The Dogs of War (film)
The Dogs of War | |
---|---|
Directed by | John Irvin |
Screenplay by | Gary DeVore George Malko |
Based on | The Dogs of War by Frederick Forsyth |
Produced by | Larry DeWaay Norman Jewison Patrick J. Palmer |
Starring | Christopher Walken Tom Berenger Colin Blakely |
Cinematography | Jack Cardiff |
Edited by | Antony Gibbs |
Music by | Geoffrey Burgon |
Distributed by | United Artists |
Release date | 17 December 1980 |
Running time | 102 minutes |
Countries | United States United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Budget | $8 million[1] |
Box office | $5.4 million[2] |
The Dogs of War is a 1980 American
The title is based on a phrase from William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar: "Cry, 'Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war."
Plot
Having escaped from Central America with his comrades Drew, Derek, Michel, Terry and Richard, mercenary Jamie Shannon gets an offer from Endean, a British businessman working for a major tycoon. Endean's company is interested in "certain resources" in the small African nation of Zangaro, which is run by the brutal dictator, President Kimba.
Shannon goes on a reconnaissance mission to Zangaro's capital of Clarence and meets a British documentary filmmaker named North, who fills him in on the political situation in Zangaro. However, Shannon's activities arouse the suspicions of the police (especially a suspected dalliance with a woman who turns out to be one of Kimba's mistresses) and he is arrested, severely beaten and imprisoned. His wounds are treated by Dr. Okoye, a physician and prisoner who was formerly a moderate political leader. North agitates for Shannon's release, and two days later he is deported.
When Shannon tells Endean that there is no chance of an internal
Provided with a million dollars for expenses, Shannon contacts some of his associates from Central America and they meet in London to plan the invasion. The group illegally procures a supply of
To transport the group and equipment to the coast of Zangaro, Shannon hires a small freighter and crew. At sea, the team is joined by a force of Zangaran exiles trained as soldiers by a former mercenary colleague. Once ashore in a night attack, the mercenaries and their troops use their array of weapons to attack the military garrison where Kimba lives. Drew bursts into a shack in the barracks' courtyard and finds only a young woman with a baby; when he turns to leave without harming them, she shoots him in the back with a pistol. After the mercenaries storm the burning, bullet-scarred ruins of the garrison, Shannon blasts his way into Kimba's mansion. There he finds the dictator stuffing packs of bills into a briefcase; when a whimpering Kimba offers Shannon some of the money to spare his life, Shannon kills him.
The following morning, Endean arrives by helicopter with Colonel Bobi and they enter the presidential residence, where they find Shannon and Dr. Okoye awaiting their overdue arrival. Shannon introduces Dr. Okoye as Zangaro's new president, and when Endean protests ("This whole country's bought and paid for!"), Shannon tells him, "You're going to have to buy it all over again," and silences him by shooting Bobi.
Shannon, Derek and Michel load Drew's body onto a Land Rover, in line with the toast they drank on planning the operation: "Everyone comes home." The film concludes with the mercenaries driving through the deserted streets of Clarence until they are out of frame.
Cast
- Christopher Walken as Jamie Shannon
- Tom Berenger as Drew Blakeley
- Colin Blakely as Alan North
- Hugh Millais as Endean
- Paul Freeman as Derek Godwin
- Jean-François Stévenin as Michel-Claude
- JoBeth Williams as Jessie
- Maggie Scott as Gabrielle
- Robert Urquhart as Capt. Lockhart
- Winston Ntshona as Dr Okoye
- Pedro Armendáriz Jr. as The Captain
- Harlan Cary Poe as Richard
- Ed O'Neill as Terry
- Shane Rimmer as Dr. Oaks
- George Harris as Colonel Bobi
- David Schofield as Endean's Man
- Terence Rigby as Hackett
- Olu Jacobs as Immigration officer
- Alan Beckwith as Mercenary
- Jim Broadbent as Film Crew
Production
United Artists bought rights to the novel in 1974. Don Siegel was going to direct but did not like the screenplay. Abbey Mann wrote a new screenplay. Then Michael Cimino wrote another draft. Norman Jewison became attached as producer-director and Gary Devore rewrote the script. Jewison decided to produce, not direct, and looked for another director. Initially Jewison hired Michael Cimino to direct with Clint Eastwood and Nick Nolte starring, but he dropped out of the film in order to work on Heaven's Gate.[4] John Irvin became director.[5]
Principal photography began on February 18, 1980.
This was only the second international feature for director John Irvin, who previously worked as a documentary maker during the Vietnam War. He went on to direct stars such as Arnold Schwarzenegger (Raw Deal), Don Cheadle (Hamburger Hill) and Michael Caine (Shiner).
Cinematographer Jack Cardiff had previously directed an account of mercenaries in Africa entitled Dark of the Sun. Composer Geoffrey Burgon concludes the film with A. E. Housman's Epitaph on an Army of Mercenaries sung over the end titles.
Release
The Dogs of War was released to DVD by MGM Home Video on 20 November 2001 as a Region 1 widescreen DVD and later on by Twilight Time (under license from MGM) as a multiregion widescreen Blu-ray DVD. It is also available to buy on VUDU's (Fandango) streaming platform. As of November 2022 the film is available for free viewing on Freevee.
Reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 70% from 20 reviews.[6]
References
- ^ Perry, Simon. "FINANCE FOR LOCAL TALENT". Sight and Sound. Vol. 49, no. 3 (Summer 1980). London. p. 144.
- ^ "The Dogs of War (1981)". Box Office Mojo.
- ^ New York Magazine Feb 23, 1981
- ^ a b c d "The Dogs of War". catalog.afi.com. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
- ^ Buckley, Tom. (14 March 1980). "At the Movies: Forsyth plays percentages on 'Dogs of War.'". New York Times. p. C6.
- ^ "The Dogs of War (1980)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
External links
- The Dogs of War at IMDb
- The Dogs of War at Rotten Tomatoes