The Siege of Jadotville (2016)

Irish Commandant Pat Quinlan leads a stand off with troops against French and Belgian Mercenaries in the Congo during the early 1960s.

Director:

Richie Smyth

Writers:

Kevin Brodbin, Declan Power (based on the book by)

Stars:

Richard Lukunku, Danny Sapani, Andrew Stock

3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Richard Lukunku	...	Patrice Lumumba
Danny Sapani	...	Moise Tshombe
Andrew Stock	...	Man in a White Suit
Mark Strong	...	Conor Cruise O'Brien
Jamie Dornan	...	Patrick Quinlan
Fionn O'Shea	...	William Reidy
Sam Keeley	...	Bill (Sniper) Ready
Ronan Raftery	...	John Gorman
Mike Noble	...	Charles Cooley
Jason O'Mara	...	Jack Prendergast
Fiona Glascott	...	Carmel Quinlan
Melissa Haiden	...	Beautiful Nurse
Jordan Mifsud	...	John Donnelly
Conor Quinlan	...	Patrick Joyce
Charlie Kelly	...	Walter Hegarty

Storyline

In 1961, the UN sends an Irish peacekeeper troop commanded by Commandant Pat Quilan to Katanga, in Congo, to protect the inhabitants of the mining town of Jadotville in the beginning of a civil war. Meanwhile the UN advisor Dr. Conor Cruise O'Brien launches a military attack named Operation Morthor against the French and Belgian mercenaries. Soon there is a reprisal from the mercenaries and Quilana and his men are left under the siege of a huge Katangese and mercenary troops. Will the Irish soldiers resist to the attack?

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Plot Keywords:

africa | mercenary | congo | civil war | katanga | 

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Thriller | War

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Details

Country:

Ireland South Africa

Language:

English Irish French

Release Date:

7 October 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

Jadotville

Filming Locations:

South Africa

Company Credits

Production Co:

Parallel Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Color:

Color (ACES)

Did You Know?

Trivia

During the bar scene they are drinking Hennessy cognac , A cognac house founded by an Irish man who enlisted in King Louis XV's Irish Brigade.The Irish Brigade was a brigade in the French army composed of Irish exiles, The Flight of the Wild Geese was the departure of an Irish Jacobite army under the command of Patrick Sarsfield from Ireland to France, as agreed in the Treaty of Limerick on 3 October 1691, following the end of the Williamite War in Ireland. More broadly, the term "Wild Geese" is used in Irish history to refer to Irish soldiers who left to serve in continental European armies in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. "The Wild Geese" is the name of a movie set in Africa about a A British banker who hires a group of British mercenaries to rescue a deposed African president from the hands of a corrupt African dictator.

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Goofs

Tshombe is shown watching the news on a TV with American style tuners including a UHF dial. UHF wasn't required on TVs until 1964.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Pat Quinlan: [narrating] I once heard a man say that, in Africa, the sun is like a furnace that either melts you or forges you.

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Soundtracks

FOOT STOMPIN' PART 1
Written by Aaron Collins
Performed by The Flares
Published by Universal/MCA Music LTD on behalf of Songs of Universal, Inc.
Courtesy of Decca Music Group, under license from Universal Music Operations Ltd.

User Reviews

Brilliant ! A new classic is born.

Wow ! What a surprise packet this is. In the same vein as, and at least as well made as "Zulu". The direction, casting, and acting are all first rate, and the combat scenes are realistic and convincing, and without any corny Hollywoodisms. Thoroughly engrossing war action. In addition, the film gets across to us an understanding of the global situation at the time and the significance of the assassination of Lumumba and the purported secession of Katanga from the Congo. The strongest message though is how the major powers failed to support the UN in the Congo, so that not only were a company of soldiers expendable, so was the UN Secretary-General himself. And De Gaulle had no hesitation in sending in legionnaire mercenaries to fight against UN peacekeepers. Jamie Dornan as Commandant (major) Quinlan and Mark Strong playing Conor Cruise O'Brien were outstanding, and I thought the actors playing the parts of Prendergast, Tshombe, and the legionnaire leader of the mercenaries were top class too. For a movie to be so good all round, a lot of credit must go the director. Looking at IMDb, it appears this is Richie Smyth's first directorial effort. I don't think it will be his last. Interestingly, or ominously, this movie comes out at a time when the clouds of civil war appear to be gathering over the Congo again, so there is a topical relevance as well.