Hot sunny day and I am in doors watching one of my all-time favourite movies, again. I am watching ‘Dark of the Sun’ (also known as The Mercenaries in the UK) and I am in good company rating this film highly. Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino are two fans of the film.
Released in 1968 Rod Taylor plays Curry, a mercenary who has accepted $50,000 to rescue some people and $50 million in diamonds the real and only reason for the rescue. They have 3 days to get there, collect the diamonds and the people, and return to the government controlled area before the town is over run by the Simba’s.
Curry and his US educated Congo-born, sergeant Ruffo (Jim Brown) fit out a train and recruit 40 Congolese soldiers from the top unit Striker Blue Force, an alcoholic doctor (Kenneth More), and an ex-Nazi German officer named Heinlein (Peter Carsten) and (Olivier Despax) as Lt. Surrier. Curry was hoping news about the diamonds would stay secret but soon everyone knew including Heinlein the last person Curry wanted to find out.
Once underway the journey is fraught with dangers from an attack by a United Nations peacekeeping plane. On route the train was to stop a pick up a family but the Simba’s had already paid their plantation a visit with the only survivor being (Yvette Mimieux) as Claire the love interest for Curry in the film.
Curry and Heinlein, who dislike each other immensely, almost fight to the death after Heinlein kills two young children Ruffo stops the fight reminding Curry they need him. Worst of all, though, they arrive at their destination three hours early and have to wait until a safe's timeclock opens so they can get the diamonds. Meanwhile, an army of ruthless Simba’s are fast approaching the town. The doctor goes to help some nuns with a tough childbirth but when Curry returns to pick him up everyone is dead.
This last plot point turns into an action-packed sequence in which Ruffo and Heinlein hold off the enemy as Curry boards the train at the last second with the diamonds. Unfortunately, their escape is short-lived when an explosion disconnects the caboose from the rest of the train, sending the train car… along with its screaming passengers and the precious stones backwards into the hands of the enemy.
In the film's most harrowing scene, Curry and Ruffo return to the captured town to retrieve the diamonds and members of blue force who planned to steal some transport. Ruffo, posing as a Simba, carries Curry like a trophy on his back as they navigate through burning streets where innocent people are being tortured and killed.
The diamonds are spread out on a pool table along with Lt. Surrier he is been raped. Curry manages to scoop up the diamonds has he and Ruffo open up on the Simba’s but cannot save Lt Surrier and he looks happily as Curry throws some hand grenades in his direction has they make their escape.
This scene, plus a brutal fight at the climax, has earned Dark of the Sun a reputation as a grim, violent film.
The final fight between Curry and Heinlein is not pleasant. While Curry and corporal Kataki go to try to contact base for a fuel drop Heinlein kills Ruffo and searches for the diamonds but Ruffo put them in the jeep with Curry and Kataki. When he returns to find Ruffo dead, he seeks out Heinlein who is making his away down river on a raft. Curry bounces along the river in a jeep and when he does the fight is brutal, more like butchery that is witnessed by Kataki who refuses to walk the same path as Curry back to the others… he is ashamed.
Director Jack Cardiff cut several gruesome scenes in order to secure the film's release.
Curry and Ruffo debate their motives for what they do. At the outset, Curry makes it clear that he is a "paid man doing a dirty job" whereas Ruffo wants to maintain the freedoms his country has only recently earned. Driven by his friendship with Ruffo, Curry evolves as the film progresses--as evidenced by his decision to ultimately pay for his crimes.
With the convoy a few miles from safety Curry stops the convoy and calls for Kataki and hands himself over for the murder of Heinlein. As he climb into the truck, Kataki salutes Curry who responds by saying, “You don’t have to do that corporal ” Kataki replies, “I know that captain”. Yet, one cannot help but think that Curry does not regret his violent actions...that he is still a mercenary at heart. Perhaps, it is his desire to reflect his friend's honour that drives his moral actions.
Surprisingly, that sums up Dark of the Sun pretty well: It is a violent adventure film with more heart and a little more intelligence than you might expect.
My Rating
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