Dark of the Sun (1968)

[The Mercenaries]

Director: Jack Cardiff
Starring: Rod Taylor, Yvette Mimieux, Peter Carsten

Synopsis:
A mercenary leads a task force to evacuate personnel and recover diamonds for the president of the Congo.

Impressions:
This movie is sort of like Blood Diamond before Blood Diamond. The scale is larger, with an entire task force being sent out to get the diamonds, but for a grim look at the violence racking Africa, profiteers and the poor schmucks caught in the middle, it's fairly effective. I really liked the camaraderie between Curry and Ruffo. There are some interesting philosophical debates and Curry's character arc comes to a rather poignant conclusion. While not quite as good as Blood Diamond (nor quite as authentic-feeling), it's still a movie to see.

Rating:
Watch It