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Reviews
Proof of Life (2000)
Great on military details
Proof of Life might well satisfy those more knowledgeable in real-life military matters. When Terry (Crowe) explains to Alice (Ryan) how he started out in the Australian Army, but left for the British Army because there wasn't enough action...he was stating a very plausible possibility. The British Army does indeed accept recruits from Commonwealth nations. Terry also says he is veteran of the elite British Special Air Service, and again, it is true that a huge proportion of ex-SAS members end up in private security efforts of various kinds. When the big raid is carried off, the costumers took enough care to dress Terry in British DPM fatigues, while the American Dino (Caruso) wears American BDU fatigues. Again, this is plausible as these are the sorts of fatigues both men took with them when they left military service. I've seen a lot of reviewers here criticize the end raid sequence.
I found the actions scenes very good and a welcome change from most movies. Terry and Dino actually plan for covering fire from higher ground, fields of fire, etc. So many military raids in movies (The Dogs of War is a good example) just have the characters march out in the open and fire from the hip, with no seeming plan of movement other than to run around, destroy stuff, and look dramatic. Terry and his team never stuck around any longer, nor killed any more of the guerrillas, then necessary to rescue the hostages and escape.
I can see where these details failed to find appreciation with the general viewing public, but I only hope others doing such movies continue to try to be authentic and realistic.
Who Dares Wins (1982)
A counter-terror classic.
Who Dares Wins (The Final Option) stands out as the best movie dealing with military counter-terrorism yet made. Of course, it was made at the beginning of the Special Air Service Regiment superstardom mania that took hold in Britain after the successful Operation Nimrod at the Iranian Embassy in London. It can be dated and cheesy at times, and certainly the viewer has to wait quite a long time for the ultimate payoff. But when that payoff comes, it's well worth the time you spent watching Captain Skellen (Lewis Collins) infiltrate the CND-esque terrorist movement.
Who Dares Wins, unlike say, The Delta Force, avoids Ramboesque action and does try to be faithful to how the SAS conducts operations, or shall I say, how the public PERCEIVE they conduct operations. Obviously, the script took much inspiration from the Princes Gate situation.
It is a side plot, however, that is perhaps the best CT sequence ever caught on film (SPOILER warning ahead!). After Skellen's wife is taken hostage by two members of the terrorist group, undercover SAS members take up station in the next-door house. There, they carefully drill and insert a camera to monitor the situation. Finally, when the time comes, they use a frame charge to blast the wall between the two walls. The power is turned off in the neighboring house, and two SAS troopers dispatch the terrorists using Browning 9mm handguns with flashlights. The scene, which starts with a trooper holding up his silver Browning and releasing the slide forward so the camera gets a good view is classic.
If I had any quibbles with the movie, it was in its depiction of the German GSG-9 and American Army Ranger character. These two arrive at the Regiment's base in Hereford on exchange training duty. First of all, the United States would not send a Ranger for CT training. To be fair, the scriptwriters probably did not know of the existence of Delta Force, which had just come to public attention around that time. Of course, both officers bumble through their initial task. It's hard to believe that West Germany's elite GSG-9 would send such a dufus on a exchange assignment.
I also used to think it was rather unrealistic that the American Ambassador's residence is seized, yet during the entire crisis, the British authorities do not seem to consult the American government, nor is Delta Force or in deference to the scriptwriters, "Rangers") brought in. However, as I got older and learned the subject more, host nations are responsible for the security of diplomats. Thus, the British authorities would be first on the scene and it would be their task to implement an "Immediate Action" plan that would be used at as a final option until a more refined plan could be instituted. So, in that context, perhaps the Americans never had time to deploy.
Splitting hairs I know...still a great film.