The Guns of Navarone (A- or 3.5/4 stars)
'The Guns of Navarone' (directed by J. Lee Thompson & based on a best-seller) is a spectacular epic that portrays the bravery & heroics soldiers faced when tasked with near-impossible mission during WWII. The guns - literally - are 2 enormous Nazi cannons, installed on an Aegean island behind enemy lines. Anthony Quayle plays Maj. Roy Franklin, the officer assigned by British intel to jump on a ferry and lead a task force to infiltrate an impregnable Nazi fortress & sabotage the cliff bunker that harbors those guns; subsequently saving the lives of 2,000 British soldiers. The 6-man commando team, besides leader Franklin, consists of renowned mountaineer & humanitarian Capt. Mallory (Gregory Peck), explosives expert Corp. Miller (David Niven), Greek resistance fighter Andrea Stravos (Anthony Quinn), hardened knife fighter "Butcher" Brown (Stanley Baker) & marksman Priv. Pappadimos.
The purpose of this mission also has heavy political implications: with the Battle of Stalingrad turning the war against them, the Germans are trying to bully neutral Turkey into joining the Axis of Power. So, the taking out the 2 guns will allow Turkey to remain neutral & not be forced to join the evil Axis. When the Anthony Quayle is severely injured while climbing the steep cliff (to the guns), the mission winds up in the relatively inexperienced hands of Mallory (who makes it clear he's prepared to sacrifice his men in order to accomplish the mission). His taking control rubs Corp. Miller (Niven) the wrong way. But there are even worse vibes btwn. the Peck & Quinn characters, especially when it becomes known that there's a traitor in their company. Fellow Resistance leader Maria (Irene Papas), weeds out the traitor, but there's still those guns that they have to deal with. Heroics, derring-dos, explosions, & deaths ensue.
I found this to be a highly entertaining, if slightly overlong WWII action/adventure. This is not a story based on real events (which is actually a relief to know, because the plot is almost too wild to be believed) ... but it sure is a hell of a lot of fun to watch! Director J. Lee Thompson keeps the story moving at a swift pace. Even when there's no action taking place, there are interesting on-going debates about the morality of warfare among the diverse men. The entire cast, led by Gregory Peck, David Niven, Anthony Quinn, Anthony Quayle, Stanley Baker, James Darren, & Irene Papas make us believe their strife every step of the way. I found it somewhat humorous to see Peck spout dialogue in both Greek & German. Standouts for me, however, were Anthony Quinn (loved his intense back story & chemistry with Peck) & Anthony Quayle who brings a real gravity to the serious situation they’re in.
Crafts-wise, the film is a marvel. The use of color cinematography is exceptional. The sound work for the film is top-notch. The filmmakers use studio sets to have our heroes do the impossible rock climbing scenes. I literally had my jaw hanging open at the audacity of this lengthy, but riveting scene. I'm still in awe just thinking about it. Of course, state-of-the-art special effects aids this scene, as well as the AMAZING sequence when the 6-man squadron must crash lands their already-damaged ship ashore during a torrential storm. The effects are great, but so too are the actors who looked to do most of their own dangerous stunts ... I was floored. Overall, it was just a joy to watch this gritty action/drama that questions wartime tactics, and yet, also shows how wartime heroics can save lives.
The purpose of this mission also has heavy political implications: with the Battle of Stalingrad turning the war against them, the Germans are trying to bully neutral Turkey into joining the Axis of Power. So, the taking out the 2 guns will allow Turkey to remain neutral & not be forced to join the evil Axis. When the Anthony Quayle is severely injured while climbing the steep cliff (to the guns), the mission winds up in the relatively inexperienced hands of Mallory (who makes it clear he's prepared to sacrifice his men in order to accomplish the mission). His taking control rubs Corp. Miller (Niven) the wrong way. But there are even worse vibes btwn. the Peck & Quinn characters, especially when it becomes known that there's a traitor in their company. Fellow Resistance leader Maria (Irene Papas), weeds out the traitor, but there's still those guns that they have to deal with. Heroics, derring-dos, explosions, & deaths ensue.
I found this to be a highly entertaining, if slightly overlong WWII action/adventure. This is not a story based on real events (which is actually a relief to know, because the plot is almost too wild to be believed) ... but it sure is a hell of a lot of fun to watch! Director J. Lee Thompson keeps the story moving at a swift pace. Even when there's no action taking place, there are interesting on-going debates about the morality of warfare among the diverse men. The entire cast, led by Gregory Peck, David Niven, Anthony Quinn, Anthony Quayle, Stanley Baker, James Darren, & Irene Papas make us believe their strife every step of the way. I found it somewhat humorous to see Peck spout dialogue in both Greek & German. Standouts for me, however, were Anthony Quinn (loved his intense back story & chemistry with Peck) & Anthony Quayle who brings a real gravity to the serious situation they’re in.
Crafts-wise, the film is a marvel. The use of color cinematography is exceptional. The sound work for the film is top-notch. The filmmakers use studio sets to have our heroes do the impossible rock climbing scenes. I literally had my jaw hanging open at the audacity of this lengthy, but riveting scene. I'm still in awe just thinking about it. Of course, state-of-the-art special effects aids this scene, as well as the AMAZING sequence when the 6-man squadron must crash lands their already-damaged ship ashore during a torrential storm. The effects are great, but so too are the actors who looked to do most of their own dangerous stunts ... I was floored. Overall, it was just a joy to watch this gritty action/drama that questions wartime tactics, and yet, also shows how wartime heroics can save lives.