Dark of the Sun
| Dark of the Sun | |
|---|---|
Original film poster by Frank McCarthy
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| Directed by | Jack Cardiff |
| Produced by | George Englund |
| Screenplay by |
Ranald MacDougall (as Quentin Werty) Adrien Spies |
| Based on |
The Dark of the Sun by Wilbur Smith |
| Starring |
Rod Taylor Yvette Mimieux Jim Brown Peter Carsten |
| Music by | Jacques Loussier |
| Cinematography | Edward Scaife |
| Edited by | Ernest Walter |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
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Release date
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Running time
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100 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $2,000,000 (US/ Canada) 989,452 admissions (France) |
Paperback edition
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| Author | Wilbur Smith |
|---|---|
| Country | South Africa |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Thriller |
| Publisher | Heinemann |
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Publication date
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March 1, 1965 |
| Media type | Print, e-book |
| ISBN | |
Dark of the Sun (also known as The Mercenaries in the UK) is a 1968 adventure-war film starring Rod Taylor, Yvette Mimieux, Jim Brown, and Peter Carsten. The film, which was directed by Jack Cardiff, is based on Wilbur Smith's 1965 novel, The Dark of the Sun. The story about a band of mercenaries sent on a dangerous mission during the Congo Crisis was adapted into a screenplay by Ranald MacDougall. Critics condemned the film on its original release for its graphic scenes of violence and torture.
Sometime in the mid-1960s, mercenary Bruce Curry (Rod Taylor) is hired by Congolese President Ubi (Calvin Lockhart) supposedly to rescue the European residents of an isolated town about to be attacked by rebel Simbas in the Congo. But in reality his mission is to retrieve diamonds, worth fifty million dollars, from a mine company's vault. Curry's subordinates include his friend Ruffo (Jim Brown) and alcoholic Doctor Wreid (Kenneth More). He also reluctantly recruits ex-Nazi Henlein (Peter Carsten) because he needs his military expertise and leadership skills.
The Congolese president provides Curry with the use of a steam train and soldiers. On the way, the train is attacked by a United Nations peacekeeping plane. The mercenaries then pick up Claire (Yvette Mimieux) after they find her house burned down and husband murdered by Simbas. Meanwhile, Henlein, who resents Curry's leadership, begins to cause trouble because the German knows about the diamonds. Things come to a boiling point when he kills two children whom he suspects of being rebel spies. Afterward, Henlein makes romantic advances towards Claire, which Curry interrupts. Curry and Henlein then fight an inconclusive duel which involves a chainsaw. Curry is prepared to kill Henlein, but Ruffo stops him.
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Wikipedia