The Mercenaries (1968)

Director:

Jack Cardiff

Writers:

Wilbur Smith (novel)
Ranald MacDougall (writer) ...

Release Date:

3 July 1968 (USA)

Genre:

War | Adventure | Drama | Action

Tagline:

Brutes! Savages! Heroes! ...Paid to fight in the fury of the Congo! [UK theatrical]

Plot:

A band of mercenaries led by Captain Curry travel through the Congo across deadly terrain, battling rival armies...

Plot Keywords:

Mercenary | Congo | Diamond | Rescue | Treasure

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Rod Taylor	...	Curry
Yvette Mimieux	...	Claire
Peter Carsten	...	Henlein
Jim Brown	...	Ruffo
Kenneth More	...	Doctor Wreid
André Morell	...	Bussier
Olivier Despax	...	Surrier
Guy Deghy	...	Delage
Bloke Modisane	...	Kataki
Calvin Lockhart	...	Ubi
Alan Gifford	...	Jansen
David Bauer	...	Adams
Murray Kash	...	Cochrane
John Serret	...	Father Dominic
Danny Daniels	...	General Moses

Also Known As:

Dark of the Sun (USA)

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | UK:15 (1986) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:X | USA:Approved | USA:PG (re-rating) (1973)

Filming Locations:

Jamaica

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

In the scene leading up to the fight between Curry and Henlein alongside the train, the German is dubbed by Paul Frees.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: Apparently no blank ammo was available for the .50 caliber heavy machine guns carried on the train. When they are "fired" at the attacking UN plane, there is no recoil or movement of the ammo belt. The muzzle flash was painted onto the film later.

Quotes:

Curry: The gun's Chinese Ruffo, paid for by Russian rubles. The steel probably came from a West German factory built by French francs. Then it was flown out here on a South African airline probably subsidized by The United States. I don't think he got very far.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Great film, but who is the "good guy"?

This is an excellent film and definitely one of Rod Taylor's best performances. Taylor is Curry, a mercenary commander in the Congo, during the Katanga secession. Jim Brown is his friend and number two, a US educated Congolese. Taylor plays Curry as a true mercenary of the period: ruthless, greedy, loyal to his comrades, and distrustful of his rivals and employers.

The film mixes two different periods of the civil wars in the Congo; the Katanga secession in 1960 and the Simba revolt in 1964. The original book is set squarely during the Katanga period and involves the Baluba war, not the Simba's. However both periods were exemplified by brutality on all sides. The film accurately portrays the enmity between the Katanga forces and the UN troops sent to intervene. It also accurately depicts the Belgian interests in Katanga.

Much like the train the mercenaries ride, the film starts out slow and builds up steam along the route. By the end, it's a runaway that comes crashing to its end. This is war and humanity at its worst, make no mistake. The closest I can come to finding a "good guy" is Jim Brown, the soldier who wants his country to be free and have its place in the modern world.

The Nazi character was based on an actual German mercenary in the Congo, Siegfried Mueller. Mueller was noted for wearing the Iron Cross, which he earned in the Second World War, on his uniform. The film makers changed it to a swastika for greater effect (I presume). There is a slight problem with the continuity of this character, as part way through the film, his voice is obviously dubbed by another actor. Presumably, this was due to sound problems and the unavailability of the actor to loop his lines.

All-in-all this is a great film; vastly superior to others of the genre, such as The Wild Geese and The Dogs of War. Just remember, war more often brings out the worst in humanity, rather than the best.