Comwayon A Disappointing Continuation

Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

Marva-nova Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

Bob This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

SimonJack "The Wild Geese" is a wild movie about a force of mercenary soldiers who are assembled to free a deposed leader of an African nation. It's a fictional story, based on a book that was published at the same time of the movie's completion. Some of the characters and events clearly resemble real people and events. British author Daniel Carney wrote about the tribulations of some African nations in the mid-20th century as they were coming out from under colonial rule. He lived in Rhodesia (former British colony Southern Rhodesia), which later became Zimbabwe. Three of his novels were made into movies. Carney died of cancer at age 43 in 1987, while living in Zimbabwe. Carney wrote this story based on rumors of a 1968 landing of a mysterious airplane in Rhodesia. It supposedly contained mercenary soldiers and an African president, thought to have been Moise Tshombe (Democratic Republic of the Congo) who was dying. The movie has an end note about that. This film was a project of British producer Euan Lloyd, who wanted to make a realistic film about some of the conflicts taking place in Africa. As the film shows, he assembled a star cast. The film was shown first on June 28, 1978, in South Africa where it was met with much approval and accolades by native Africans. For the Royal charity premiere in London on July 6 of that year, some Brits demonstrated against the film.The movie deviates from the book in places. Rafer Janders (played by Richard Harris) in an American playboy in the book, but a Brit in the movie. And the Mafia has a contract on him for killing the son of one of the mob leaders. In the movie, that's attributed to Shawn Fynn (played by Roger Moore). The book has much more on the physical training. Some of the men despise Reg. Sgt. Maj. Sandy Young (played by Jack Watson) and try to kill him; but he foils their plan. In the movie, he's tough, but there's no dissension among the troops. The book has the C-130 drop the force in the hills near Albertville (now Kalemie), a town on the eastern edge of DROC. It sits on the western shore of Lake Tanganyika. Fynn's main parachute fails to open but he uses his reserve chute and lands safely. Some other things are different, including the outcome. But this is a very good action thriller that gives a realistic look at a type of culture that continues somewhat to this day. That is, mercenary forces hired to do war-type raids, battles, and other actions, mostly in countries torn by civil war or unrest, or that are being terrorized. It has some interesting twists having to do with trust of those who hire mercenary forces. The film ending should please most audiences. Modern audiences who may not know much history about Africa may be interested in some background. A little history helps put this film into context of the time, place and culture. From the mid-19th to the early 20th century, most of Africa was colonized. Only two countries – Liberia and Ethiopia, never came under another nation's flag. The remaining 48 of 50 continental modern African nations came under the rule of seven European nations. England and France together held about two-thirds of the nations and of the area. France occupied all or parts of 17 modern African nations, and England was in all or parts of 16 modern African states. Germany ruled all or parts of six modern states. Italy and Spain each had three African colonies. Portugal had two and Belgium had one. That was the Democratic Republic of Congo, which was called Zaire from the 1960s to late 1990s. It is the place source for this story. Decolonization of most of Africa began after the end of World War II. In 1960 alone, 17 African nations gained their independence. By 1990, all of the continent was under self-rule, but not all were democracies. There was no one process for decolonization. It was peaceful in some areas, and embattled in others. Some newly independent countries had stable governments. But others had civil war, revolutions and coups, or were ruled by dictators or tyrants for decades. When this movie came out in 1978, Apartheid rules were in place in South Africa (1948-1991). Many Western nations would soon embargo South African commerce. South Africa was (and still is) the world's largest producer of chromium. This coincided with the automobile industry moving away from chrome bumpers on cars. In 1985, President Reagan imposed sanctions on South Africa, including ownership of the country's gold money (krugerrands). Efforts began in 1990 by the South African government to end apartheid, and in April of 1994, the nation had its first free election. African history is much more complicated. The Cold War had a big effect on the new, emerging Africa. European nations, especially, had economic interests there. The rise of the United Nations and influx of many new nations after World War II, especially from Africa and Southeast Asia, and other things all had a hand in forging an Africa of many diverse nations. But this short overview of the political climate of the era gives one a sense of the time, place and setting for this movie. Here's my favorite quote from this film. Regimental Sergeant Major Sandy Young is training the men in parachute landing falls (PLFs). Young, to Shawn Fynn, "That was ludicrous, sir. You are jumping from an aeroplane, not a whorehouse window. Do it again." Finn (looking at Young spitefully), "Sir!"

t_atzmueller 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

Tweekums When mercenary leader Colonel Faulkner is hired by wealthy merchant banker Sir Edward Matherson to rescue deposed African leader President Julius Limbani from a barracks deep inside hostile territory he knows it won't be easy. Once he has recruited the men he needs they head to Swaziland to train. They then fly north and parachute to there target. At first things go well; they quickly eliminate the soldiers based there; silently taking out the sentries with a cross bow then gassing the rest while they slept. It isn't long before they are at the airport with Limbani waiting for the plane to return to pick them up... this is where the action really starts; Matherson has made a new deal and no longer needs Limbani so the plane abandons them to their fate. Trapped deep inside hostile territory with enemy forces fast approaching they must quickly decide what to do. The initial plan is to drive south into Limbani's tribal heartland to try to raise a revolution but that looks unlikely when their transport is destroyed and many of them are killed... the will just have to find a alternate way out of the country and once out Falkner will make sure somebody pays for all those bodies left littering Africa! If you want a proper 'Boy's Own' adventure this is it; the first hour nicely introduces all the main characters as well as Falkner there is Rafer Janders, the planner; Shawn Flynn, a pilot; Pieter Coetzee, an Afrikaner who just wants to earn enough to buy a farm back home; Sandy Young, the RSM and Witty, the camp (in more ways than one) medic. Once the action starts it is almost none stop and it soon becomes clear that it isn't just nameless background characters that are going to die; characters we've grown to care about die too. This leads to a genuinely tear-jerking moment towards the end when Falkner will have to make the hardest decision imaginable. The cast is loaded with star names: Richard Burton, Richard Harris, Roger Moore and Hardy Krüger but it isn't the sort of 'all star' film where well known stars just take turns to show off a bit; they all do great jobs as do the other, less well known, actors. The action looks believable, which shouldn't be too surprising given that famous mercenary 'Mad Mike' Hoare acted as an adviser and many of the cast had seen military service during the war. Some may find this a little bit non-PC as the openly gay medic is distinctly camp and Coetzee constantly calls Limbani 'kaffir'; this misses the point though Witty may be a camp stereotype but the men accept him for who he is and he is a heroic character who doesn't shirk from the fight and Coetzee grows to become more moderate as he gets to know Limbani and acknowledges that he doesn't understand the politics of his own country. Overall if you are looking for a good solid action flick you could do a lot worse than this.

TheLittleSongbird I saw The Wild Geese as I do like Richard Harris and Roger Moore and while he is not a favourite Richard Burton has also given some good performances. The Wild Geese does have an interesting cast, and while they do all give good enough performances, Harris in particular(Stewart Granger I personally found rather bland), all have been better and all have been in much better movies.A major problem was my difficulty in connecting with the characters, some of them are not well developed much and it doesn't help that the script doesn't do much to make them more engrossing.To me, the most interesting character was the one played by Hardy Kruger. The story also didn't grab me, the last third was pretty exciting but the first part takes too long to set up and some of the middle does drag.The script does have some good lines and interplay when the political overtones don't set in that is. The film is to put it kindly a dog's dinner of politics- the liberalism for example is very woolly- and rhetoric and it is even more disappointing that the politics are dated.I am not saying that the director is not talented, it's just that like the pace the direction feels rather stodgy particularly in the middle. The drama has some poignancy but there are too many times where it all feels rather dull, while the action is well assorted but generally uncompelling.Are there any redeeming qualities? Yes. The most obvious one is the cast, the three leads look as though they are enjoying themselves, Hardy Kruger does alright as the film's most interesting character and it was nice to see British stalwarts such as Jack Watson, Ronald Fraser and Kenneth Griffith participating. The Wild Geese looks good, with nice cinematography and scenery, and the score at least gives the film some excitement.All in all, not a terrible film but although I feel I need to re-watch it I am afraid I didn't find it particularly good either despite the cast. 5/10 Bethany Cox