THE DOGS OF WAR

UK, 1980, 118 minutes, Colour.
Christopher Walken, Tom Berenger, Colin Blakely, Hugh Millais, Paul Freeman, Jean- Francois Stevenin, Jo Beth Williams, Robert Urquhart, Winston Ntshona.
Directed by John Irvin.

Dogs of War is a streamlined adaptation of Frederick Forsyth's controversial novel about mercenaries and multinational manufactured coups in Africa with some wry observations on emerging nations - Idi Amin's Uganda style. The story is told fairly straightforwardly and is an action film (rather than doing justice to Forsyth). The film works well and is a particularly grim look at the unrelenting dedication of the modern men of war. Christopher Walken does well in the star role and, while unsympathetic, does engage audience interest (and even support). The climactic battle is gruesomely exciting. The implications for the kind of world we live in are quite frightening and one wonders what makes this kind of single-minded tough man tick. other versions of Forsyth's novels include Fred Zinnemann's The Day of the Jackal and Ronald Neame's less successful The Odessa File.

1. The popularity of Frederick Forsyth's novels? The world issues, contemporary, dramatic and melodramatic? International espionage emerging nations, the role of mercenaries in the 20th. century? Power, violence? The authentic nature of his insights. characters and situations? Their echoes in the history of the 160s and '70s?

2. How well did the screenplay adapt and streamline the long novel? Gains and losses?

3. The focus of the title, mercenaries, war? The significance of the opening quotation? The film's attitudes towards mercenaries, their work, emotions, involvement and commitment? Prices paid? Neutral loyalties? Audience response to mercenaries? The pros and cons? A fact of history? Nations and their needs? Multinationals and their using mercenaries? The methods? Morals? Humanity and inhumanity?

4. The introduction to Shannon? The rescue work? Latin America and his involvement? Speed, violence, toughness? Getting results?

5. The contrast with his arrival in Chicago. his apartment and its dark, isolation, loneliness? His relationship with family, ex-wife? The isolated man? What sustained him? The significance of the baptismal sequence and his being godfather? The hostility of the mother? The details of his living alone, his caution as regards his apartment? How well did the film fill out his background e.g. Vietnam and his skills? A serious minded man?

6. The film's presentation of multinationals, their smooth speaking anonymous representatives? The international interests, plots, lack of scruple? The visit of the representative to Shannon, caution, proposition, pressure? The ability to arrange covers and details? The discussion of Shannon's cover as a photographer, the background of birds and his being Interrogated for detail? The flight to Zangaro? The customs, the hotel, the manager? His taking photos and journeying? The sequence with his guide and losing him - and the later irony of the guide's speaking English? His access to various places in Zangaro? Photography of installations? The preparation for the coup? The fascination with Gabrielle? Her manner, wealth? The discovery that she was the mistress of the president? His encounter with the British journalist team, his friendship with the journalist? The background to their discussions and audience information about Zangaro and the president, the economy? Communications and security? The drinking? The flogging in the street? Shannon's arrest, torture? His not giving information under torture? The brutality of Zangaro and police states? The encounter with the doctor in prison and his being a presidential candidate? His wounds being treated by the doctor? The deportation and his reporting back to the multinationals?

7. The portrait of an emerging nation: the background of Idi Amin and the abuse of Uganda, the ineffective leadership, the stagnation in the country, work and possibilities, army and appearances, poor communications and media? Gabrielle and what she signified? Money, bribes? Secret police? The hotel manager and his comments?

8. The British television reporter and his work, pride, stagnating in the country, drinking, friendship? His response to the violence in the country? The later encounter in England? Friendship, his programme, the drinks? The ugliness of his death?

9. Shannon and his reaction to Zangaro, his agreement to lead the coup? The contacts? The planning of the strategy? The range of contacts to build up his mercenary army? The friendship with Drew and getting him to join? The Frenchman? The work in England and France? Shannon and his presence in England, the encounter with the journalist? The African contacts? Armaments? How interesting was this detail of Shannon's contact and building up his army?

10. The men in the army, their drill and training? The captain and his ship and its cover? The plans for sailing, landing? The possibility of this kind of raid in the contemporary world? The sophistication of the weaponry and its being planned, built, financial deals with mercenary businessmen?

11. The sailing to Zangaro, the suspense in their being detected or not? The attack and its detail, the strategy? The fighting, the weaponry, the explosions? Drew's death? The smashing and destroying of Zangaro?

12. Shannon's confrontation with the president, his getting the money, his death? Gabrielle and Shannon's flicker of emotion? Her fear? Violence?

13. The coup and its blood-letting, its success? To what purpose?

14. The surprise ending as Shannon installed the doctor as the head of Zangaro and not the ineffective candidate planned by the multinationals? The death of the alternate candidate? The repercussions for Shannon, for Zangaro, for big business and the multinational bosses?

15. The moral perspective of the mercenary? His self-preoccupation? Capacity for violence, espionage? The impossibility of having an emotional life? Sympathies? Relationships? The tough individual loner? How much a hero of our times, anti-hero, villain? The success of the film as a war adventure story? How perceptive its comments on the mercenaries of today?