Simply A Masterpiece

Memorable, crazy movie

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Well done movie about Mercenaries in Africa led by Rod Taylor. Sent into the bush during a revolt by brutal beings called Simba's, to retrieve millions in Diamonds, this group consisting of a Black Sergeant (Jim Brown), an ex-Nazi and others, they rescue a bunch of civilians and bunch more are left to die. Really no good guys in here, though I always root for Rod Taylor, who is great as usual. I saw this at the Drive In!

I watched an excellent print on the weekend with a fellow Rod Taylor fan. It was a good choice as a tribute to Rod, reunited here with Time Machine co-star Yvette Mimieux. Jim Brown was excellent and Peter Carsten makes an imposing villain. Listen closely and I'm certain some of Peter's scenes are dubbed by Paul Frees (I'd know his voice anywhere). The film makes you think and there are some emotional scenes throughout. Kenneth More has a nice supporting role. The action scenes are well choreographed and some of the violent scenes leave more to the imagination than in your face blood shed. Certain scenes are cringe-worthy and leave an impact. There are nice touches of irony throughout.

Dark Of The Sun is one superior action film showing the difficulties of the African liberation period of the 50s and 60s. A whole continent of nations gained their independence from European powers no longer able to govern. In many places the struggle goes on with different players and different issues. No place was more bloody than the Congo now renamed as the Republic of Zaire.The mineral riches of Africa however are still controlled by the west and nobody wants to lose their investment. Rod Taylor and Jim Brown are a couple of mercenary soldiers who are asked by diamond merchants to retrieve a cache of diamonds from a small town and by the way rescue the people there if you can.The conflict of Taylor and Brown and their motivations are what sets the story going. Taylor is strictly for hire on a cash basis. Brown likes money, but he's from Africa, got a scholarship for an education in the USA and wants to see democracy and stability in his country. They like, but don't quite get the other.Into the mix comes Peter Karsten a former Nazi who proudly wears a swastika necklace that Taylor orders him to can. He's absorbed all the values of the country he formerly served.All of them have to face the rebels who are a bloodthirsty lot. Of all the places that was exploited the former Belgian Congo was far and away the worst. A lot of rage is fueling these people as you'll see in this film.Yvette Mimieux is one of the rescued people and she ignites a lot of sexual tension between all three men. There's also a nice performance from Kenneth More who is an alcoholic doctor in the John Ford tradition.Something Jack Cardiff picked up no doubt from Ford when he took over direction of Young Cassidy. The whole espirit de corps notions among the mercenaries is pure Ford and Taylor's breach of that is also dealt with in the film. What the breach is I won't say, but Taylor had just provocation.Dark Of The Sun holds up well as a portrait of Africa in turmoil in the Sixties. As for the diamond connection, that's still alive and thriving as a viewing of Leonardo DiCaprio's Blood Diamond will show.In fact they really ought to be viewed back to back. Was Jim Brown a bit too optimistic?

A tremendous little movie and one that's sadly rarely seen these days, which is a shame because it more than holds its own against other contemporary 'men on a mission' movies like THE DIRTY DOZEN. The plot, based on an exceptional Wilbur Smith novel of the same title (check it out – it's even better than the movie!) sees Rod Taylor and his friends boarding a train to a remote town in the Congo, where they must liberate the townsfolk from the impending arrival of some truly unpleasant mercenaries.DARK OF THE SUN works well with its lean, merciless pacing and outstanding direction from Jack Cardiff, who really finds ways to put you in the thick of the situation. The nightmarish assault on the town sequence is one of the most harrowing I've ever seen, the bit with the plane is tremendously exciting, and the ending of course is superlative stuff. Taylor makes the most of his laconic rough guy, Mimieux (teaming up with Taylor once more after THE TIME MACHINE) lends sex appeal and Jim Brown bags the best role as the loyal friend. Watch out for Hammer's Andre Morell as the town's leader and A NIGHT TO REMEMBER's Kenneth More as a drunk old doctor.Thankfully, Warner Brothers have seen fit to finally give this film a DVD release, albeit on the 'Warner Archive' label. Sadly, it's a heavily truncated version of the feature, with lots of notable jumps and omissions (particularly at the end). What I wouldn't give for a nice uncut Blu-ray release of this one day