Contains spoilers.
Perhaps it was the fault of my DVD edition, but this film just seemed totally haphazard. It starts off well as a comic period drama, with a leering Roger Moore being signed up to help smuggle ivory through German East Africa.
But it soon rapidly falls apart. Several scenes are repeated to the point of tedium, ie the stereotypical swaggering Prussian officer shouting at his men (and why are so many scenes in German without subtitles?) and the Colonel being bribed with cases of gin. There is however a very funny scene where Roger Moore impersonates a German tax collector.
The first half of the film rambles along without pace. After the death of the baby the film picks up pace but by this time loses all its humour and becomes a darker thriller. Even Roger Moore is unhumourous in the second half. Lee Marvin, with his white hair, stubble and shambolic manner seem to adopt the 'granpappy with red underwear' acting style of the Westerns.
Overall the film lacks pace and editing and is about half an hour too long. A disappointme
Perhaps it was the fault of my DVD edition, but this film just seemed totally haphazard. It starts off well as a comic period drama, with a leering Roger Moore being signed up to help smuggle ivory through German East Africa.
But it soon rapidly falls apart. Several scenes are repeated to the point of tedium, ie the stereotypical swaggering Prussian officer shouting at his men (and why are so many scenes in German without subtitles?) and the Colonel being bribed with cases of gin. There is however a very funny scene where Roger Moore impersonates a German tax collector.
The first half of the film rambles along without pace. After the death of the baby the film picks up pace but by this time loses all its humour and becomes a darker thriller. Even Roger Moore is unhumourous in the second half. Lee Marvin, with his white hair, stubble and shambolic manner seem to adopt the 'granpappy with red underwear' acting style of the Westerns.
Overall the film lacks pace and editing and is about half an hour too long. A disappointme