Greece. Aegean Sea. 1943 year. Germany is about to make a blitzkrieg to the island of Keros. Two thousand British soldiers are trapped on this tiny island. They, exhausted and helpless, had only a week to live. The evacuation of British soldiers was impossible, as the approaches to the island were blocked by two German radar-guided cannons located on the neighboring island of Navarone.
The guns are so accurate and long-range that any attempt by the Allies to carry out a rescue operation was doomed. Allied intelligence will learn about the upcoming blitz just a week before the appointed date. A group of commandos was urgently formed, led by Captain Kiff Mallory, who took up the destruction of the German battery on the island. The events of the next six days became a legend on the island of Navarone …
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The thrilling works of naval and spy themes, which were in great demand, were sold out like hot cakes during the time of the writer. There are many opinions about the history of writing the book of the same name, it is only known for certain that the work was not based on real events. Which operations during the war are more reflected in the book? Where did the corresponding titles and names come from? – it’s hard to say for sure.
Just four years after publication, the film is released. The book has undergone changes, but, despite this, this film adaptation can be safely considered one of the best on this topic.
Thanks to the stunning plot, the film keeps the viewer in constant tension for two and a half hours. Each scene is filled with a unique spirit, impregnated with hopelessness and faith … the belief that the work done by the soldiers is right.
Different people gathered together in the detachment: someone was a brave soldier before the war, and someone was called up – but they all share a feeling of fatigue from everything that happens. Bloodlust is not peculiar to a person, there is no innate desire to kill and cause pain. It is these people who want to return home as soon as possible, forget about the horrors of war, and people appear before us. Gregory Peck, David Niven, Anthony Quinn, Stanley Baker, Anthony Quayle, James Daren – it is impossible to single out someone in isolation, each of them gives their best for real, completely getting used to their images. Think of Major Franklin’s face in the snow. After all, it reflects incredible pain, a feeling of the inevitability of something frightening, hopelessness.
The semantic content of all scenes, actions is much deeper and wider than one can imagine. The viewer is presented with everything: friendship, honor, military duty, justice, betrayal. Discussions about the methods of war, about where the border of morally permissible actions is located, are submitted to the court.
The talent of the film crew in recreating events is striking. Yes, maybe some explosions look ridiculous, the blood is unnatural, but the incredible skill of the director, cameraman, actors does not allow one to forget about what is happening for a second – this is exactly what is largely lost now in films with colossal budgets and realistic special effects.
Cinematographer Oswald Morris, multiple nominee and laureate of the most prestigious film academies, with his work, his experienced instinct finds great angles, selects the necessary plans, recreating on the screen not just a picture, but something more in itself. His work is beautiful and skillful.
Another extraordinary element of the film is the music sounding in it. Its impact on the viewer cannot be overstated. As if in a classic silent movie, she creates an important mood and atmosphere, filling the air with charge, increasing the adrenaline rush, and accompanying all the most important and climactic moments. The composer Dmitry Tyomkin, who worked on this, deserves the deepest respect for his unique work.
In general, J. Lee Thompson’s picture is one of the best in its subject matter, inimitable and masterly filmed, undoubtedly, having every right to be listed among the classics of world cinema.
Info Blu-ray
Video
Codec: HEVC / H.265 (54.6 Mb/s)
Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
HDR: HDR10
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Audio
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 16-bit)
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0 (48kHz, 24-bit)
Czech: Dolby Digital 2.0
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
German: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Hindi: Dolby Digital 2.0
Italian: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0
Subtitles
English SDH, Arabic, Bulgarian, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Spanish(Latino), Swedish, Thai, Turkish.
