Rose who writes thought-provoking dialogs especially between Limbani and Pieter well performed by Hardy Kruger . Other chief excitements about the movie, will be in the intervention of famous British secondaries who realize professionally competent interpretations , some of them with no more than a line or two to say . Cinematography Jack Hildyard is quite nicely , capturing the atmosphere of everywhere . Special mention the impressive and breathtaking musical score by Roy Budd ; it's filled with lively and martial sounds fitting splendidly to action . Furthermore , enjoyable song on the opening under magnificent credit titles by Maurice Binder . The motion picture is well directed by Andrew V MacLagen son of the great actor Victor McLagen. He's a warlike expert , such as proved in several films (Return to Kwai,Wild Geese, Dirtdozen: the next mission,Sea wolves,Breakthrough). However , director McLagen proved had lost the touch that made ¨Devil's brigade¨, ¨Sea wolves¨ and specially ¨Wild Geese¨ such memorable films , as in his final career he filmed average movies . ¨Wild Geese¨ can be called great and received , deservedly, much acclaim when released. Certainly a good work done by one of Hollywood's more skill director, a real craftsman.

It's followed by Wild Geese II (Peter Hunt with Scott Glenn, Edward Fox, Barbara Carrera ), an inferior sequel deals about a new group of the much-wanted mercenaries assigned by a rich television network (Robert Webber) to free famous arch-Nazi war criminal Rudolph Hess (Laurence Olivier); this following depended in their all star cast . And a trilogy exploitation directed by Anthony M Dawson( Margheriti) formed by ¨Code name : Wild Geese¨ ¨Commando Leopard(1985)¨ and ¨Der Commander(1988)¨ repeating similar actors, Lewis Collins, Lee Van Cleef , Klaus Kinski, and Manfred Lemann.

It is not often a producer has the chance to thank his critics in this form. I do so now. The blood-sweat and tears that went into the making of THE WILD GEESE is all forgotten. Appreciation of one's endeavors of some 25 years ago, thanks to DVD, is gratefully received. The Zone 1 version is yet to appear, the lateness due to sloppy distribution. To answer questions about the film's very limited theatrical release in the United States and Canada in 1978, this was due solely to the financial collapse of its distributor, Allied Artists. Chapter II was applied and, to my disgust, it failed to reach many theaters. However, the NBC Network and HBO aired the movie with great success. Euan Lloyd.

What makes this movie the classic it is, is the chemistry between lead- and supporting actors, all among the finest of their time: Roger Moore essentially plays his cool James-Bond-persona in camouflage (indeed, the jovial manner in which he offs his opponents while chomping a cigar makes one believe he still owns a "licence to kill"). Burton convinces as boozed-out, aging and fallen out of fortune mercenary, Harris as his reluctant buddy and Krueger (although his sudden conversion from racist Afrikaner to moderate is more than a little sudden and implausible), Krueger plays the redneck Boer with a heart to a tit.

The rest of the cast is similar formidable: Stewart Granger, although generally known for his dandy-roles, is suitable unlikeable as aristocratic, double-dealing employer, Frank Finlay excellent even in a tiny role as missionary, one cannot help but like Kenneth Griffith as gay comedic-sidekick-cum-hero, Ian Yule, all makes a perfect cast for this Film. And of course the great, late Jack Watson as aging trainer, who at all times looks like longing for the battlefield while trimming his garden in England, while longing for his garden when sitting in the training-camp, eating what surely must have been beans and sausages. Watsons "training" and cuss-tirades are among the highlights of the film.

As for the accusations of being racist (having been filmed in South-Africa), even today, decades after the apartheid-regime has ended: I highly doubt that filming added much financially to the then-government. If anything it put some money in the pockets of the locals involved. The leading African cast other than the enemy-soldiers of course, namely John Kani and Winston Ntshona, is generally portrayed positive and amiable and as for accusing the film for showing African countries as either tribal and backward or run by military despots and juntas – well, one needs only look toward the country that was back then called Rhodesia today or perhaps at Uganda, one of the more "stable" countries in Africa, where they're considering a bill that will make homosexuality a crime punishable by death, at the time I'm tipping these words. A negative reputation usually doesn't come from nowhere.

A final word about the „controversial" theme-song by Joan Armatrading: As with most things, it's really a matter of taste and for me personally the inability of the singer to hit a correct note rather soured my teeth. Other than that, I found this opening schmaltz ballad about as appropriate for a mercenary-film as if one had used "My heart will go on" to open the movie "300" (but that's just my subjective opinion).

8/10

Watching The Wild Geese puts me so in mind of those old John Ford cavalry flicks. Not surprising since the Director Andrew McLaglen learned his trade while on the set of those films with his father Victor McLaglen.

A fine cast was assembled here for this film. Richard Burton, Roger Moore, and Richard Harris certainly have all done better stuff, but their skill makes The Wild Geese enjoyable. Of the three, I think Harris comes off the best, his scenes with his young son are very poignant.

Richard Burton is a mercenary who is being offered a contract by gazillionaire industrialist Stewart Granger. Train and equip a group of mercenaries to rescue a Nelson Mandela type African leader who has been deposed in a military coup. Burton does the job, but when the job is finished he and his mercenaries find getting out a whole lot more than the bargained for.

Starting with Where Eagles Dare, Burton was trying the action/adventure genre on for size and he did well with that. He came up way short with Raid on Rommel, but recouped quite a bit with The Wild Geese. It was his only joint film venture with Richard Harris, pairing both the stage and screen King Arthurs from Camelot.

Of course action adventure is old hat for Roger Moore. He was in his prime as James Bond when The Wild Geese was done. But Moore shows he can be quite serious here. None of the tongue in cheek deadpan that characterizes a Bond film.

The scenes dealing with the recruiting a training of the mercenaries come straight out of John Ford. So are the various types among the soldiers.

I liked Kenneth Griffith's portrayal of the openly gay medic with the group. Yes he's certainly stereotypical, but the point is he's accepted by the men who really don't care about his sexual orientation when in a fight. Secondly he turns out to be quite the John Wayne type hero in the end.

The Wild Geese turned out to be very popular, Burton was going to do a sequel Wild Geese II when he died in 1983. Might have been interesting had he done it since it would have paired with Laurence Olivier in that one.

The Wild Geese is an action/adventure film to be sure, but it's also about loyalty, tradition, and camaraderie. These men may fight for a good paycheck, but they are fanatically loyal to the unit created and to each other.

If that ain't John Ford.............................