Truly Dreadful Film

Fantastic!

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

An action-packed story of a paramilitary group funded by a billionaire to rescue an African leader who is held captive by his enemies. Restored to his leadership position, the captive will be useful both to his country as a figure around whom competing factions can coalesce and to the billionaire's copper interests. It's a big and well-armed unit, about the size of a company, more than 100 men, all of them experienced, to be led by Richard Burton, Roger Moore, Richard Harris, and Hardy Kruger.The narrative carries a faint echo of "Objective Burma," an old Errol Flynn movie. The specialists are parachuted into hostile territory, carry out their mission without casualties, but then find themselves stuck with no exit and must schlep their way through the bush, pursued by enemies, until the few survivors are airlifted out.It's not a simple "good guys" versus "bad guys" story, like the Errol Flynn war-time film. These are, after all, mercenaries and most are just doing it for the money. There are even one or two "philosophical" exchanges about the morality of their mission and their values.There is, naturally, the usual getting-in-shape training camp scenes and the final orgasmic shoot-out. Due to editing or something, the orders issued to the men are clear enough but the execution on screen is confusing. Who's where? Why are these guys running and those guys not? Where did that bazooka come from? But the viewer must overlook the confusion of the ultimate battle because nothing else is left ambiguous. This was directed by Andrew V. McLaughlin, son of Victor, pal of John Ford, but more craftsman than poet. Every emotion, every thought, every lingering doubt, is spelled out for you, as in a kindergarten class where "A" is "A as in apple." So don't worry about having to struggle to grasp the clinical significance of it -- although if you want to think twice about mercenaries or "government contractors," as the mercenaries are called when they're working for us instead of them, you can do so. And don't be too quick to judge. The Swiss guards at the Vatican are mercenaries too.

I first saw this movie with my Dad in 1978 when I was twelve and when it first came out in the theaters in the US; and, to this day...I still love it! It's a very radically and racially-driven movie of a time that most Africans, and, people in general, wish to forget (Apartheid); but, it's also a movie that tells about how all of the 'rich people' in the world, along with governments, took advantage of, and, preyed-upon, Africa and her people and resources. Much like in China in the early 1900s - ("55 Days at Peking;" "The Sand Pebbles;" etc.).This is a movie, 'no matter what anyone may think,' that simply shows how 'outside' interests in the resources of a nation or continent in turmoil can so-easily be taken advantage of when they are most vulnerable. No one 'in power' cared about the rescue of President Limbani, even the rich British banker (Stewart Granger...a great actor) who paid for his rescue, unless it paid-off. That was just an excuse...a dupe, to make himself look good' and, if it worked, to also make himself even more rich! All that the rich banker cared about was getting hold of the copper concessions that he could acquire by rescuing this President. But, once another deal was struck, the banker dissolved 'everything.' leaving Colonel Faulkner and his men stranded in Africa and at the mercy of the now-government he'd invaded.Sure...Colonel Faulkner (Richard Burton) cared so much so long as he's paid to lead the 'mercenary' rescue (but...he cares GREATLY for his men); Lieutenant Shawn Fynn (Roger Moore) took this job to get out of Mafia trouble, but, he has a good heart and cares for and protects people; Lieutenant Pieter Coetzee (Hardy Kruger) also has a big heart, an open mind, and, despite political views, made friends with President Limbani, and, they came to trust one-another; Captain Rafer Janders (Richard Harris) is and always was a great supporter of President Limbani, and, a great and honorable man and soldier.This movie is of political and worldwide 'life,' then and now; and, in a thousand years from now! It's GREED without empathy or sympathy, no matter the stakes or losses to others! It's a world with only greed! A world that has no room for soft feelings, especially for other people!?!? This movie is a must-see, no matter how sad it is politically or ethically...it's true in it's depiction of callous politics and the bloodthirsty rich! :(

Fan-BLOODY-tastic! That's how much. In many ways this is an extremely British film, the actors nearly all having lived through WW2 and undergone National Service in the 40s and 50s with no need for an American star to broaden it's appeal (rumour has it the studio wanted OJ Simpson in the Shaun Finn role!). The characters involved strike me as some of the more interesting people you might meet in the mess/wardroom. Some people might criticise it as being racist in its' depiction of Africa, not least due to it being filmed in Apartheid-era South Africa but surely the reality is evidenced by the horrendous real life events in Rwanda, Liberia, Sierra Leone and the Congo? Not to mention the relationship of reconciliation and understanding which develops between the characters of white South African mercenary Pieter Coetze and black African leader Julius Limbani? All told this is a highly realistic depiction of mercenary war, not least because real life mercenaries 'Mad' Mike O'Hoare and Ian Youle both take part in the film (Yule playing the part of Tosh, O'Hoare acting as an adviser and role model for Colonel Faulkner). But what raises it beyond that is the backstory of the men involved. Roger Moore's character a far cry from James Bond, down and out and on the run from both the law and the Mafia. Richard Harris a hard-bitten cynic who has given up the mercenary lifestyle yet is lured back by the promise of friendship, excitement and an African leader he believes in. Richard Burton a drunken veteran World War 2 warrior who knows nothing else but a life of violence and Hardy Kruger a man so desperate he leaps at the chance of a decent payday but then develops a conscience. A great scene is when Faulkner approaches his old RSM, a career soldier, long since retired who of course jumps at the chance to lead men in combat once again but is despised by his wife who correctly assumes that he's taking her husband off to be killed in some desolate African hell-hole, the love between the old comrades in arms greater than any marriage vows, as is Faulkner's killing of Janders in an act of mercy. A very masculine film with exactly 2 female characters who have less than 10 lines between them. The emotional heart of the film is Jander's relationship with his son Emil, taken over by his great friend Faulkner at the end of the film, a fantastic gift to both Emil and his new guardian "Let's talk about your father" (SOB!). All told they don't make films like this any more, perhaps understandably but still something of a shame.

I saw The Wild Geese as I do like Richard Harris and Roger Moore and while he is not a favourite Richard Burton has also given some good performances. The Wild Geese does have an interesting cast, and while they do all give good enough performances, Harris in particular(Stewart Granger I personally found rather bland), all have been better and all have been in much better movies.A major problem was my difficulty in connecting with the characters, some of them are not well developed much and it doesn't help that the script doesn't do much to make them more engrossing.To me, the most interesting character was the one played by Hardy Kruger. The story also didn't grab me, the last third was pretty exciting but the first part takes too long to set up and some of the middle does drag.The script does have some good lines and interplay when the political overtones don't set in that is. The film is to put it kindly a dog's dinner of politics- the liberalism for example is very woolly- and rhetoric and it is even more disappointing that the politics are dated.I am not saying that the director is not talented, it's just that like the pace the direction feels rather stodgy particularly in the middle. The drama has some poignancy but there are too many times where it all feels rather dull, while the action is well assorted but generally uncompelling.Are there any redeeming qualities? Yes. The most obvious one is the cast, the three leads look as though they are enjoying themselves, Hardy Kruger does alright as the film's most interesting character and it was nice to see British stalwarts such as Jack Watson, Ronald Fraser and Kenneth Griffith participating. The Wild Geese looks good, with nice cinematography and scenery, and the score at least gives the film some excitement.All in all, not a terrible film but although I feel I need to re-watch it I am afraid I didn't find it particularly good either despite the cast. 5/10 Bethany Cox