THE HELL WITH HEROES
US, 1968, 102 minutes, Colour.
Rod Taylor, Claudia Cardinale, Harry Guardino, Kevin Mc Carthy, Pete Deuel, William Marshall.
Directed by Joseph Sargent.
The Hell With Heroes is slickly done adventure entertainment. It almost provides a handbook for the conventions of the Hollywood action melodrama.
There is a tough embittered hero who turns to smuggling after his war experiences and disillusionment but who would really like to be a teacher. There is his young idealistic companion, interested in writing a book and experiencing life, who is eventually killed but has, a profound effect on changing the hero. There are American gangster type smugglers operating in Europe and North Africa, who are ruthless. There is the mistress of the American gangster who is the exotic war-ravaged refugee who collaborated with the Nazis, in the form of Claudia Cardinale. She falls in love with the hero, has some doubts about escaping with him but eventually is transformed for lyric happiness in Middle America. There is the relentless but ultimately tolerant army police chief.
The action adventure is enjoyable but predictable... and has an immediately recognisable gallery of supporting characters including henchmen and the African American owner of a Casablanca-like bar complete with effective and talented black singer.
The film is in colour and Techniscope and is directed by Joseph Sargent, a director of competent action adventures who moved into a variety of genres in the '70s, ranging from Sunshine to The Taking of Pelham 123 and Macarthur, the Rebel General. While of no real consequence in itself, it is competently and slickly done and illustrates Hollywood's idea of the tough and eventually noble hero, the idealistic young man, the heroine who has sparks of humanity and is easily redeemed (even from fabulous wealth), the portrait of ugly gangsters and serious-minded police is all as expected. Basic values of good and evil are presumed even if the film does dabble in the shadier side of good and evil. The film completely illustrates basic Hollywood action adventure - and the staple of so many television series.
