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

4 wins & 4 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 Quinlan 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 Quinlan and his men are left under siege by a huge number of Katangese and mercenary troops. Will the Irish soldiers resist the attack?

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Plot Keywords:

congo | civil war | africa | 1960s | netflix | 

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Genres:

Action | Biography | Drama | Thriller | War

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Details

Country:

Ireland South Africa

Language:

English Irish French

Release Date:

7 October 2016 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Siege of Jadotville

Filming Locations:

South Africa

Company Credits

Production Co:

Parallel Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min

Color:

Color (ACES)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

During the briefing scene where Faulques discusses the Katangese attackers being caught off-guard, a mercenary is seen with the wild goose patch of the Congolese Army's famed 5 Commando, a white Anglophone mercenary unit. This is an anachronism, as 5 Commando fought in the Simba Rebellion, not the Katanga Secession, and wasn't formed until almost two years after the Siege of Jadotville, in 1964.

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Goofs

The Irish NCO is seen firing a Swedish m/45 sub-machine gun from the hip. This may seem like a stylistic action movie choice. However, the Swedish soldier manual - when that weapon was in use - did in fact detail "hip-shot" and "mowing" as valid stances, and they remained in the manual as late as 2019. The efficiency of these stances is today a matter of some contention, but the stances were none the less taught at the time.

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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

Rakish Paddy, The Wild Irishman
Arranged by Kevin Crehan
Performed by Kevin Crehan, Danny Taylor and Hal Rosenfeld
Published by Dogwood Flower Music

User Reviews

Based on a True Unknown Story of Courage

In 1961, the UN sends an Irish peacekeeper troop commanded by Commandant Pat Quilan (Jamie Dornan) to Katanga, in Congo, to protect the inhabitants of the mining town of Jadotville in the beginning of a civil war. Meanwhile the UN adviser Dr. Conor Cruise O'Brien (Mark Strong) 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?

"The Siege of Jadotville" is a great action film with a story based on a true unknown story of courage. The action scenes are spectacular but the political conspiracy could be better explained for viewers that do not have knowledge of this historical event. But "The Siege of Jadotville" is worthwhile watching. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): Not Available