Dark of the Sun

• Also known as The Mercenaries in the UK
• Directed by Jack Cardiff
• February 8, 1968 (UK) / July 3, 1968 (US)
• Based on Wilbur Smith’s 1965 novel The Dark of the Sun

A group of mercenaries go on a dangerous mission during the Congo Crisis.

I never knew Dark of the Sun existed until the glorious streaming service Tubi brought it up as a suggestion. Rarely has it ever steered me wrong so here we are. Built around the Congo Crisis that happened between 1960 and 1965, it gets extremely violent for the time. That violence hit me a little harder than perhaps it might have otherwise since the film at the start appeared to be going for an African-set adventure story.

We have Rod Taylor as Capt. Bruce Curry, Yvette Mimieux as the civilian Claire, Peter Carsten (whose voice was dubbed by the distinctive Paul Frees) as Capt. Henlein, and Jim Brown before his blaxploitation days as Sgt Ruffo-a character that is often portrayed as a friend and equal to Curry. Ruffo was an important character and not a token part perhaps owing to a growing social consciousness at the time.

A personal irritant for me was the use of rear projection used for vehicles traveling. It is very noticeable in a vein similar to the “Desk Drive” skit seen on occasion in Late Night with Conan O’Brien. No attempt was made to hide it. Even in the lower definition days you could notice this. A little shaky camera would have hidden this from the eyes.

Curry is officially hired by Congolese President Ubi (Calvin Lockhart) to rescue some Europeans from a mining town about to be attacked but the real goal is to retrieve $50 million of uncut diamonds from a mine company’s vault. Ex-Nazi Henlein is along because it is felt Curry needs his military expertise and leadership abilities. Paired with government troops, they are sent on their way.

This starts an oft times very brutal action film with former Nazi Capt. Henlein killing two children before giving way to a very talkative film that touches on the morality of a mercenary. The shift is not immediately noticeable, but you pick up on it as the characters do an ever increasing amount of soul-searching.

Characterization is a bit blunt if it happens at all. The cast is who they are from nearly start to finish. Rod Taylor could deliver a sarcastic line with the best of them in his day and handles the action as well as the physically superior Brown could. Yet his change is abrupt over being hinted at.

Taylor gives Curry an initial charm that breaks down the longer they struggle before devolving into a brutal individual that is only better than Heinlein because he was never a Nazi. Taylor gives his character mix of charm, experience, and broken spirit. He’s a man who has his doubts but keeps going forward anyway because it’s what he’s getting paid to do.

Brown’s Ruffo is the buddy that can call out Taylor’s Curry on his crap. He does fine with the dramatic charts. He holds his own against the better known and more famous of the time Rod Taylor. Sometimes though he can drift into a stiffness but never wooden.

Despite the importance of Ruffo, Claire is the one that forces Curry to finally take responsibility. Ruffo has been forcing Curry to think most of the film but it was a few comments by Claire that forces him to pull it all together. Huh? Ruffo’s death was a push but it was Claire that got him over the line.

There are a few cliches like the drunken Dr. Wreid (Kenneth More) though more avoids making it grating. Heinlein is pretty much every film Nazi you might meet making you question why this guy that probably knew Mein Kampf by heart would work for anybody that was not white. Heinlein does highlight even further the racial tension you can feel throughout the film.

Shocking moments are portrayed much more artfully than they would be today. A personal favorite of mine was after a man stabbed. We don’t see his bloody corpse. Instead we see the water turn red. Personally, I prefer that rather than seeing the body because it has the imagination do the work and sometimes what you can think up is better than what they can create on whatever your budget may afford.

The action scenes may seem a bit dated to younger viewers but still have impact. They are well staged and chaotic but not in a confusion way. Bullets fly and there are ample explosions. They feel much more authentic than many modern films.

Dark of the Sun isn’t a bad movie. If you are familiar with other movies of the era you might like it more than if your cinematic experiences are more recent. Good if blunt.