Dark of the Sun
Encyclopedia
Dark of the Sun is a 1968 adventure-war film starring Rod Taylor, Yvette Mimieux
, Jim Brown
, and Peter Carsten
. It was directed by Jack Cardiff
and based on Wilbur Smith
's 1965 novel, The Dark of the Sun.
Most of the film, which tells of a band of mercenaries
sent on a dangerous mission during the Congo Crisis
, was shot on location on the Jamaican
railway system
. Interiors were completed at Borehamwood Studios near London
.
Critics condemned the film on its original release in 1968 for its graphic scenes of violence and torture.
) supposedly to rescue the European residents of an isolated town about to be attacked by rebel Simbas
. But in reality his pressing 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
). Reluctantly he also takes ex-Nazi Henlein (Peter Carsten
) on the mission because he needs his military expertise and leadership skills.
The Congolese president also gives Curry the use of a steam train along with government 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 the ex Nazi kills two children who he suspects could be 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 is stopped by Ruffo.
But there are further complications when the mercenaries reach the town. Firstly, the diamonds are in a time-locked vault
delaying the departure of the train. Secondly, Dr Wreid who went to a mission hospital
to help a pregnant woman, refuses to abandon his patient. After travelling into the bush to get him, Curry reluctantly agrees to let the doctor stay behind. Back in town precious minutes tick by as everyone waits anxiously for the vault mechanism to open.
The delay eventually allows the Simbas to catch up and begin attacking the town and station. Finally the heavily-laden train, which is loaded with the diamonds and the residents, slowly leaves the station under small arms
fire. But just as it's nearly out of range, a mortar round destroys the coupling
between the last two carriages. Agonisingly as the rest of the train picks up speed and steams away, the last coach with the diamonds and most of the Europeans on board slowly comes to a stop before rolling downhill back into the Simba-held town.
Curry then stops his part of the damaged train. He and Ruffo then lead a raid to retrieve the diamonds from the rebels at nightfall. Using a Simba disguise, Ruffo carries Curry's 'lifeless body' into the town's hotel. Its rooms are now full of sickening scenes of (for the film's time period) rape, murder and torture. Following a diversion by government soldiers, they get the diamonds and escape in some vehicles. When they run low on fuel, Curry leaves to find some more. Henlein uses his absence to kill Ruffo in the mistaken belief that he had the diamonds. Empty handed, Henlein flees into the bush. When Curry returns to find his friend dead, he is filled with murderous revenge. He pursues Henlein and kills him after a vicious fight. Curry then returns to the truck convoy. With his job done, Curry reflects on himself and turns himself in for a court-martial
for his actions.
(1960–1966) when Joseph Mobutu seized power during the First Republic of the Congo
after national independence from Belgium
. The conflicts in Dark of the Sun are based on the anti-colonial struggle, a secessionist war with the province of Katanga
and a United Nations peacekeeping
operation within the context of the Cold War
. Actual violence in the Congo resulted in the deaths of up to 100,000 people.
The Henlein character was based on Siegfried Müller, a German mercenary who fought in the Congo wearing the Iron Cross
that he earned during World War II. Mueller was featured in a 1966 East German-made documentary Der Lachende Mann (The Laughing Man).
In the German version, Curry was renamed Willy Krüger and was portrayed as a former Wehrmacht
officer who had already clashed with Henlein during World War II
because of the latter's fanatical Nazism
. The German version also cuts the scene where Henlein murders two Congolese children and is misleadingly entitled Katanga, implying the film takes place during the first Congo emergency in 1961-64, when mercenaries like Müller and 'Mad' Mike Hoare
were involved. In fact, the film takes place during the Simba Rebellion
of 1964-65, when mercenaries were recruited by the Congo government to fight a leftist insurgency.
The film was made in Jamaica to take advantage of a working steam train as well as safety and cost-effectiveness.At the same time MGM was filming Graham Greene
's The Comedians (1967) in Africa though the original took place in the Caribbean.
Rod Taylor claimed he rewrote a fair amount of the script himself, including helping devise a new ending.
The film's score was composed by Jacques Loussier
.
Martin Scorsese
and Quentin Tarantino
are two of the film's fans. Scorsese calls the film one of his "guilty pleasures". The film was a particular influence on Tarantino, who used several tracks from the score for his movie Inglourious Basterds, which features Rod Taylor in a guest role as Winston Churchill
.
Yvette Mimieux
Yvette Carmen Mimieux is a retired American movie and television actress.-Early life and career:Yvette Mimieux was born in Los Angeles, California, to a French father and Mexican mother, Carmen Montemayor...
, Jim Brown
Jim Brown
James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. In 2002, he was named by Sporting News...
, and Peter Carsten
Peter Carsten
Peter Carsten is a German actor and film producer. He appeared in 90 films between 1953 and 1999.-Selected filmography:* Sand, Love and Salt * Under Ten Flags * Time of the Innocent...
. It was directed by Jack Cardiff
Jack Cardiff
Jack Cardiff, OBE, BSC was a British cinematographer, director and photographer.His career spanned the development of cinema, from silent film, through early experiments in Technicolor to filmmaking in the 21st century...
and based on Wilbur Smith
Wilbur Smith
Wilbur Addison Smith is a best-selling novelist. His writings include 16th and 17th century tales about the founding of the southern territories of Africa and the subsequent adventures and international intrigues relevant to these settlements. His books often fall into one of three series...
's 1965 novel, The Dark of the Sun.
Most of the film, which tells of a band of mercenaries
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
sent on a dangerous mission during the Congo Crisis
Congo Crisis
The Congo Crisis was a period of turmoil in the First Republic of the Congo that began with national independence from Belgium and ended with the seizing of power by Joseph Mobutu...
, was shot on location on the Jamaican
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
railway system
Railways of Jamaica
thumb|[[Kingston railway station, Jamaica|Kingston Railway Station]], closed since 1992, as seen in 2007The Railways of Jamaica, constructed from 1845, were the first railway lines opened to traffic outside Europe and North America, and the second British Colony after Canada's Champlain and St....
. Interiors were completed at Borehamwood Studios near London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Critics condemned the film on its original release in 1968 for its graphic scenes of violence and torture.
Plot
Sometime in 1964 or 1965, mercenary Bruce Curry (Rod Taylor) is hired by Congolese President Ubi (Calvin LockhartCalvin Lockhart
Calvin Lockhart was a Bahamian-American actor on stage and in film. He was best known for the role of a big time gangster "Biggie Smalls" in the 1975 film Let's Do It Again, not to be confused with the deceased rapper Biggie Smalls...
) supposedly to rescue the European residents of an isolated town about to be attacked by rebel Simbas
Simba Rebellion
The Simba Rebellion was a 1964 rebellion in the former Republic of the Congo which began as a result of alleged abuses by the Congolese central government...
. But in reality his pressing mission is to retrieve diamonds, worth fifty million dollars, from a mine company's vault. Curry's subordinates include his friend Ruffo (Jim Brown
Jim Brown
James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. In 2002, he was named by Sporting News...
) and alcoholic Doctor Wreid (Kenneth More
Kenneth More
Kenneth Gilbert More CBE was a highly successful English film actor during the post-World War II era and starred in many feature films, often in the role of an archetypal carefree and happy-go-lucky middle-class gentleman.-Early life:Kenneth More was born in Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire, the...
). Reluctantly he also takes ex-Nazi Henlein (Peter Carsten
Peter Carsten
Peter Carsten is a German actor and film producer. He appeared in 90 films between 1953 and 1999.-Selected filmography:* Sand, Love and Salt * Under Ten Flags * Time of the Innocent...
) on the mission because he needs his military expertise and leadership skills.
The Congolese president also gives Curry the use of a steam train along with government soldiers. On the way, the train is attacked by a United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
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 the ex Nazi kills two children who he suspects could be rebel spies. Afterward, Henlein makes romantic advances towards Claire, which Curry interrupts. Curry and Henlein then fight an inconclusive duel which involves a chainsaw
Chainsaw
A chainsaw is a portable mechanical saw, powered by electricity, compressed air, hydraulic power, or most commonly a two-stroke engine...
. Curry is prepared to kill Henlein but is stopped by Ruffo.
But there are further complications when the mercenaries reach the town. Firstly, the diamonds are in a time-locked vault
Time lock
A time lock is a part of a locking mechanism commonly found in bank vaults and other high-security containers. The timelock is a timer designed to prevent the opening of the safe or vault until it reaches 0, even if the correct combination are known...
delaying the departure of the train. Secondly, Dr Wreid who went to a mission hospital
Mission (station)
A religious mission or mission station is a location for missionary work.While primarily a Christian term, the concept of the religious "mission" is also used prominently by the Church of Scientology and their Scientology Missions International....
to help a pregnant woman, refuses to abandon his patient. After travelling into the bush to get him, Curry reluctantly agrees to let the doctor stay behind. Back in town precious minutes tick by as everyone waits anxiously for the vault mechanism to open.
The delay eventually allows the Simbas to catch up and begin attacking the town and station. Finally the heavily-laden train, which is loaded with the diamonds and the residents, slowly leaves the station under small arms
Small arms
Small arms is a term of art used by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an individual soldier may carry. The description is usually limited to revolvers, pistols, submachine guns, carbines, assault rifles, battle rifles, multiple barrel firearms, sniper rifles, squad automatic weapons, light...
fire. But just as it's nearly out of range, a mortar round destroys the coupling
Coupling (railway)
A coupling is a mechanism for connecting rolling stock in a train. The design of the coupler is standard, and is almost as important as the railway gauge, since flexibility and convenience are maximised if all rolling stock can be coupled together.The equipment that connects the couplings to the...
between the last two carriages. Agonisingly as the rest of the train picks up speed and steams away, the last coach with the diamonds and most of the Europeans on board slowly comes to a stop before rolling downhill back into the Simba-held town.
Curry then stops his part of the damaged train. He and Ruffo then lead a raid to retrieve the diamonds from the rebels at nightfall. Using a Simba disguise, Ruffo carries Curry's 'lifeless body' into the town's hotel. Its rooms are now full of sickening scenes of (for the film's time period) rape, murder and torture. Following a diversion by government soldiers, they get the diamonds and escape in some vehicles. When they run low on fuel, Curry leaves to find some more. Henlein uses his absence to kill Ruffo in the mistaken belief that he had the diamonds. Empty handed, Henlein flees into the bush. When Curry returns to find his friend dead, he is filled with murderous revenge. He pursues Henlein and kills him after a vicious fight. Curry then returns to the truck convoy. With his job done, Curry reflects on himself and turns himself in for a court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
for his actions.
Cast
- Rod Taylor ... Curry
- Yvette MimieuxYvette MimieuxYvette Carmen Mimieux is a retired American movie and television actress.-Early life and career:Yvette Mimieux was born in Los Angeles, California, to a French father and Mexican mother, Carmen Montemayor...
... Claire - Peter CarstenPeter CarstenPeter Carsten is a German actor and film producer. He appeared in 90 films between 1953 and 1999.-Selected filmography:* Sand, Love and Salt * Under Ten Flags * Time of the Innocent...
... Henlein - Jim BrownJim BrownJames Nathaniel "Jim" Brown is an American former professional football player who has also made his mark as an actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting nine-year career as a running back for the NFL Cleveland Browns from 1957 to 1965. In 2002, he was named by Sporting News...
... Ruffo - Kenneth More ... Doctor Wreid
- André MorellAndré MorellAndré Morell was a British actor. He appeared frequently in theatre, film and on television from the 1930s to the 1970s...
... Bussier - Olivier Despax ... Surrier
- Guy Deghy ... Delage
- Bloke Modisane ... Kataki
- Calvin LockhartCalvin LockhartCalvin Lockhart was a Bahamian-American actor on stage and in film. He was best known for the role of a big time gangster "Biggie Smalls" in the 1975 film Let's Do It Again, not to be confused with the deceased rapper Biggie Smalls...
... Ubi - Alan Gifford ... Jansen
- David BauerDavid Bauer (actor)David Bauer was an American actor, a Chicagoan, who was based primarily in Britain. He was chosen as the most promising actor at Washington University and his professional career began immediately after graduating...
... Adams
Production
The book and the film are a fictional account of the Congo CrisisCongo Crisis
The Congo Crisis was a period of turmoil in the First Republic of the Congo that began with national independence from Belgium and ended with the seizing of power by Joseph Mobutu...
(1960–1966) when Joseph Mobutu seized power during the First Republic of the Congo
Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville)
The Republic of the Congo was an independent republic established following the independence granted to the former colony of the Belgian Congo in 1960...
after national independence from Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
. The conflicts in Dark of the Sun are based on the anti-colonial struggle, a secessionist war with the province of Katanga
State of Katanga
Katanga was a breakaway state proclaimed on 11 July 1960 separating itself from the newly independent Democratic Republic of the Congo. In revolt against the new government of Patrice Lumumba in July, Katanga declared independence under Moise Tshombe, leader of the local CONAKAT party...
and a United Nations peacekeeping
United Nations peacekeeping
Peacekeeping by the United Nations is a role held by the Department of Peacekeeping Operations as "a unique and dynamic instrument developed by the Organization as a way to help countries torn by conflict create the conditions for lasting peace"...
operation within the context of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. Actual violence in the Congo resulted in the deaths of up to 100,000 people.
The Henlein character was based on Siegfried Müller, a German mercenary who fought in the Congo wearing the Iron Cross
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
that he earned during World War II. Mueller was featured in a 1966 East German-made documentary Der Lachende Mann (The Laughing Man).
In the German version, Curry was renamed Willy Krüger and was portrayed as a former Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
officer who had already clashed with Henlein during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
because of the latter's fanatical Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
. The German version also cuts the scene where Henlein murders two Congolese children and is misleadingly entitled Katanga, implying the film takes place during the first Congo emergency in 1961-64, when mercenaries like Müller and 'Mad' Mike Hoare
Mike Hoare
Thomas Michael Hoare is an Irish mercenary leader known for military activities in Africa and his failed attempt to conduct a coup d'état in the Seychelles.-Early life and military career:...
were involved. In fact, the film takes place during the Simba Rebellion
Simba Rebellion
The Simba Rebellion was a 1964 rebellion in the former Republic of the Congo which began as a result of alleged abuses by the Congolese central government...
of 1964-65, when mercenaries were recruited by the Congo government to fight a leftist insurgency.
The film was made in Jamaica to take advantage of a working steam train as well as safety and cost-effectiveness.At the same time MGM was filming Graham Greene
Graham Greene
Henry Graham Greene, OM, CH was an English author, playwright and literary critic. His works explore the ambivalent moral and political issues of the modern world...
's The Comedians (1967) in Africa though the original took place in the Caribbean.
Rod Taylor claimed he rewrote a fair amount of the script himself, including helping devise a new ending.
The film's score was composed by Jacques Loussier
Jacques Loussier
Jacques Loussier is a French pianist and composer. He is well-known for his jazz interpretations in trio formation of many of Johann Sebastian Bach's works, such as the Goldberg Variations.-Early life and education :...
.
Reception
The film was considered extremely violent for its time and the scenes of civilians being raped and tortured by Simbas can still shock. One contemporary reviewer was moved to comment that the director's main objective appeared to be to pack as much sadistic violence into the film's two hours as he could. On the subject of violence director Jack Cardiff commented: "Although it was a very violent story, the actual violence happening in the Congo at that time was much more than I could show in my film; in my research I encountered evidence so revolting I was nauseated. The critics complained of the violent content, but today it would hardly raise an eyebrow."Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
and Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
are two of the film's fans. Scorsese calls the film one of his "guilty pleasures". The film was a particular influence on Tarantino, who used several tracks from the score for his movie Inglourious Basterds, which features Rod Taylor in a guest role as Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
.