A team of Allied saboteurs is assigned an impossible mission: infiltrate an impregnable Nazi-held Greek island and destroy the two enormous long-range field guns that prevent the rescue of 2... Read allA team of Allied saboteurs is assigned an impossible mission: infiltrate an impregnable Nazi-held Greek island and destroy the two enormous long-range field guns that prevent the rescue of 2,000 trapped British soldiers.A team of Allied saboteurs is assigned an impossible mission: infiltrate an impregnable Nazi-held Greek island and destroy the two enormous long-range field guns that prevent the rescue of 2,000 trapped British soldiers.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 4 wins & 12 nominations total
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis was the only time that David Niven ever smoked cigarettes on-screen. Niven was a life-long non-smoker.
- GoofsWhen the Germans are searching the gun positions for explosives, German soldiers are using mine detection equipment and 'sweeping' the tracks leading up to the guns. This is a useless activity since the detection equipment is a metal detector and would give off a signal due to the steel rails.
- Quotes
Mallory: Can you do anything at all?
Corporal Miller: I don't know. There's always a way to blow up explosives. The trick is not to be around when they go off. But aren't you forgetting something? The lady. As I see it we have three choices. One we can leave her here but there's no guarantee she won't be found, and in her case they won't need a truth drug. Two, we can take her with us, but that would make things worse than they are already. And three... well, that's Andrea's choice, remember?
Mallory: You really want your pound of flesh, don't you?
Corporal Miller: Yes, I do. You see, somehow I just couldn't get to sleep.
Mallory: Well, if you're so anxious to kill her, go ahead!
Corporal Miller: I'm not anxious to kill her, I'm not anxious to kill anyone. You see, I'm not a born soldier. I was trapped. You may find me facetious from time to time, but if I didn't make some rather bad jokes I'd go out of my mind. No, I prefer to leave the killing to someone like you, an officer and a gentleman, a leader of men.
Mallory: If you think I wanted this, any of this, you're out of your mind, I was trapped like you, just like anyone who put on the uniform!
Corporal Miller: Of *course* you wanted it, you're an officer, aren't you? I never let them make *me* an officer! I don't want the responsibility!
Mallory: So you've had a free ride, all this time! Someone's *got* to take responsibility if the job's going to get done! You think that's easy?
Corporal Miller: [shouts] I don't know! I'm not even sure who really is responsible any more.
- Crazy creditsOpening credits prologue: The first day 02.00 Hours An Allied Airfield somewhere in the Middle East
- Alternate versionsTo receive a 'U' certificate the original UK cinema version was overdubbed to remove all of Barnsby's uses of the word 'bloody' (the word was replaced with the less offensive 'ruddy'), and this same print appeared on early video releases. The film was restored in 1993 and all later widescreen releases feature the full unedited version.
- ConnectionsEdited into Force 10 from Navarone (1978)
- SoundtracksKaragouna
(uncredited)
Traditional
When in 1943 the Germans are attempting to bully neutral Turkey into joining the Axis, 2,000 British troops are trapped on the small and strategically unimportant Greek island Kiros. Something has to be done to save them and there is only one way to get there: by boat. But it's impossible to come near to the island because the only sea route is defended by two gigantic German anti-ship batteries, deployed in a massive cliff side bunker on the island of Navarone. An air attack has been attempted before and proved to be useless and the only option that is left is sending a team of six Greek and English mountaineers to meet up with partisans to try and dynamite the guns. The team does not only face the almost impossible task to conquer the difficult terrain, they also have to try to get past a German garrison and to make things worse, there also appears to be a traitor among them...
About one thing I'm already certain: I'll buy this movie on DVD as soon as I can find it. This is one of the better classic war movies that I've seen lately and I really had a good time watching it. Not only does it give a more realistic view on the war, the characters are also a lot more realistic. They aren't as invincible as you sometimes see in other classic war movies (think for instance of "Where Eagles Dare (1968)"), in which the Americans or other allies seem to carry some kind of magic shield around them that can't be penetrated by German bullets, while they can kill hundreds of the enemy with only one bullet. In this movie they have to deal with all kinds of difficulties like difficult terrain, a traitor,... and yes, even the good guys can get killed or wounded.
What I also liked was the fact that this movie was shot in Greece and therefor gave a realistic feeling to the setting, without feeling like a brochure for a romantic holiday (like Captain Corelli's Mandolin). I know, we all expect that and believe that it is normal when we see it, but I've already seen otherwise and it's something you didn't always get at the time. Think for instance of the movie "The Battle of the Bulge" (1965), which was supposed to be situated in the Belgian Ardennes, but which was shot with olive trees in the background and in a desert-like terrain. And trust me, I'm Belgian myself and I know the region all too well, so I know that there really isn't such a type of terrain to be found there.
Next to the good story and the correct decor, this movie also offers some fine acting from a great classical cast. With Gregory Peck, David Niven, Anthony Quinn, Anthony Quayle,... you get some of the most famous actors at the time and they all did a very nice job in this movie. Add to this the fact that story was very good, that the action still looked nice, that everything was shot in the right country and that everybody spoke the correct language. Then you know that there is absolutely nothing more I could ask for in this movie. I give this movie a well deserved 7.5/10.
- philip_vanderveken
- Aug 10, 2005
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Languages
- Also known as
- Carl Foreman's Production The Guns of Navarone
- Filming locations
- Acropolis of Lindos, Rhodes, Greece(meeting point of party with Maria and Anna)
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $6,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross worldwide
- $20,616
- Runtime2 hours 38 minutes
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 2.35 : 1
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