The Dogs of War (1980)

Mercenary James Shannon, on a reconnaissance job to the African nation of Zangaro, is tortured and deported. He returns to lead a coup.

Director:

John Irvin

Writers:

Gary DeVore (screenplay), George Malko (screenplay)

Stars:

Christopher Walken, Tom Berenger, Colin Blakely

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 (as Jean François Stevenin)
JoBeth Williams	...	Jessie
Robert Urquhart	...	Capt. Lockhart
Winston Ntshona	...	Dr. Okoye
Pedro Armendáriz Jr.	...	The Captain (as Pedro Armendariz Jr.)
Harlan Cary Poe	...	Richard
Ed O'Neill	...	Terry
Isabel Grandin	...	Evelyn
Ernest Graves	...	Warner
Kelvin Thomas	...	The Black Boy

Storyline

Jamie Shannon is a soldier of fortune -- a mercenary who will stage a coup or a revolution for the right price. He is hired by British mining interests to scout out Zangaro, a small African nation with rich mineral deposits but a brutal and xenophobic dictatorship. Arrested soon after his arrival, Shannon is imprisoned as a spy, badly beaten, and tortured. While in prison he meets one of the country's leading intellectuals, Dr. Okoye, also imprisoned by the regime. Eventually released, he returns to London and is subsequently offered to opportunity to secretly invade Zangaro's capital and lead a military coup. Shannon accepts, but quietly has his own agenda to pursue.

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Plot Keywords:

mercenary | dictator | vietnam war veteran | african | reconnaissance | 

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Taglines:

Cry 'Havoc!' And Let Slip The Dogs Of War

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama

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Certificate:

R

Did You Know?

Trivia

In a pub scene, they are drinking "Long Life" beer, which is now no longer produced.

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Goofs

The train announced as calling at Rugby, Leicester, Loughborough, Nottingham and Sheffield would have been running on the Great Central Railway. This closed to passengers in 1960, long before the time in which the film is set. It would anyway have departed from Marylebone Station rather than Liverpool Street.

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Quotes

Customs Officer: [finding two large bottles of whisky in Shannon's luggage] Do you have a drinking problem, Mr Brown?
Shannon: I thought there might be a problem with the water.
Customs Officer: [confiscating one of the bottles] There is.

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Alternate Versions

Although the cinema version was uncut the 1986 UK video was cut by 5 secs by the BBFC to remove shots of broken glass being forced into the mouth of Endean's man before being beaten up by Shannon. The 2001 MGM DVD restored the film to its original 119 minute UK length, which had additional character development, including an early scene of Shannon attending the baptism of a fellow mercenary's child, a bed scene between Shannon and Jessie, a scene of the raiding party being delayed by a closed drawbridge, Shannon pressuring Hackett to deliver the Valencia shipment, and extensive footage between Shannon and Lockhart where the latter persuades Spanish officials to allow the cargo on to the boat.

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Connections

Referenced in The Directors: The Films of Norman Jewison (1999)

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Soundtracks

Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries
Sung by Gillian McPherson
Music by Geoffrey Burgon
Poem by A.E. Housman

User Reviews

Not for children

That is, not for those with child like tastes. If you require non-stop action ... move along. The characters are set up nicely and Walken is just too cool, I think it's his best performance. Most of his fans don't know about this movie but it's a gem. There are a few scenes I would have left on the cutting floor but they can be overlooked. There's a scene with his doctor that is worth watching the whole movie over. But there's plenty more. There's good dialog, nice scenery, some action and some characters you actually care about. This is not an assault on your senses; you will have to pay attention to enjoy it. But it will be worth your time. If you are a fan of Christopher Walken, then it will be well worth your time.

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English French

Release Date:

13 February 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Dogs of War

Filming Locations:

St John's Cathedral, Belize City, Belize

Box Office

Gross USA:

$5,484,132

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,484,132

Company Credits

Production Co:

Juniper Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min 104 min (TCM print) 114 min (cut) (1988) (video release) 105 min (cut) (1981) (cinema release)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1