Review of Dark of the Sun (1968) by Max M — 26 Dec 2009

THE LONG SHIPS director Jack Cardiff made one of the greatest (and most rugged) mercenary movies of the 20th century when he helmed the Rod Taylor-Jim Brown actioneer DARK OF THE SUN in 1968. Rough-hewn mercenary Captain Curry (Rod Taylor of THE TIME MACHINE) agrees to take a specially made-up train 300 miles into the war-torn Congo to retrieve $50-million in diamonds before a savage, bloodthirsty Simba army can laid their hands on it.

Congolese president Mwamini Ubi (Calvin Lockhart of PREDATOR 2), agrees to pay Curry $50-thousand dollars when he delivers the ice. Ruffo (Jim Brown of THE DIRTY DOZEN) is a Congo-born mercenary soldier who serves as Curryâ??s sergeant.

This mission is more a matter of national interest for him. Ubi tells them that ostensibly the train is designed as public relations to save a number of white folks trapped in enemy-held territory, but the diamonds are priceless to him because the banks in Europe are calling in his loans.

Curry takes 50 elite soldiers from the nationâ??s army. Unfortunately, the commander, Henlein (Peter Carsten of STALINGRAD: DOGS, DO YOU WANT TO LIVE FOREOVER), decides to come along after he learns about the fortune in uncut diamonds.

Curry hates Henlein because Henlein is a former Nazi soldier who loves to parade around with his swastika displayed on his chest. Meantime, Curry has to enlist the aid of an alcoholic medical doctor, Dr.

Wreid (Kenneth More of FLAME OVER INDIA), but Wreid refuses until he learns that he will receive a case of good whiskey and a $100-a-day for sewing up bullet wounds. No sooner than our heroes made up their train and pulled out than they run into a United Nations fighter plane cruising the area.

Although they received United Nations clearance to embark on their mission, they find themselves pitted against a conscientious pilot who knows nothing about the agreement. The pilot strafes the train.

Curry and company blaze away with their machine guns and eventually bring him down. By now Dr. Wreid awakens to learn that Curry has pitched the case of liquor and expects him to start doing his job. Along the way, they pick up a passenger, French refugee Claire (Yvette Mimeux of THE TIME MACHINE), and chug into the town.

Meanwhile, the sadistic leader of the rebel Simbas--General Moses (Danny Daniels) is closing in on Curry. The catch is that the diamonds are locked up in a bank in a time vault that will not open for three hours.

Reportedly, a real event that occurred in the late 1950s in the Belgian Congo inspired not only the movie but also the Wilbur Smith novel. Despite being made in 1968, DARK OF THE SUN pulls no punches and gets pretty grisly at times.

Cardiff lensed this film on location in Jamaica. The heroes rarely catch a break in this movie in this harrowing, action-packed thriller.