The Dogs of War (film)

The Dogs of War
Theatrical release poster by Tom Jung
Directed by	John Irvin
Produced by	Larry DeWaay Norman Jewison Patrick J. Palmer
Written by	Novel: Frederick Forsyth Screenplay: Gary DeVore George Malko
Starring	Christopher Walken Tom Berenger Colin Blakely
Music by	Geoffrey Burgon
Cinematography	Jack Cardiff
Edited by	Antony Gibbs
Distributed by	United Artists (1980, original) MGM (2001, DVD)
Release date	17 December 1980
Running time	102 minutes
Country	United States United Kingdom
Language	English
Box office	$5,484,132

The Dogs of War is a 1980 war film based upon the 1974 novel of the same name by Frederick Forsyth. Largely filmed in Belize, it was directed by John Irvin and starred Christopher Walken and Tom Berenger. In it a small mercenary unit of soldiers is privately hired to depose the president of a fictional African country so that a British tycoon can gain access to a platinum deposit.

The title is based on a phrase from William Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar: "Cry, 'Havoc!', and let slip the dogs of war."

Having escaped from Central America, mercenaries Jamie Shannon, Drew, Derek, Michel, Terry and Richard, get an offer from a British businessman, Roy Endean. He is interested in "certain resources" in the small African nation of Zangaro, which is run by the brutal dictator, General Kimba.

Shannon goes on a reconnaissance mission to Zangaro's capital of Clarence and meets a British documentary filmmaker named North. However, Shannon’s activities arouse the suspicions of the police and he is arrested, severely beaten and thrown in jail. His wounds are treated by Dr. Okoye, a physician who was formerly a moderate political leader. North agitates for Shannon’s release and he is deported after two days of torture.

When Shannon tells Endean that there is no chance of an internal coup, Endean offers him $100,000 to overthrow Kimba by invading Zangaro with a mercenary army. Endean intends to install a puppet government led by Colonel Bobi, Kimba's greedy former ally. This would allow Endean to exploit the country's newly discovered platinum resources, an agreement guaranteed by Colonel Bobi. Shannon refuses the offer and instead proposes to his estranged wife that they start a new life in America. When she turns him down, he accepts Endean's offer on condition that he will have complete control of the operation.

Provided with a million dollars for expenses, Shannon contacts some of his associates from Central America and they meet up to plan the coup. The group illegally procures a supply of Uzi submachine guns, ammunition, rocket launchers, mines and other weapons from arms dealers. North encounters Shannon by chance and suspects him of being a CIA agent. Shannon asks Drew to scare North away without hurting him but instead North is killed by someone hired by Endean to follow Shannon and his crew. A furious Shannon kills the assassin in turn and leaves his body at Endean's house during a dinner party held for Colonel Bobi.