Hot damn, what a good movie "The Guns of Navarone" is. What took me so long to watch it?Was anyone else struck by how similar this movie is to the recent "Star Wars" movie "Rogue One?" At times the similarities were so great that I had to believe the creators of "Rogue One" were directly influenced by this film.A classic men-on-a-mission movie, "The Guns of Navarone" is mostly a straight up combat film, but a terrific screenplay by Carl Foreman and equally terrific performances by Gregory Peck and David Niven introduce some intelligent insights into the moral ambiguity of what it means to get the job done when that job is killing other men, the entire business of war. The special effects in "The Guns of Navarone," including a ship wreck and an exploding mountain top, garnered the film an Oscar for Best Visual Effects. It was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, Best Dramatic or Comedy Score (a typically magnificent one by Dimitri Tiomkin), and Best Sound.Grade: A

THE GUNS OF NAVARONE is another strong adaptation of an Alistair MacLean thriller, not quite up to the same classic level as WHERE EAGLES DARE but still proving engaging and thoroughly thrilling, despite the lengthy running time. The simplistic plot has a crack squad of men - each with their own specialism - tasked with destroying a Nazi gun placement located in a cliff on one of the Greek islands. It's one of those ensemble productions that has plenty of drive and momentum to see it through, and although there's not a wealth of action, that which does take place is expertly staged. The throughly decent Gregory Peck plays the leader of the team, bolstered by support from Anthony Quayle (sympathetic), Stanley Baker (tough), Anthony Quinn (grizzled), and David Niven (funny). It's a classic '60s war film, and you don't need to know anything more than that.

As far as pro-war, anti-war or any philosophical conflicts are concerned, J. Lee Thompsons "Guns of Navarone" is certainly no "Bridge on the River Kwai". This comparison doesn't intend to diminish its impact but it's surprising that the two movies share one name in the credits that happens to be Carl Foreman, the screenwriter. In its own right, it is a pretty straightforward, conventional but efficient war movie that delivers its premise; it just happens to lack that little something that could have made it one of the greats.But this is still an entertaining spectacle typical of the early 60's productions, a muscled picture whose power and charisma rest on the broad and heavy shoulders of one of the best macho cast since "The Magnificent Seven": Gregory Peck, Anthony Quinn, his namesake Quayle, David Niven and a few other rigged faces, all forming a British secret unit assigned to blow German guns located in the Greek island of Navarone, on an impregnable fortress threatening a British convoy coming to rescue thousands of Allied prisoners stranded on Greek islands. So many lives at stakes and so little time left.The film belongs to the tradition of epic-adventure-action movies with one mission for many different men as the focal point, it was made seven years after the seminal "Seven Samurai" and six years before "The Dirty Dozen", the film that pushed the concept to its anti-heroic level. In 1961, people were still seeking for regular thrills and the film provided the whole package with competent acting, directing and editing, not to mention a decent story with a captivating mission, interesting "sub-missions" and subsequent interactions. But take "Kwai" again, the climactic explosion is one of the most mind-blowing moments from any war movie, and not just for the spectacular effect but the whole psychological escalation that lead to that moment, it wasn't about the bridge, but the madness that made it explode. But in the case of "Navarone", the guns' explosion (this is no spoiler) simply indicates the success of the mission but we're always more interested by the outbursts of 'madness'.And while Gregory Peck plays as usual the tough and heroic leader, I was glad he could pass as a relatively ambiguous protagonist, enough to be confronted by his officers and questioned about the way he exploited the injury of a comrade. David Niven is the impertinent British explosives expert who makes war while secretly despising it, Quinn is the brutal but reassuring presence. As the Greek Andreas, he steals the show and carries one unexpected moment of 'pathos' that suggests a predisposition for richer and more multi-layered characters, the presence of Irene Papas as the tough resistant plays like an interesting omen of their future collaborations in "Zorba the Greek", "The Message" and "Lion of the Desert". All these actors do justice to their part and besides the action, there's not one moment of dullness or where we feel that it's getting slow.There's not much left to say, except that it's a film with many shootouts, one set in the boat where they act like fishermen and less exciting than the firing itself is its anticipation, there's a heart-pounding mountain climbing of Hitchcockian effect, many ruses and disguises and a traitor's unmasking contributing to the one very powerful moment, all of these allow "Guns of Navarone" to move rather swiftly despite its run of two-hour and half. It also raises a few questions about war ethics and tortures, but overall, like a movie lead by no-nonsense Gregory Peck, the film isn't an anti-war movie, it doesn't amplify the heroism of the protagonists nor that it demonize the Germans. As a war movie, it belongs to the likes of "The Longest Day" or "Battle of the Bulge" it is old-fashioned in a respectable way.Not too subtle or sophisticated, this is a tough movie about tough guys and you spend a good time watching it.

Released in 1961 and directed by J. Lee Thompson from Alistair MacLean's novel, "The Guns of Navarone" is a war/drama/thriller about an Allied team who go undercover to take out two gigantic German antiship batteries deployed in a massive cliffside bunker on the island of Navarone, Greece. Gregory Peck stars as the leader of the team with David Niven co-starring as a demolitions expert. Anthony Quinn is on hand as a grim, embittered Greek. Irene Papas and Gia Scala are two locals who join up with the group at the midway point. This is a very good World War II adventure more akin to the undercover spy mission of "The Eagle Has Landed" (1977) than conventional WWII flicks, like "Battle of the Bulge" (1965). While watching, I couldn't help discerning similarities to MacLean's superior "Where Eagles Dare," which came out less than eight years later. "Where Eagles Dare" (WED) is outstanding whereas "The Guns of Navarone" (TGON) is solid. For instance, the score of WED is one of cinema's all-time best; not to mention the entire opening sequence; and the action-packed finale as well. Moreover, TGON has some blatant flaws, like the dated score, lame miniatures, obvious indoor sets and two dubious fight scenes (the knife fight in the boat and the "duel" with the German officer); and the final act is decidedly low-key compared to the ultra-thrilling WED. Nonetheless, "The Guns of Navarone" is a must-see early 60's war adventure.The movie runs 158 minutes and was shot in Greece with interiors shot in England. Additional scenes were shot in Dakar, Senegal (cliffs), Zacatecas, Mexico, and Iversion Ranch, California.GRADE: B