GLI EROI (THE HEROES)
Italy, 1973, 105 minutes, Colour.
Rod Steiger, Rod Taylor, Terry- Thomas, Miguel Bose, Rosanna Schiaffino, Claude Brasseur.
Directed by Duccio Tessari.
The Heroes is a rather odd film. It is an Italian film by director Duccio Tessari. However the cast is international, a blending of Rod Steiger and Rod Taylor with Rosanna Schiaffino in support. Terry -Thomas does a guest appearance. It looks like a serious war film at first, even with newsreel clips inserted. However it moves from gruesome war film to an ironic study of people greedy for treasure and using the war for their own purposes. There are some interesting ingredients but it adds up to very average style entertainment.
1. Indication of the title, expectations, fulfilment, irony?
2. Quality of the Italian production, the use of international stars, especially the Americans, Terry Thomas and his style In this kind of film? Satisfying blend?
3. Use of widescreen, colour, English and European locations, desert locations for the war, musical score?
4. A conventional plot, more or less? Presuppositions about war, right and wrong, greed, survival? Thr rightness and juctice at the ending? Ordinary adventure material?
5. The significance and tone of the opening, the newsreel and documentary effect, comments on Germany, this continuing throughout the film? A serious opening for the light adventure to follow?
6. How impressive was the war material; the visual presentation of war, widescreen impact, the siege of the convoy, the forts, munitions? An authentic atmosphere of Wofld War II in the desert?
7. The film as a robbery film: English background, the money in the desert, truck, greed, the money changing hands so much, justice at the end? The comic aspects of this kind of caper, serious tones?
8. The central character of Von Lutz; Rod Steiger's style, delineation of a German character, his place in the war, contrast with Schreiber, his appropriation of the money, attitude toward Ratrin, his pursuit of her, his mission? The significance of his relationship with the group, the ironies of it, friendship and enmity? The impact of his death, heroic?
9. The presentation of Bob and Raphael, soldiers of war, easy going characters, shady background, their greed, manoeuvres, foolishness, banding together in the desert, Raphael and his wanderings in the desert, not getting anything in the end? The irony of being heroes? Katrina and her type, work, work in the war and the desert, her escaping with the money, being pursued, thrown Into danger with the rest of the group, burying the money and almost winning? A credible character?
10. Terry Thomas as Cooper, comic style, contribution to atmosphere, the irony of his winning in the end?
11. The anti-Nazi presentation in the characterisation of Schrieber? Caricature? Hostility to this kind of character?
14. The nature of hostility, friendship and enmity, all thrown together in war and danger?
13. Entertainment, achievement?
