A spectacular adventure you will always remember and a beautiful love story you will never forget.
1976-04-12
$10.0M
147 min
During World War One an English adventurer, an American elephant poacher and the latter's attractive young daughter, set out to destroy a German battle-cruiser which is awaiting repairs in an inlet just off Zanzibar. The story is based on a novel by Wilbur Smith, which in turn is very loosely based on events involving the light cruiser SMS Königsberg, which was sunk after taking refuge in Rufigi delta in 1915.
There is something of the "African Queen" (1951) about this rather disposable, but enjoyable tale of "Flynn" (Lee Marvin) whom, along with his daughter "Rosa" (Barbara Perkins) and her posh British husband "Sebastian" (Roger Moore) set out to avenge the destruction of their East African livelihood by taking on the pride of the Kriegsmarine - the "SMS Blücher" as it undergoes repairs near Zanzibar. It's a fun adventure with all concerned looking as though they enjoyed themselves, and Reinhard Kolldehoff makes for almost as good a German foil as Gert Frobe might have done. It's very much a tongue-in-cheek exercise, this - history plays only a fleeting part in this story of empire and bloody-mindedness. It's fun, pure and simple - and I bet the evenings after filming were lively, too!
