The Mercenaries

Plot synopsis:
This taut, very very exciting adventure, takes place in the Congo, where buddy mercenaries Curry (Rod Taylor) and Ruffo (James Brown) are hired by a shaky government president, to go deep into the jungle and retrieve uncut diamonds from a diamond mine that the president needs, to sustain his government!Selection of a crack troop of soldiers, and reluctantly -- a pro-Nazi officer to lead them under Curry's command, heighten the adventure by train into the jungles, threatened and under siege by Simbas...The exciting train ride into forbidden territory under scrutiny by NATO, eventually finds them at the mining site, to find the diamonds safely in a timed vault - not set to open for several hours yet - with the Simbas due at the perimeter - at about the same time!!!Tensions rise as they wait out the hours for the vault to time out. As the Simbas begin their attack, the vault clicks open, and all scamper to the waiting train with the diamonds.As they leave the site, a mortar explodes, hits the train, and separates a train car full of mine employees. The train car glides back into the hands of the Simbas... with the diamonds!!! Another mortar hits the tracks and the train engine capsizes...Now it's up to Curry and Ruffo to infiltrate the Simba encampment, and retrieve the diamonds! They do so successfully and begin their journey back to civilization, in vehicles with a short supply of gasoline. But the mean, vengeful Henlien (Peter Carsten) - has other ideas. He wants the diamonds for himself!!!From the jacket for the film:The year: 1964. The place: the blood-soaked Congo during the struggle for its independence from Belgium. The job: take a train 300 miles through dangerous Simba rebel territory to rescue 62 refugees and retrieve $50 million in uncut diamonds. Time allowed: 3 days. Chances for survival: slim...To soldier of fortune Bruce Curry (Rod Taylor), the assignment means a chance for a handsome $50,000 payday! To his partner, Ruffo (Jim Brown), it means returning to his homeland to help his people. But no matter what the motive, the result is one heck of a tough, raw action-adventure spectacle!With nary a moment free from anbushes, air attacks, and torture scenes -- there's even a chain saw duel -- director Jack Cardiff "keeps the action ablaze by setting off the most gawd-awful explosions of violence in many a moon" (Playboy).Brimming with cataclysmic intensity and well-orchestrated mayhem, Dark Of The Sun - like kindred film The Dirty Dozen -- achieves its particular potency by revealing depths of characeter and touches of humanity -- even nobility -- which enhance the spectacularly photographed roughneck action!
--------A rare film if you can get it -- was photographed in CinemaScope -- but only available in full screen on VHS...If you know where I can get in in Cinemascope, contact me at sekjr@juno.com

Tags: violence, murder

Review:
Taylor plays Curry as a true mercenary of the period: ruthless, greedy, loyal to his comrades, and distrustful of his rivals and employers.The film mixes two different periods of the civil wars in the Congo; the Katanga secession in 1960 and the Simba revolt in 1964.
It also accurately depicts the Belgian interests in Katanga.Much like the train the mercenaries ride, the film starts out slow and builds up steam along the route.
The closest I can come to finding a "good guy" is Jim Brown, the soldier who wants his country to be free and have its place in the modern world.The Nazi character was based on an actual German mercenary in the Congo, Siegfried Mueller.
Presumably, this was due to sound problems and the unavailability of the actor to loop his lines (It sounds like Paul Frees).All-in-all this is a great film; vastly superior to others of the genre, such as The Wild Geese and The Dogs of War. Just remember, war more often brings out the worst in humanity, rather than the best..
A great example of a guy's type of film where the editing, direction, and storyline all compliment one another in the effort towards a fast-paced action flick.
The two make a good combination together."Dark of the Sun" is also one of the more memorable films involving a train as a locus for the action.
Just a few elements to keep in mind: Mercenaries, an Armoured Train, a Nazi, Diamonds, Goofy UN Soldiers, a Drunk doctor, Yvette Mimeux, Jim Brown, a Moral ending, a chain saw fight, and more then a few scenes and lines that make you wonder why you never heard of this movie before.
A nasty and terrific gem of an action movie, the best of Rod Taylor's career.
This Africa-set picture concerns about some mercenaries (Rod Taylor, Jim Brown and Peter Carsten) hired by a Congo leader (Calvin Lockhart) to retrieve diamonds from a besieged city by the Simbas .
However , Clint Walker was the early choice for the lead Captain Bruce Curry role which in the end was cast with Rod Taylor .
This movie re-unites Rod Taylor with Yvette Mimieux eight years after they co-starred in 1960's "The Time Machine" .
If ever there was a dramatic story which might personify the rough and tough films of Rod Taylor, it would be, Dark of The Sun (Also called The Mercenaries).
Hired by the President of the African Congo, Captain Curry (Rod Taylor) is a mercenary who is instructed he has three days to journey three hundred miles upland on a special train, through rebel held territory, to rescue trapped Congo citizens.
Curry, has a couple of aids, namely Striker Blue Force, and Jim Brown who aptly plays Sergeant Ruffo an experienced and well educated Congo soldier and the ruthless, unpredictable ex-Nazi named Captain Henlein.
DARK OF THE SUN ( As I know it though there`s several different titles for the film ) is the  simple stoy of a bunch of mercenaries in 60s Congo liberating a bunch of Europeans ( And more importantly a lot of diamonds ) besieged by the muderous Simba nationalist cult.
Throw in a load of cliches like a drunken doctor , a damsal in distress , a nazi war criminal , a redemption sub plot with the hero gaining his humanity , tedious moral dialogue about the future of Africa and several revealing mistakes where the victims of Simba violence are quite clearly stuffed dummies and you might think this is a really bad film .
The battle scenes may have dated somewhat compared to BLACK HAWK DOWN and SAVING PRIVATE RYAN but they still pack a punch especially the editing when the action cuts from the Simba hordes attacking the train to the hero and the banker waiting patiently for the time lock to open the vault where the diamonds are stored.
I have the feeling the American version had an important side of the coin taken out: More interesting than the routine plot of escorting diamonds in a train through areas infested with wildman rebels is the inner struggle of Rod Taylor's character with the omnipresent racism towards his black pal, mainly shown by Sergeant Henlein, played by very German actor Peter Carsten.
Solid characterizations, good acting throughout, colourful photography and a lively Africanized jazz score make "The Mercenaries" a great adventure movie..
This film is the story of two mercenaries- Captain Curry and his counterpart Ruffo- an American educated Congolese- as they set out on a mission to save $50 million worth of diamonds...and a few people's lives.
Curry is paid $50000 dollars (seems like a pretty good deal for the Congolese President!!) to go behind enemy lines and bring back the diamonds, the superintendent responsible for overseeing the operation of the mine, and his beautiful daughter.There is a lot of racial tension in this film.
It also has some great action sequences which look almost too good for a film released in 1968.
The political and historical background, well, we take that for granted, but it seems strange that these guys are all down in the Congo for different reasons and it's never explained.There is one gripping scene with Rod Taylor and Jim Brown on the train where Brown explains his African heritage.
Rod Taylor is also a fascinating screen presence, usually he seemed like too much of a nice guy for tough roles but here he's pretty cool..
When I first saw Dark of the Sun, I thought it very violent, but Rod Taylors performance as the mercenary captain Curry stood out.
No matter whether you know this movie as The Mercenaries or as Dark Of The Sun, it's one of the greatest action movies ever made.I'll be the first to admit this flick caught me way off guard when I saw it for the first time.I was expecting an over the top action epic like Where Eagles Dare.
I was, in all honesty shocked by Peter Carsten's character machine gunning down the two native children, it made me nauseous, but it also told me Rod Taylor was gonna kick him like a bad habit.
Few actors (especially nowadays) can carry themselves as a guy who actually knows his way through a fight, but Rod Taylor excelled at that.In fact,aside from Lee Marvin,Oliver Reed and Sean Connery;Taylor was one of the most believable hardcases in movies.Peter Carsten gave one of the most vile performances I've ever seen in a movie.
Aside from that this is an all time manly movie classic.It's got it all baby,mercenaries, brutal hand-to-hand combat, awesome rescues, tragic losses that get even a guy's throat to catch, hell it even has a super intense chainsaw fight.
This flick is for hardcore manly movie fans only, a great companion piece to The Wild Geese.If this flick doesn't make you a Rod Taylor fan for life I don't know what will.
This is the Best Rod Taylor movie, and the second one is DARKER THAN AMBER in which Rod Taylor fights William Smith the blonde body-builder.The Mercenaries has fast action, and also emotional moments.
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!
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.
Rod Taylor is perfect playing a tough soldier-of-fortune with a good heart, likewise big Jim Brown as his sidekick and Ken More as the missions alcoholic doctor.
A band of mercenaries led by Captain Curry 'Rod Taylor' star of Hitchcock's 'The Birds' venture through the Congo across deadly terrain, battling the deadly 'Simba' armies, to procure for the President million's in diamonds 'Dark of The Sun' is nothing short of excellent, it's up there with other classic Mercenary men on a mission film's such as 'Wild Geese' 'The Dogs of War' this film was ahead of it's time in terms of it's shockingly violent content it still stands out today, their is nothing that dates it, the violence is nothing short of brutal and does not glamorous war as hell, it's not hard to see why Quentin Tarrontino's rants and raves about this!
Dominating the screen are the presences of a mighty Rod Taylor, Jim Brown, Peter Carsten, Kenneth More and the alluring Yvette Mimieux.
Rod Taylor is excellent as Captain Curry a mercenary with a heart of gold.
Dark of the Sun could have been a truly great action film, it ends up as just an okay one..
Jack Cardiff directed this hard-hitting & sharp-edged action adventure that stars Rod Taylor as mercenary Captain Curry, who is hired to travel to the Congo to retrieve a bunch of priceless uncut diamonds.
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.
"Dark of the Sun", on the surface, is a violent, kick-ass action yarn about two mercenaries (Rod Taylor and Jim Brown) heading by train deep into the interior of the Congo to retrieve a cache of diamonds and, if convenient, some white refugees.
One of the reasons "Dark of the Sun" is now considered a cult classic, why directors Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese are unabashed fans of the film, is that underlying its relentless violence is an exploration of the moral and philosophical ambiguities of men on a dangerous mission."Dark of the Sun" is the third in a trio of collaborations between director Jack Cardiff and actor Rod Taylor.
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.
I originally saw this film with the dismal title of 'The mercenaries', but enjoyed it none the less (Wilbur Smiths original title 'The Dark of the Sun' suits it better).
It quite accurately describes the Belgian Congo in that period of time with rebellion and civil war, enter of course the mercenaries, hired guns who wish to earn a quick buck by killing.
No other actor at the time could have played Bruce Curry other than Rod Taylor, his performance was impecable, the film is gritty and the pace of action eventually becomes quite fast and it does draw you into the plot, you almost feel as if you are there fighting alongside them.
In those days it was the Simbas and the Katangas in the Congo; only a couple of years ago or so, the Hutus and the Tutsis in Rwanda and now, the Arabic Sudanese against the indigenous blacks of the Sudan.The movie doesn't hide the fact that mercenaries were culled from unsavory characters you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley at night.But I remember this movie for the spectacular river bed chase with Rod Taylor on board a late '60s white Toyota Land Cruiser, one of the FJ series.
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.
In the frequently fighting Democratic Republic of the Congo, manly mercenary Rod Taylor (as Bruce Curry) arrives to consider a dangerous assignment.
Men like to yank off Ms. Mimieux' clothes...While tame by today's standards, "Dark of the Sun" goes to the edge in its depiction of violence...Young children are shown after they are shot, a young man is raped, another torched, some pierced It is an action-filled, quick-paced story.
Jacques Loussier's music and the film's sound are obvious assets.***** Dark of the Sun (The Mercenaries) (1968-02-08) Jack Cardiff ~ Rod Taylor, Jim Brown, Yvette Mimieux, Peter Carsten.
BTW, those are my favorite action movies, where all hell breaks loose and the "good guys" take a lot of casualties, much more edge of your seat that way!
I thought about The Road Warrior when I saw that part of the movie, it was probably inspired by this great unknown action flick, that was probably a little close to the truth on stuff that happened during the Congo's history.
The Mercenaries is set in the lawless brutal jungles of the Congo during a bloody civil war & starts as President Ubi (Calvin Lockhart) & Belgian diamond mining company owner Delage (Guy Deghy) hire American Congo Special Forces mercenary Captain Bruce Curry (Rod Taylor) & his Congo native partner Sergeant Ruffo (Jim Brown) to travel to a small town, save it's people from rebel Simba forces & also bring back $50 million worth of diamonds.
Togethr with forty odd soldiers from 'Striker Blue Force' as protection the men travel across the Congo jungle by train but rebel forces & danger is never far away & having $50 million in diamonds also creates it's own problems as Captain Curry has to mastermind the rescue of innocent civilians as well as keep himself & his men alive...More commonly known under the title Dark of the Sun these days this British production was directed by famed Oscar winning English cinematographer Jack Cardiff who was actually the uncredited cinematographer on The Mercenaries & is a pretty good action adventure featuring plenty of heroes, villains, battle scenes, some nice jungle scenery, some moralistic preaching & a solid plot although it did leave me slightly cold for some reason.
For a fairly obscure film such as The Mercenaries a lot of time & effort seems to have been lavished on it, the sets, the action, the location filming & cast are very good & very polished.
The action scenes are fun & suitably explosive, there is a bit of blood, a bit of torture at the end, a cool chainsaw fight & some bad language which all seem tame by 2008 standards but for a mainstream film way in 1968 this was probably quite shocking & graphic.The production values are high & the film looks really nice with good stunt work & effects.
The acting is pretty good although not outstanding, Rod Taylor & Jim brown make likable heroes while the obligatory female love interest Yvette Mimieux has little to do.The Mercenaries is a good old fashioned action adventure film that I liked but didn't love, despite not being able to say exactly why there was something about it that left me a bit cold & detached.
What makes this film so great is the intense,brutal action and the characters involved.
He portrays Curry as tough, witty, sometimes brutal, but sometimes humane.Jim Brown plays Ruffo, and while Brown is no great actor, his presence alone fills the screen.
The movie was well cast with tough Australian born Rod Taylor as the mercenary Captain Curry.
The mercenaries' bad reputation from this earlier is clearly referred to the scenes where Curry's clashes with the UN Officer and the journalist at the bar and this would have been well understood at the time.It was love at first sight when I saw the film: the combination of fast-paced action and grisly violence and enough intelligence and fact made a compelling combination.
The scene of the train full of rescued Belgian civilians unexpectedly rolling back into the depot and into the hands of blood-thirsty Simbas is one of the creepiest moments on celluloid.In Germany, the film is erroneously called 'katanga' and interestingly the part where Peter Carsten as the Nazi mercenary (Henlein) summarily shoots two children as spies is cut.
"The Long Ships" director Jack Cardiff made one of the greatest (and most rugged) mercenary movies of the 20th century when he helmed the Rod Taylor & Jim Brown actioneer "Dark of the Sun" in 1968.
Rough-hewn mercenary Captain Curry (Rod Taylor of "The Time Machine") agrees to take a specially made-up train 300 miles into the war-torn Congo to retrieve $50-million in diamonds before a savage, bloodthirsty Simba army can laid their hands on it.
Ruffo (Jim Brown of "Rio Conchos") is a Congo-born mercenary soldier who serves as Curry's sergeant.
Problems, however, include: Jim Brown's character and his seemingly naive devotion to the political outcome in the Congo; Curry is just a little bit bigger than life and the German is a little too Nazi; it all works out in the end, albeit with plenty of dead bodies and sadness.In my opinion, this movie is well deserving of nine stars.
During the "Congo Crisis" of the early 60's the town of Port Reprieve is cut off by rebel Simbas and a mercenary by the name of "Captain Bruce Curry" (Rod Taylor) is hired to take a small train and rescue the Europeans trapped there.
Here Curry (Rod Tayor) and Ruffo (Jim Brown) are mercenaries hired to use a train to rescue some people and a bunch of diamonds in the congo with dangerous Simbas on their tail.
I just can't see a mercenary of all people feeling remorse after killing the guy who killed his best friend.Great action-adventure flik and an outstanding score too..