The Guns of Navarone (1961)
Country: GB
Technical: col/scope 157m
Director: J. Lee Thompson
Cast: Gregory Peck, David Niven, Stanley Baker, Anthony Quinn, Anthony Quayle, James Darren, Irene Papas, Gia Scala
Synopsis:
A team of commandos lands on a heavily garrisoned island in the Aegean to destroy a pair of guns that threatens a planned Allied withdrawal.
Review:
A benchmark production in a number of ways: it gave rise to the big-budget international war films of the sixties, being the first not to treat the war from a stricken nationalist perspective; it was the beginning of the heavy American investment into making films in London, in this case Columbia at Shepperton; the first Alistair MacLean adaptation, it was also the only one to temper the non-stop suspense/action formula with philosophical speeches and dilemmas. The latter now help to draw attention from the many holes in the narrative and some, by today's standards, relatively unsatisfactory model work. For its day it was an immensely lavish production, with ideal Greek locations and a superb set for the gun cave at Shepperton. It also has a splendid cast given due and fair exposure by Thompson's meticulous blocking within the frame.
Country: GB
Technical: col/scope 157m
Director: J. Lee Thompson
Cast: Gregory Peck, David Niven, Stanley Baker, Anthony Quinn, Anthony Quayle, James Darren, Irene Papas, Gia Scala
Synopsis:
A team of commandos lands on a heavily garrisoned island in the Aegean to destroy a pair of guns that threatens a planned Allied withdrawal.
Review:
A benchmark production in a number of ways: it gave rise to the big-budget international war films of the sixties, being the first not to treat the war from a stricken nationalist perspective; it was the beginning of the heavy American investment into making films in London, in this case Columbia at Shepperton; the first Alistair MacLean adaptation, it was also the only one to temper the non-stop suspense/action formula with philosophical speeches and dilemmas. The latter now help to draw attention from the many holes in the narrative and some, by today's standards, relatively unsatisfactory model work. For its day it was an immensely lavish production, with ideal Greek locations and a superb set for the gun cave at Shepperton. It also has a splendid cast given due and fair exposure by Thompson's meticulous blocking within the frame.
Country: GB
Technical: col/scope 157m
Director: J. Lee Thompson
Cast: Gregory Peck, David Niven, Stanley Baker, Anthony Quinn, Anthony Quayle, James Darren, Irene Papas, Gia Scala
Synopsis:
A team of commandos lands on a heavily garrisoned island in the Aegean to destroy a pair of guns that threatens a planned Allied withdrawal.
Review:
A benchmark production in a number of ways: it gave rise to the big-budget international war films of the sixties, being the first not to treat the war from a stricken nationalist perspective; it was the beginning of the heavy American investment into making films in London, in this case Columbia at Shepperton; the first Alistair MacLean adaptation, it was also the only one to temper the non-stop suspense/action formula with philosophical speeches and dilemmas. The latter now help to draw attention from the many holes in the narrative and some, by today's standards, relatively unsatisfactory model work. For its day it was an immensely lavish production, with ideal Greek locations and a superb set for the gun cave at Shepperton. It also has a splendid cast given due and fair exposure by Thompson's meticulous blocking within the frame.