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DVDs
The Guns of Navarone
 By
Richard Moore
It's
been years since the classic war movie, The Guns of Navarone,
screened on the telly in the corner of the room and so it was with
some relish that the just-released DVD went into the player.
It
was going to be great. Kids were in bed, the house quiet, a nice
drop of shiraz was breathing on the coffee table and 2.5 hours of
Gregory Peck, David Niven and Anthony Quinn to look forward to.
Now,
what's the plot again? Oh, yes. A small team of special operatives
is to be dropped behind German lines in World War II and their mission
is to destroy two massive guns.
Why?
Well, the guns are radar-controlled and their super accuracy endangers
a flotilla of ships that is about to sail to rescue thousands of
Allied soldiers cut off by the Germans.
So
what's the problem? Well, they are set within a cave, high on a
cliff top, are locked behind bomb-proof doors and are surrounded
by several divisions of German troops.
Other
than that, your mighty force of ... er ... eight, has few problems.
Except
for the traitor within your midst, it will be very easy. And, it
must be said, it's also easy to lose yourself in the well-scripted
plotline that not only has plenty of action, but real sparks flying
within the diverse group of characters.
All
within the group are killers, with the two Greek partisan women
being particularly fierce on Germans.
The
internal conflicts - including a deadly one between former friends
Peck and Quinn - add real dynamics.
The
action is fast and furious with Germans dying by the truckload as
the good guys try to complete their mission.
The
Guns of Navarone is more than 40 years old now and its transfer
- both video and audio - shows the strain at times, with a little
too much graininess on offer.
The
picture may be pretty sharp, but this is not the best effort on
the shelves. There are also some pretty major film artefacts in
some of the low-light shots, particularly during Peck's dramatic
climb up a sheer cliff.
Still,
it is a classic war movie and it is the action, not perfect pictures,
that will keep you occupied.
Conclusion:
Movie:
85%
DVD
Extras: 75%
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