Force 10 from Navarone (1978)

User Rating:

6.0/10   

Director:

Guy Hamilton

Writers:

Robin Chapman (screenplay)
Carl Foreman (screen story)

Release Date:

8 December 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | War

Tagline:

The Odds Against Them Were 10,000 to 1...But What the Hell!

Plot:

During World War II, several oddly assorted military experts are teamed in a mission to raid and destroy a bridge vital to enemy strategy.

Plot Keywords:

Partisan | Nazi | Yugoslavia | Female Nudity | Decapitation

Cast

Robert Shaw	...	Maj. Keith Mallory
Harrison Ford	...	Lieutenant Colonel Mike Barnsby
Barbara Bach	...	Maritza Petrovich
Edward Fox	...	SSgt. Dusty Miller
Franco Nero	...	Capt. Nikolai Leskovar (as Lescovar)
Carl Weathers	...	Sgt. Weaver
Richard Kiel	...	Capt. Drazak
Alan Badel	...	Maj. Petrovitch
Michael Byrne	...	Maj. Schroeder
Philip Latham	...	Cmdr. Jensen
Angus MacInnes	...	1st Lt. Doug Reynolds
Michael Sheard	...	Sgt. Bauer
Petar Buntic	...	Marko
Leslie Schofield	...	Interrogation Officer 1
Anthony Langdon	...	Interrogation Officer 2 (as Antony Langdon)

Also Known As:

Alistair MacLean's Force 10 from Navarone (USA) (poster title)
Force Ten from Navarone (International: English title) (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

118 min | 126 min (restored version)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo

Certification:

Argentina:Atp | Peru:PT | Iceland:12 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | Netherlands:12 | Norway:15 | Sweden:15 | USA:PG (Certificate #25070) | Singapore:PG | UK:A (original rating) (cut) | UK:12 (2005 re-rating) | UK:15 (1986-2005)

Filming Locations:

Jersey, Channel Islands

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

Edward Fox replaced Ian Bannen.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Force 10 is taken to the "partisan" camp and the so-called "partisans" reveal themselves to be Chetniks (German allies), they turn their caps around to hide the communist red stars they were wearing as a disguise to reveal their Chetnik insignia, including the group who met Force 10 initially. However, none of those Chetniks had any insignia on the backs of their caps at the first rendezvous.

Quotes:

Mallory: [inside the Partisans' cave Mallory wants to talk to Petrovitch alone to tell him he needs to kill Nikolai] May I talk to you personally, sir?
Maj. Petrovitch: You are talking to me personally.
Mallory: No I mean alone.
Maj. Petrovitch: No. The People's army does not conduct military business in secret.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Castle of Fu-Manchu (#4.23)" (1992)

Underrated sequel to classic Oscar winner

In the late 70's the war genre saw a revival and Harrison Ford starring in not one but two movies of the period, the romantic drama HANOVER STREET (1979) with Lesley-Anne Down and the more commercial FORCE 10 FROM NAVARONE (1978).

Over the years, the film has got some unfair press in my view and is regarded as sub-standard compared to the infinitely more successful GUNS OF NAVARONE. However, the chemistry of all concerned is just right for this film, which involves a group of soldiers trying to blow up a bridge in Yugoslavia and the search for a traitor from the original film's mission.

There are some good action sequences, and the dialogue exchanges between Ford, Edward Fox and the late Robert Shaw are passable. Carl Weathers (coming quick off ROCKY), racism issue aside, still seems out of place in the film, although he has one or two good moments. Barbara Bach and Richard Kiel, hot off THE SPY WHO LOVED ME, are stereotypes.

Ron Goodwin's score keeps the film moving.