Richard Burton. Richard Harris. Roger Moore. My word that’s a lot of drunken charm to endure. Personally with this line up they could be touching up a picket fence whilst getting high on paint fumes and I’d still watch it. But in any case: a quick plot run through.
Richard Burton’s mercenary Colonel Allen Faulkner meets with Sir Edward Matheson (Stewart Granger). Matheson wants a deposed, forward thinking African President Limbani (Winston Ntshona) freed from his current captures. Faulkner assembles a team including his old friends Rafer Janders (Richard Harris) and Shawn Flynn (Roger Moore). After a quick boot camp they end up in the depths of Africa where they quickly free the imprisoned leader. But they are double crossed by Matheson who strikes a deal with the new dictator and leaves the team of mercenaries and Limbani to fight their own way out.
Much like Who Dares Wins, which I reviewed recently, The Wild Geese faced it’s fair share of controversy even before it’s release. The production had shot in South Africa at that time still very much in the grip of Apartheid. The general rule of thumb for film makers was not engage with the prejudice white government. In order to get authentic locations the production cooperated with the government. It was also claimed the portrayal of black Africans was less than flattering. So even before it arrived on screens the film had a slightly tainted reputation.
The Wild Geese has an old school action feel to it. Yes it was made in 1978 so it is technically “old” but it was made at a time when action blockbusters and intense thrillers were beginning to set the template for future films. The Wild Geese has the feel of something that would have been made in the late 1950s/early 1960s. Even the films two-part structure of 1) assemble the crew and 2) the mission bring to mind films like The Dam Busters or Von Ryan’s Express. The whole affair does have some remnants of the sort of “it makes you proud to be British” war films of the 40s and 50s. This is very much a film with pretensions of adventure as opposed to a dark tale of mercenaries. Think Predator without the Predator.
Made between The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker, Moore was at the height of his Bond fame doesn’t stray too far away from the 007 formula, maybe just a hint more ruthlessness. Burton and Harris as always are incredibly watchable, even if Burton looks a little long in the tooth to be running around African deserts and jungles.
Harris’ is the only character given any emotional core, leaving behind a son he promised to take on a dream holiday in order to carry out the mission. Harris brings real warmth to the scenes with the boy and in the end makes him the only character you truly care about making it out alive. Amongst all the random shootings and nameless mercenaries being offed we do have time for a political debate between Limbani and Hardy Kruger’s Lt. Pieter Coetzee. Coetzee is a white South African who carries the injured President on his back. Which gives them plenty of time to discuss the future of Africa. Limbani’s soft spoken and sensible minded reasonings eventually bringing around the bigoted killer. It is sort of heart warming in a way.
The Wild Geese is a descent enough watch but by the end of it’s two plus hours you may wander why it took so long to tell this story. As said Burton is watchable as always but seems to be ultimately there to pick up a check. Harris, Ntshona and Jack Watson as a drill sergeant all shine acting wise. Ntshona particularly seems to think he’s in a DRAMATIC film and his performance is all the better for it. Joan Armatrading’s theme tune is also very pleasant if not a little incongruous.
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