IMDb > The Dogs of War (1980)
The Dogs of War
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The Dogs of War (1980) More at IMDbPro »

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The Dogs of War (1980) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
6.2/10   2,652 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 66% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
John Irvin
Writers:
Frederick Forsyth (novel)
Gary DeVore (writer) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for The Dogs of War on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
13 February 1981 (USA) more
Genre:
Adventure | War | Action more
Tagline:
Cry 'Havoc!' And Let Slip The Dogs Of War
Plot:
Jamie Shannon is a soldier of fortune, a mercenary who will stage a coup or a revolution for the right price... more | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
User Comments:
Existential mercenaries go to war for war's sake. One of best of breed. more (37 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Christopher Walken ... Jamie Shannon

Tom Berenger ... Drew
Colin Blakely ... North
Hugh Millais ... Endean
Paul Freeman ... Derek
Jean-François Stévenin ... Michel

JoBeth Williams ... Jessie
Robert Urquhart ... Capt. Lockhart
Winston Ntshona ... Dr. Okoye
Pedro Armendáriz Jr. ... The Captain
Harlan Cary Poe ... Richard
Ed O'Neill ... Terry
Ernest Graves ... Warner
Kelvin Thomas ... The Black Boy
Shane Rimmer ... Dr. Oaks
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Additional Details

Runtime:
UK:118 min | USA:102 min | USA:104 min (TCM print) | Finland:114 min (cut) (1988) (video release) | Finland:105 min (cut) (1981) (cinema release)
Country:
UK
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Dolby
Filming Locations:
Belize City, Belize more
Company:
Juniper Films more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The song that plays over the end credits is the poem Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries by A.E. Housman, set to music. more
Goofs:
Continuity: When Shannon meets with Endean and Bobi, in subsequent shots his necktie moves from the left to right side of his shirt. more
Quotes:
Michel: [raising his glass in a toast] Vive la mort ! Vive la guerre ! Vive le sacré mercenaire ! more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Beauty (1981) more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
13 out of 17 people found the following comment useful.
Existential mercenaries go to war for war's sake. One of best of breed., 13 November 2005
10/10
Author: Albarino from United States

Lean, pared down to action, efficiently told story of a mercenary band with a code of honor worthy of Hemingway's life maxim "grace under pressure." Walken's performance is truly riveting, simply acting the truth without embellishment, this is professional soldier whose purpose --- loyalty to his fellow soldiers and dedication to his task --- is clean and spare: get in, win, get out, come home has been rarely topped in movies. A modern day samurai with fatalistic existential details all pass with utter credibility and uncluttered and unremarked on. Chillingly well told. Once it grips you, you will not be released until the end credits. Cuts to the bone. Jack Cardiff's cinematography is a textbook of low budget, maximum effect visuals. Walken seems skinned by combat; you never doubt this is a peak experience for him, there are no alternatives.

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