WarAdventureDrama

Dark of the Sun

- Brutes! Savages! Heroes! They're Mercenaries... They're Paid to do a Job!

A band of mercenaries led by Captain Curry travel through war-torn Congo across deadly terrain, battling rival armies, to steal $50 million in uncut diamonds. But infighting, sadistic rebels and a time lock jeopardize everything.

Release Date : 1968-02-08

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer British StudiosMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Production Country : United Kingdom

Alternative Titles : Dark of the Sun

Cast

Character Name : Curry

Original Name : Rod Taylor

Gender : Male

Character Name : Claire

Original Name : Yvette Mimieux

Gender : Female

Character Name : Henlein

Original Name : Peter Carsten

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ruffo

Original Name : Jim Brown

Gender : Male

Character Name : Doctor Wreid

Original Name : Kenneth More

Gender : Male

Character Name : Bussier

Original Name : André Morell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Surrier

Original Name : Olivier Despax

Gender : Male

Character Name : Delage

Original Name : Guy Deghy

Gender : Male

Character Name : Kataki

Original Name : Bloke Modisane

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ubi

Original Name : Calvin Lockhart

Gender : Male

Character Name : Jansen

Original Name : Alan Gifford

Gender : Male

Character Name : Adams

Original Name : David Bauer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cochrane

Original Name : Murray Kash

Gender : Male

Character Name : Father Dominic

Original Name : John Serret

Gender : Male

Character Name : General Moses

Original Name : Danny Daniels

Gender : Male

Character Name :

Original Name : Alex Gradussov

Gender : Male

Reviews

John Chard

@John Chard

2024-05-16

Muscular Mayhem! Dark of the Sun (AKA:The Mercenaries) is directed by Jack Cardiff and adapted to screenplay by Ranald MacDougall (alias Quentin Werty) and Adrien Spies from Wilbur Smith's novel "The Dark of the Sun". It stars Rod Taylor, Jim Brown, Yvette Mimieux, Peter Carsten and Kenneth More. A Panavision/Metrocolor production, music is by Jacques Loussier and cinematography by Edward Scaife. A band of mercenaries embark upon a dangerous mission during the Congo Crisis... Back upon release it was met with some consternation by critics who thought it overtly violent and unpleasant, today it is met with disdain by the PC brigade who are unable to view a 1968 movie and accept it as just that! Anyone order a curry in a hurry?! Jack Cardiff's picture is a ballsy men on a mission piece, full of meaty muscular mayhem, acetylene augmented action and preposterous political postures. Wonderfully raw, story sends Bruce Curry (Taylor) and his band of not very merry men on a steam train journey based mission through the Congo. They are to retrieve some diamonds and enact the rescue of civilians caught up in the rampage of the Simbas. Enter a very fractured group dynamic - with Carsten's Swastika sporting merc very much a fulcrum - a number of brutal confrontations involving all manner of weapons, and an exhaustive last quarter of film that's in turn terrifying and troubling as it is potent. A major flip-flop in the narrative annoys a lot, and Mimieux - although not doing anything wrong - is merely dressage to lower the testosterone levels. It should be noted that the pic was filmed in Jamaica and not as listed in some reviews as Africa (splendid scenery utilised, though some pointless back projection work annoys and is baffling), while caution is advised on purchasing a home format copy since cuts have been made over the years. This may lack the ferocious nastiness of The Dirty Dozen, or the intelligent action strains of Where Eagles Dare, but it sure as heck fire punches the gut and tingles the adrenaline beats. 8/10