After viewing The Bridge On The River Kwai (see my previous blog post), I decided to revisit another movie, this time The Wild Geese, the 1978 tale of a gang of mercenaries hired to rescue an African politician.
It probably says much about the changes in my outlook that I now view The Wild Geese in a totally different light from when I previously saw it. Back then I viewed it as an entertaining, if admittedly rather overblown war film. The passages relating to the moral and political aspects I simply regarded as a hindrance, getting in the way of the "action".
Even during my recent viewing, the reasoning behind the mercenaries' mission still appeared slightly blurred. I think it may have been something to do with copper mining concessions....
The film features a veritable Who's-Who of British actors of that era. Many of them appear to be on "cruise control", although as ever Richard Burton's presence and charisma rise above the mediocrity.
Ultimately I think that The Wild Geese was intended to be an exciting and entertaining romp, and does not ask the viewer to focus on moral issues. The points at which the corny dialogue turns to discussion about imperialism, race and exploitation tend to stick out like a sore thumb.
Elements of the storyline are implausible and cartoonish, particularly the sequences in "gangland" during the recruitment of the mercenaries.
The Wild Geese is very much a product "of its time". Suffice to say that it does not warrant as in-depth a blog post as The Bridge On The River Kwai!
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