One of the great joys that have come of the invention of blu-ray is the chance to witness great classic films in the most pristine prints possible. True many of these films we've been able to watch pretty clear over the past decade or so but with the new format we are finally getting the most complete and cleanest pictures possible. So we're fortunate that films like THE GUNS OF NAVARONE are having a chance to be rediscovered in this way.
It's World War II and 2,000 soldiers have found themselves stuck behind enemy lines in Greece. Their only way out is to have ships come in from the ocean and rescue them. The only thing stopping this is two massive guns that use radar accuracy to stop anything passing the island of Navarone. Buried in the recesses of the mountain there, bombs have failed to take them out. Only an elite team can do so.
Gregory Peck starts as Captain Keith Mallory, an ex-mountain climber and undercover spy for the allies who has been asked to lead this team. Their mission includes climbing the steep rock walls of Navarone to get on the island where no one would expect any sane man to do so. Accompanying him on this mission will be Col. Andrea Stavros (Anthony Quinn), a man who has worked with Mallory before and who has sworn to kill Mallory once the war ends; Cpl. Miller (David Niven), not the most disciplines soldier but the most skilled at demolitions; Pvt. "Butcher" Brown (Stanley Baker), an expert hand to hand combat soldier; Pvt. Spiros Pappadimos (James Darren), a soldier who has family still on the island; and Maj. Roy Franklin (Anthony Quayle), a friend of Mallory and the man who put this project together.
Posing as fishermen, the team makes their way to the island, getting to know one another along the way. After one incident, they hurry only to find themselves in the midst of a terrible storm while trying to dock. Their ship wrecks but not before they rescue their gear and begin the hard climb up the side of the island in the midst of the storm. Everyone clears the climb with the exception of Franklin who breaks his leg. Saddled with the wounded man and with the Germans hot on their heels, the group heads to the point where they are to meet the resistance fighters on the island.
Meet them they do only to find two women, one of which is the sister of Pappadimos, Maria (Irene Papas). They take them to shelter but somehow the Germans catch wind of where they are. A trek across the island with the Germans following on their trail and seeming to know every step they take lead them to one conclusion: there is a traitor among them.
The film moves forward with the team avoiding their pursuers, captured and then trying to find a way to carry out their mission. Another fly in the ointment comes about when the timetable they had is moved forward giving them less time to accomplish their task. They must get to the guns and destroy them or the ships coming to save those 2,000 men will also be lost.
This is one of those great epics made in their heyday that was filled to the brim with world renowned stars. The cost would be too high to do so these days. It's an action film with brains, one that features as much story as thrills if not more. Our heroes for the most part are well defined, the enemy perhaps not as much as we witness one German officer who would prefer their answering his questions as opposed to torture by an SS agent. This is the type of film made as Hollywood was slowing down from major event films and gearing up for smaller pictures. Sad but true.
The entire cast here performs so well that you'd swear they were the actual characters they portray. Peck's Mallory is dead set on accomplishing the goals he was given but at the same time racked with guilt over possibly leaving behind a wounded friend. Quinn does a great job as the expert in going undercover, the plotter and yet a man with a grudge. Niven is flippant throughout only to come off as the offended man defending leaving behind Franklin. Baker and Darren give small roles with little meat enough character to make them seen and remembered. And Papas, a star in her own country, is larger than and filled with life.
The direction by J. Lee Thompson is amazing, especially considering he wasn't the original director and came in with something like 2 weeks to take over. This film would have been a major task and accomplishment for any director with enough time provided but with that limitation only makes his contribution that more apparent.
One of the main things I considered when watching this film was that there are so many movie lovers out there who have never experienced this movie. There is a generation of movie fans who only witness what's come out in the last ten years at most, unwilling or unable to see great films like this. With studios willing to give the go ahead on these classics to come out on blu-ray, with restoration organizations willing to save films like these, many of which are actually deteriorating in their film cans, it gives those who appreciate movies the chance to see them in pristine condition. One of the special features included shows just how much they were able to save of this film and how and that in itself is fascinating.
It's sad that today's generation of film lovers have limited themselves to only the current films being made or those that came out in their lifetime. There is a treasure of films out there waiting to be seen and that are being placed on blu-ray format. We need to encourage this generation to look past their own lifetimes and to see what came before. So many of those movies far outshine what's coming out currently. THE GUNS OF NAVARONE is pure proof of that. While watching this film at just under 2 and a half hours, I never once found myself looking for the remote and the fast forward button. The same can't be said for most new films. I encourage readers to seek movies like this out, to encourage young viewers to watch films like this, to realize the treasures that we still have a chance to witness and to contribute to organizations interested in preserving these pieces of cinematic history.
Click here to order.
No comments:
Post a Comment