FORCE TEN FROM NAVARONE

UK, 1978, 126 minutes, Colour.
Harrison Ford, Edward Fox, Barbara Bach, Franco Nero, Carl Weathers, Richard Kiel, Alan Badel, Michael Byrne.
Directed by Guy Hamilton.

Force 10 from Navarone takes up from Alistair McLean’s? The Guns of Navarone, filmed very successfully in the early 1960s by Jay Lee Thompson. It was a spectacular war film with a strong cast led by Gregory Peck, David Niven and Anthony Quinn.

This is a more modest affair, but an exciting war film. It is a star vehicle for Harrison Ford along with a number of international stars.

The film was directed by Guy Hamilton, director of Battle of Britain and a number of James Bond films.

1. Audience expectations of the original, the sequel? Enjoyable Alastair MacLean? material? How well did the film rely on the success of the original and the connection with it?

2. Why an adventure war film like this so long after World War Two? For what audience? Older audiences and their memories? Young audiences and their knowledge of the war? The appeal of war films, adventure, larger than life heroism? The tongue-in-cheek tons of so much of the action and dialogue?

3. The value of such war spectacles and adventures? Are they pro-war? how do they take war for granted and involvement in it? The nature of hostility? The presentation of the Germans, the British, the Americans, the Yugoslavs - collaborators and partisans? Audience identification with these groups, hostility towards them?

4. The quality of the Panavision photography, European locations, spectacular locations, the rousing score, the special effects - especially with the plane at the beginning, the explosions with the dam and the destruction of the bridge?

5. Audience interest in and involvement of the set-up - the irony of Force 109, its non-gentlemanly manner, language? The ironic style of the film - and its blending with conventional action material?)

6. The establishing of the mission - the very British tone of the officials and the connection with Churchill? Mallory and his injury, his involvement with Army meals and the transfer to action? Miller and his involvement with explosives and experiments? Barnaby - the American, suspicion of the English? The composition of Force 10 and its double mission? The legality and morality of the goals of the destruction of the bridge, the killing of Loscovar?

7. The initial hostilities, the atmosphere for the take-off and fight with the soldiers, Weaver as a prisoner and his reaction, going aboard? The occasion for civil rights dialogue, ironic racial comments, humour - how well did this fit into the action adventure style? The attack on the planes, the explosions and deaths, the landing and the parachutes? Weaver and his essential presence in saving Miller?

8. The response to the welcome by the Yugoslavs - the huge leader, his knife. the confrontation and rudeness to Weaver? Irony of their true allegiance and their being betrayed to the Germans? Mille, his skill and weaving the story about penicillin, Schroeder and his character, suspicions? The girl and her hostility - relationship with Schroeder?

9. Mallory and hie continued use of his wits, Barnaby and the digging for the penicillin, the girl and her role in helping them to escape? The mounting of the rescue - an action adventure? Petrovich and his leadership of the partisans? The presence of Lescovar - did the audience believe he was a traitor? Mallory's telling of the truth and Petrovich's disregard of this? Lescovar's trusted presence?

10. The preparation for the British landing of goods, Lescovar's betrayal, the deaths of the men, Lescovar's killing of the girl and then his hypocrisy in bringing her body in? Themes of the treachery of war and double agents?

11. Mallory and Miller and their decision to bomb the dam? The tension in their going into the German yards and the stealing of the material? Lescovar and his betrayal, the German saluting him and Mallory and Miller being suspicious? The train leaving and Lescovar being isolated? The justice of his death? The partisan helping them escape? The preparation of the explosives, Miller and the diversion and its spectacular nature? Mallory and Barnaby prepared to die in the destruction of the dam? The humour of their escape and leading the Germans? Weaver and the confrontation with the Yugoslav leader, their fight and its violence?

12. The spectacle of the dam burst - after the tension of waiting and letting nature take its course? Miller and his jovial irony in waiting for it to succeed? The huge wave, the build-up of the Germans crossing the bridge, the water increasing - authentic? The Germans and their retreat, the Yugoslavs firing, the huge destruction of the bridge?

13. Pro-war, anti-war types, heroism?

14. What was the audience left with?