The dogs of war (film)
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The dogs of war |
| Original title | The Dogs of War |
 | |
| Country of production |
United States , United Kingdom |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1981 |
| length | 104 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 16 |
| Rod | |
| Director | John Irvin |
| script |
Gary DeVore , George Malko |
| production | Larry DeWaay |
| music | Geoffrey Burgon |
| camera | Jack Cardiff |
| cut | Antony Gibbs |
| occupation | |
| |
The Dogs of War (Original title: The Dogs of War ) is an American - British war and adventure film directed by John Irvin from 1981 . It is a film adaptation of the novel The Dogs of War by Frederick Forsyth .
action
A British mining company commissioned the American adventurer and mercenary Jamie Shannon to research the possibilities for a staged coup in the (fictional) African state of Zangaro. Shannon takes this job and goes as ornithologist camouflaged by Zangaro to get an idea about the conditions there and to military and science journalist education for a military command - operation to operate and a coup.
In Zangaro, the local President Kimba rules as a dictator , whose soldiers and policemen act as a force for order inside and are feared by the population because of their brutality. The foreigner and white Shannon is noticed by the soldiers in the small black African country and treated with suspicion. During a night spying, he murdered a guard who discovered him spying on the edge of a military compound . The next day, he is arrested and severely ill-treated by soldiers on suspicion of having or seeking a sexual relationship with one of the President's mistresses. In addition, Shannon has made himself suspicious because you can find a photo of the president's lover posing in front of a military facility where the president resides. After several days of imprisonment and severe abuse, Shannon is expelled from the country.
After Shannon had communicated his findings to his client and judged a coup to be militarily feasible, he was given the task of assembling a team of fighters to carry out the coup in favor of a corrupt politician in exile favored by the mining company himself as the leader of the command . Shannon doesn't want to know anything about it at first, but rather wants to live in peace and return to his wife who is divorced from him. He makes contact with her and spends a night together with her, but despite mutual attraction and affection, his wife (or ex-wife) cannot imagine a future with him given his unsteady and dangerous lifestyle. She rejects him regarding a future together.
Shannon now hopes to use the money he can earn by accepting the contract to collect seed capital for a new, more peaceful existence, and hopes that after starting a civilian business, his wife will come back to him. That is why he now decides to accept the combat mission he initially rejected. He puts together a small team of four or five American and European mercenaries and begins the preparations. During the invasion he is said to be supported once again by around two dozen fighters who are close to the opposition in Zangaro. Although mutual suspicion and tension between Shannon and his client set in relatively quickly, as well as other difficulties and complications, Shannon pulls the company through, killing numerous people.
After the dictator of Zangaro and his bodyguard are forcibly eliminated, Shannon does not stand up for the corrupt politician in exile preferred by his client. Rather, he advocates a more honest political prisoner who had won democratic elections a few years ago, but was forcibly kept out of power and imprisoned by Kimba.
Reviews
Vincent Canby wrote in the New York Times on February 13, 1981 that the film was " precise " and " unsentimental " in the details. He neither condemns nor judges people who live by killing. The film shows intelligence and a way of thinking that is not often found in action / adventure films. The screenplay was " top notch " ( " first-rate "). Christopher Walken appears " convincing " in his " difficult " role . Tom Berenger and Colin Blakely would give him “ excellent ” support.
Rotten Tomatoes wrote that the " brutal simplicity " of warfare contrasted with the complex political maneuvers behind it.
background
The film was shot in London and Belize .
Web links
- The dogs of war in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- The dogs of war at Rotten Tomatoes (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Critique by Vincent Canby, accessed on August 3, 2007 ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ www.rottentomatoes.com, accessed August 3, 2007
- ^ Filming locations for The Dogs of War, accessed August 3, 2007
