Shout at the Devil

This guy seems to have been the most under-rated star in the Biz. His dry sense of humor combined with a subtle charisma made Lee Marvin one of the most likeable stars of the war movie genre. Here he played an older soldier, past his prime, that coaxes the younger Roger Moore into doing life-endangering things against the Germans. This is done with much humor, as Moore is in love with Marvin's daughter, and feels compelled out of family honor to do whatever he can. The action is really excellent, and the love story is touching. A must see for any war movie fan, and/or Moore fan. Marvin, himself, delivers another Marvin like performance, and reminds viewers of his earlier days from the film "The Dirty Dozen".

As a World War One naval buff, I enjoy this film on one level. As a film enthusiast, I enjoy it on another, all the more so for it being based on fact.

The actual story of the Koenigsberg is actually far less glamorous than the fate of the Blucher in this film but no less enthralling. After the ship was destroyed, her crew joined the German land forces under Count Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck and, together with their few thousand fiercely loyal African troops, fought 1 million British soldiers to a standstill for 4 years until, after the Armistice, they surrendered to the Portuguese, undefeated and proud. A tale well worth reading, far better than the fiction.

Back to the film. The central character is one Flynn O'Flynn, a thoroughly disreputable character, played by Lee Marvin. Always good value for money, he merely reprises Ben Rumson in Africa - no effort required! Roger Moore, aged 49, plays the 'young' interest! Mind you, he don't look bad for it! He is married to the delectable Barbara Parkins, Flynn's daughter Rosa, really the only female character in the film, a grim role she carries off to perfection. Fleischer, the evil German, the exact opposite of von Lettow-Vorbeck, is brilliantly overplayed by Rene Kolldehoff - he really is unlikeable! Also look out for Ian Holm as the mute Arab servant Mohammed.

The film has great pace, really rolling along, well shot in wonderful scenery. It has been well researched too. The Blucher, an actual German cruiser, has been pretty accurately recreated. The whole film has a very genuine feel.

I can see why it's not popular with female viewers. It's quite bloody, very cruel and Barbara Parkins character has a dreadful time of it. The scene in which the farm is burned is quite harrowing.

There are plenty of laughs too. Flynn O'Flynn has all of Ben Rumson's comic characteristics. The big fight between Marvin and Moore is very funny. And then there's Roger Moore blacked up as an African porter - he's about as convincing as I would be - and I'm blond!

If you're a fan of Ripping Yarns, then this one is for you. If not, then I wouldn't bother.

I feel I should mention that the version of "Shout at the Devil" that I watched was the full length 150 minute version. When the movie originally played in theaters, it had been cut by about half an hour. Normally, I feel that the original full length version of a movie is the version to see, but in the case of this movie, I think that the edited version might play better. I'm not saying that the full length version is bad, but I'm saying that it's too long for its own good. There is quite a considerable amount of padding on display, and as a result the movie moves quite slowly at times. There are some good things along the way all the same - there is some good action and suspense, the African backdrop is colorful and catches the eye, and it's fun to see Lee Marvin and Roger Moore paired up and generate considerable chemistry. So it's nowhere near a total loss. All the same, I think a more snappy pace would have helped things considerably.

I liked Shout at the Devil" it is a big, dumb, sill y movie that's impossible to dislike. It's so cheerfully corny, so willing to involve its heroes in every possible predicament, that after awhile we relax: This is the kind of movie they used to make, back when audiences were supposed to have the mentality of a 12-year-old. It's great to be 12 again. The movie involves the exploits of an Irish-American drunk and a proper Britisher who find themselves in German East Africa just before World War I. The boozer (Lee Marvin) has promised to bring a load of ivory out of the interior. He needs help to get it past the German occupying forces, led by a comic Teuton named Fleischer. So he arranges that the Englishman (played by Roger Moore,) will have his money and passport stolen. Since Moore has to stay in Africa, Marvin suggests, why don't they team up?

A British action adventure; A story about unlikely partners in the East African ivory trade who join forces to fight occupying German troops in German East Africa. Adapted from the Wilbur Smith novel, it is based on a true story about a raid on the SMS Konigsberg by an ivory hunter in World War I. It is an opulent film, well photographed but pastiche, the sort of actioner that harks back to an older generation of films featuring exploitative, larger-than-life characters put through a cavalcade of action and unlikely situations, out of which humour and thrills naturally arise, with a cartoonish villain to satisfy all tastes. Lee Marvin plays wonderfully, a man on the make, out to plunder the environment, downing copious amounts of hooch in the process, and Roger Moore, as Sebastian Oldsmith, fits his part well, giving contrast as an establishment toff. Both commit and play amiably amidst some slack and silly slapstick comedy. Peter R. Hunt stages scenes with workmanlike efficiency, although some sequences are like longueurs. Overall, it is a treat as a postprandial Sunday matinee. As an aside, the full theatrical release is the version that garnered more credit for the fuller and more rounded characters it portrays, though some extra scenes are stark in portraying the ivory trade.