Droll scenes, broken storyline, ridiculous villains, a yummy actress (Gia Scala), Mitchum not soaked by the general silliness, and Aldrich severely clueless. Directed by Aldrich and starring Mitchum, it's an uninspired, eerily misdirected war _actioner, often droll, as if a half-wit hired Aldrich, Mitchum, Goring, Cabot, Bikel, Baker, to see this movie done, like someone's ambition came through, say a war movie by E. Wood, the lousiest scenes are saved for Heisler (head of the Gestapo in Athens), the undecided mother and the fat benefactor; the twists seem bizarrely inefficient (when the car shows up at the nunnery, I gathered the Gestapo sent it, but it didn't, the double agent broad, Lisa, was merely acting on her own, only then do the Gestapo try to convince her), the gimmicks look childish and unlikely (Heisler's map, also Mitchum's attempt to shoot the Gestapo head, then the fooling of Tassos …), the Germans track Mitchum in the hut where he hided, but aren't able to arrest him when the broad hosts him in Athens …. Both script and, save Mitchum, Goring and the Greek girl, acting are uncannily clumsy, with a random storyline and unlikely scenes meant to look intriguing, many scenes have a droll look, and the character seem sly-boots, jokers, hoaxers. This movie disappointed me, the director and the cast looked promising, though the title almost gave away the silliness; there are a few nice scenes, till the Germans step in, and the warrior (who is in fact a foreign correspondent, and remains mysterious till the finis) wakes in Elefteria's house, but even these exciting initial scenes, from Mitchum's arrival in Athens (it remains undecided whether he was only pretending to be an officer) until his jumping in an army car, have droll forebodings (like Tassos spying at Mitchum's door, or Mitchum leaving the museum unharmed). I don't believe I have ever heard about it before finding it, and in this situation it seems reasonable. Aldrich deserved a spanking for angering those hills. Perhaps less for giving a wholly positive image of the Greek patriotism and life in the country, with the nunnery meant to give Western audiences a sense of familiarity, and endearing, though later entirely anti-ecumenical, Greek priests.Mitchum's true job, the officer with whom he spends his evening in a cabaret, Lisa's arrival at the nunnery, Mitchum's secret presence in Athens, the benevolent and useful pawnbroker are random items in a zany, aimless plot. Heisler and Lisa are supposed to reveal puzzling depths. The actors who embody them are the most deluded of the cast. If the comic book intrigue is derisory, the melodrama is sick. Aldrich earned himself a spanking.Yet somehow, Mitchum alone manages to be likable, with his coolness, nonchalance and handsomeness, in this hallmark of phoniness and unbelievable nonsense. I wrote Mitchum alone, but I should mention also Elefteria, played by the yummy Gia Scala. And there's also a 3rd actor.Goring, as colonel Oberg, does an enjoyable role as an eerie sickly officer, outspoken, who complains about the leader's campaigns and about his own shattered health, a role wasted on this formless silliness.Cabot is the fat pawnbroker, Th. Bikel is Tassos (a comic book henchman of the Gestapo); like Goring as the hypochondriac colonel, they seem to believe they act in a comedy. The plot is so childish, unconvincing and thoughtless, that it could of been an instinctive choice of subverting it. The drollest scenes belong to E. Muller and Baker, as Lisa and Heisler, both with delusions of fine acting; on the other hand, Mitchum misread Heisler, who, though from a nation bent on killing an entire other nation, shows unexpected largeness, so he's not the heartless wretch his enemy supposes him to be. Mitchum's outburst of anger when he finds out about Lisa's story and kids is his critique of the movie, at least of its plot.

Having watched this film as a 10/11 year old child in Manchester,UK in 1969, I am intrigued by the very explicit topless dancer scene! I think that I would have remembered this scene, and wonder if it was censored in the UK!! Otherwise not a bad movie, though it was overlong. It would definitely have looked better in colour.Interesting to see so many top rate actors in one film, even though some only had brief roles. Stanley Baker and Gia Scala would appear together in another Greek located film two years later, namely "The Guns Of Navarone"! Personally, I think the look of the film was quite good. The locations, and set dressing,period vehicles looked quite authentic. If I remember correctly in the UK this film was shown on a double bill, with a Tarzan film as the second feature. The Tarzan film was in colour!!

One of Robert Mitchum's and Director Robert Aldrich's Least Impressive Films. Both Usually Reliable Professionals are Off Their Game on this one. It is a Flat and Tired Movie from the Beginning, Never Managing to Grab Hold of the Story's Intrigue and it is Lacking in the Period Setting of WWII.The Movie Looks Like a 1959 Movie set in 1941. The Action is Dull and Telegraphed and the Suspense Never Builds Beyond its Premise. The Script is a bit Confusing and Nothing in this Misfire Maintains Anything More than Mediocrity.A Dud and a Disappointment from All Involved. The Almost Two-Hour Length is Excruciating.

"The angry hills" (1959) directed by Robert Aldrich is a lovely movie in black and white where Greece is at stake as country considered a little just before a slow penetration and strange German invasion, in which as story of wartime and peaceful purpose it is yet very interesting for appreciating its local culture. Differently understood by a kind of war press correspondent, between urban and rural landscapes and gestures in this land of symbolic Paternon and democratic values, among crossfires of snipers on streets and roads and suddenly opening doors for surviving at any price even with guerrilla peasants help. What it seems in a given scene located in a folkloric local at Athens, during the installation of the special smooth occupation entering with the almost gentle invader, is the naked chest of a dancer in a frontal touch of love, after the exhibition at a stage inside for also mixed origin officers in which the correspondent is there at his table. Obviously in a kind of freedom of the time, by director Aldrich during this movie production - whose screenplay is somehow far away of the book where it came from, without the visit of the writer himself to Greece when he had written his book - concerning the sex-appeal without too much corruption, but maybe more passion in free love in wartime. Where Robert Mitchum in his character of correspondent of war ridicules the prudery and attraction from his colleague nearby his common table at there in this evening. Meanwhile, aside observing this sincerity like of the someone, seemingly enormous like Maria Callas at the time, when still unknown voluntarily or not by the effect of Aldrich direction, who was risking his career here. This is an interesting framework of a mixed population, shared by contradictory feelings about foreigners, when a stranger like him came during the evening bringing hope. The complicated plot is here useful for registering the evidence of difficulties, however also in which a better comprehension for separating the treachery from the betrayed and protecting what is sure and not capable to pass away. Namely, under torture and after giving to the occupant the others civilians, whom not having clearly cooperated with the enemy ; under these circumstances of stressing the strength out of the laws and only by barbarity, for spelling against the will of the local authority. It was like that that the war correspondent it was there between two love affairs, meanwhile and by no means essays escaping from the mountains with some children. But finally by the port of a given island, there is a small ship from a local fisherman for them, when by the window of the police station from the occupants one of his lovers, a beautiful lady, is inside with one of the collaborators, that in a deal accepts intuitively this young and her sacrifice : forgotten the sad affair only for will solving it as account for the resistance, after the war finished.