8mm Forum: Guns Of Navarone

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Posted by Andy Ward (Member # 3328) on October 28, 2012, 07:19 PM:

Hi, this is my first review, i hope it is acceptable!

Guns Of Navarone - 1x400 Super 8
Columbia Logo screen
Voice over explaining the basis of the storyline: 1943 in Greece 2000 allied troops lay marooned and an evacuation would be hampered by the Guns of Navarone!
A shot of regular outdoor scene with some other film layered on top kind of off centre as the voiceover continues. (I thought there was something wrong with the film when i first put it on!) And so our introduction to the story ends...
Music & title sequence
Voiceover: Captain Mallory is given the most dangerous mission of his career...
Cut to car scene where Captain Mallory (Gregory Peck) is being asked to run the mission to disable the guns as he is an expert mountain climber, and a sheer cliff face - the South cliff is the only unguarded way in.
Voice over introducing the rest of the team: Miller (David Niven), Brown (Stanley Baker), Andrea (Anthony Quinn), Franklin (Anthony Quale) and Pappadimos (James Derren). Cut back to car: the guns need to be out of action in 6 days as a sea evacuation is planned.
Voiceover explaining the team have started the mission and are stopped by a German patrol & blows it up then are caught in a storm.
Cuts to scene in boat and a conversation between Captain and General Franklin, telling the story of how Andrea has promised to kill him after the war, and tells the story of how he gave safe passage to some German soldiers & their wounded, but went on to kill Andreas family. In the next scene the ship has been wrecked but they make it to the base of the cliff.
There is a scene showing Mallory & Papadimos climbing. Mallory slips and is caught by Papadimos.
Voiceover explains that Major Franklin has a broken leg and is now a risk to the mission. They discuss killing him as he will be drugged and reveal the mission to the Germans if captured. They decide to take him along and decide when necessary. Mallory receives a radio signal saying he has 1 day less than previously thought. The captain Lies to the Major that the plans have changed. He gives him a false plan in case he is captured.
They meet 2 women from the resistance - the older Maria and younger Anna. Anna is a mute following previous capture & torture by the Nazis, Maria explains.
The team split up in the town to Maria & Anna's houses disguised as locals, bringing the injured General hidden in a horse drawn cart as the voiceover updates the story. At Marias house half the team are captured. Miller & Brown are seen climbing into a loft at Anna's house as the Germans arrive at the door.
In the next scene, as the voiceover explains, the remainder of the squad try to blend in at a local wedding but are betrayed by a child with a flower and the Nazis come to capture them.
Having been taken back to the Nazi office they start a fight and escape, leaving the injured General who, as planned gives the false plan, under a truth serum, to the Germans.
The team steal a tuck and escape to a house near the guns. The clockwork fuses have been sabotaged Miller explains, "Which means that there is a traitor in this room!
The traitor is Anna who is not a mute but working for the Germans. The Maria shoots her dead.
Voiceover & footage of Germans organizing (for false plan). Meanwhile the team head to the cave where the guns are.
Cut to the cave with the Navarone Guns. The Germans have realised they have been tricked. The resistance woman has stolen a boat to aid in the escape, the voiceover explains with a clip.
Back to the cave and Miller (David Niven) is coming up with a method for setting off the detonators after they have left and rig a lift to do the job when the Germans activate it. As the Germans break into the cave, our heroes jump from the cliff top into the water where they are picked up by Maria. The Germans are seen finding a couple of decoy explosives whilst the boys escape and get picked up in the boat.
The Germans man the guns as the allied rescue ships start to arrive. They get one shot off before activating the lift and BOOOM! The guns fall and the ships are sounding as they sail on.
Voiceover closing the story, mission accomplished, 2000 rescued at the expense of 2 of the team: Brown & Papadimos.
The End.
Lots of voiceovers, it's almost done in a documentary style, telling the story with a few visual clips to aid it along. I think this was a downside as it was more a quick storybook rather than a short movie. You may disagree, but I reckon I have other 400ft edits which flow better.
Although it does say at some point that after the war they put aside their differences and became friends, I think the whole bit about Andrea having a vendetta and wanting to kill Mallory after the war, was a bit pointless in such a short digest, they should have concentrated on the war story stuff, and the action.
Other than that the picture is good, a little red/brown but reasonable, and the sound is great.

Hope that's of use!

Posted by Osi Osgood (Member # 424) on October 28, 2012, 07:36 PM:

I think that this was also released as a 3X40ft version (someone can verify that for me), and I personally think that it works better in the edited version than the full feature which to me, drags on a little, (and I'm sure that there will be many who would argue that point with me!)

Posted by Andy Ward (Member # 3328) on October 28, 2012, 08:36 PM:

I saw the film on tv one time & remember it going on a bit. I'd still give that 3x400 a go though. (but then I'd give anything a go on super 8!)

Posted by Hugh Thompson Scott (Member # 2922) on October 28, 2012, 08:45 PM:

Excellent review Andy,a bit like watching the digest,everything is
there.Well done.The poor old Columbia Narrator earned his crust
when he did this one, but it was an epic with a lot going on.

Posted by David Ollerearnshaw (Member # 3296) on October 29, 2012, 01:13 PM:

Never heard about a 3x400ft version, but it was available complete. Distributed by Columbia Warner in the UK, but it cost either £15 or £25 for 1 days rental, and you were only supposed to screen it once. Fortunately they sent them out in good time. The quality was very good on the print I rented. At 158 minutes it would have been perfect as 4x400ft or 5x400ft in scope of course.

Its in my collection as reviewed here, plus I have 16mm flat print.

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