Game for Vultures (1979) User Reviews (9)

Average film upon African wars and intervention of mean smugglers

[ma-cortes · 5/10 · 8 November 2005]

The movie tells about an English businessman (Richard Harris) dealing with another (Ray Milland) about illegal helicopters to export towards Rhodesia . Meanwhile, an African patriot called Gideon (Richard Roundtree) fights against the government troops by means of ¨guerrillas¨ and besides , he'll try to avoid at whatever means the helicopters load arrives to Rhodesia.

The picture is indirectly based on true events . In 1965 the white minority obtained independence of the Commonwealth and created the Republic of Rhodesia with Ian Smith as President who confronted the black nationalist guerrilla. In 1980 took place the Republic of Zimbabwe with Robert Mugabe as President that today continues . Along the way , several civil wars cause rampage, destruction, starvation and thousands of deaths . The movie belongs to sub-genre of African mercenaries , such as : ¨Dark of the sun ¨(Jack Cardiff) ,¨Wild Geese¨ (Andrew McLagen) and recently ¨Tears of the sun¨ (Anthony Faqua) . In the film there is suspense , frenetic shootouts , noisy action and a little bit of violence when the fights happen . It contains nice and atmospheric cinematography by cameraman Alex Thompson . The motion picture was regularly directed by James Fargo . Rating : Mediocre but entertaining.

Disjointed

[Theo Robertson · 5/10 · 2 May 2002]

GAME FOR VULTURES is a rather confused story about a freedom fighter/ terrorist , an illegal arms dealer and an illegal shipment of helicopters to Rhodesia , but the story strands never really gel. Instead of a coherent plot we get a battle scene followed by sentenious speeches followed by a scene that doesn`t add anything to the plot. Other irritations include Richard Harris and Richard Roundtree playing Rhodesians neither of whom make any attempt at a Rhodesian accent , a freedom fighter called " Sixpence " and the black Scottish guy from PORRIDGE playing a murderous thug

**** SPOILERS ****

The version I saw on BBC 1 tonight was slightly different from a version I saw several years ago. A scene in the opening battle scene featured a Rhodesian soldier getting crushed by a runaway landrover , and an entire subplot featuring Tony Osoba`s character is missing. This is where he murders his sister at the end and he in turn is killed by his brother in law with a pitchfork

Two Men on Opposite Sides in a Civil War

[Uriah43 · 5/10 · 2 July 2020]

This film essentially involves two men on the opposite side of a civil war. The first man, "David Swansey" (Richard Harris) is working with the government of Rhodesia and attempting to circumvent trade restrictions imposed upon it by the United Nations. The other man, "Gideon Marunga" (Richard Roundtree) is fighting for independence from Rhodesia's apartheid government. Yet even though both of these men are on opposing sides they each have concerns. For example, David realizes that he is on the wrong side of history and that eventually Rhodesia will lose this war. Gideon, on the other hand, is devoted to the cause but recognizes that the people he has allied himself with don't share his sense of justice and morality. As a result, he witnesses the murder and rape of priests, missionaries and school teachers with particular revulsion. Yet even though they have never met, what the two of them don't realize is that eventually their paths will cross--and this will have an immediate impact upon both of them. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a rather mediocre war-drama due in large part because neither of these characters inspired much interest and the film lacked a coherent plot. That said, although I didn't think this was a bad film necessarily, considering the solid cast it should have been much better and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Average.

An international mishmash!

[Serpent-5 · 3 March 2000]

This was one of the last International Co-production made in the 70's, and it is easy to see why it sat on the shelf and was never released in the U.S! It has way too many subplots, and many of the plots gets interconencted with others, thus adding confusion! Great music score, great photography cannot save this rather tedious film with absolutely NO sympathetic characters whatsoever! Roundtree kept losing his South African accent many times during the film! In fact most of the characters wind up trying to kill each other, and you kind of wish they do! And the ending actually undermines the whole film! It isnt even a good time waster! Definitely the last of these European international co-productions from the 70's!

Incredibly dull and muddled racial melodrama. What a waste of talent!

[barnabyrudge · 2/10 · 29 November 2005]

With a cast that includes the likes of Richard Harris, Richard Roundtree, Ray Milland, Joan Collins and Denholm Elliott, you would expect A Game For Vultures to be a pretty bankable success. Would all those talented stars sign up if the script was a load of old rubbish? Surely not. Add to that the plot, which concerns itself with sanctions-busting and freedom-fighting in 1970s Rhodesia, and you'd expect a film with a level of gritty realism and political topicality. It is sad to report, then, that A Game For Vultures is an absolutely disastrous film which misfires in every conceivable department.

In 1970s Rhodesia, black freedom-fighters - dubbed "terrorists" by the white leaders - are busily ambushing the white soldiers on patrol. One such man, Gideon Marunga (Richard Roundtree), is nearly killed when a routine ambush goes wrong and results in several deaths and casualties on both sides. Meanwhile, back in Britain, sanctions-buster David Swansey (Richard Harris) is hired to smuggle some helicopters into Rhodesia to aid the white government in their fight against the black revolutionaries. A Rhodesian by birth, Swansey is determined to support the whites as they struggle to retain control in Rhodesia, even though the rest of the world has imposed crippling sanctions on his nation. Also cast into the mix is unscrupulous business tycoon Colonel Brettle (Ray Milland), who finances Swansey's plans, and crusading journalist Larry Prescott (Sven Bertil Taube), who desperately wants to expose Swansey's illegal activities in the press.

A Game For Vultures is rather confused and heavy-handed. It gets far too plot-heavy for its own good and the result, in all honesty, is a deadly bore. Ironically, the opening fifteen minutes are actually quite good (it's an extended action sequence featuring an ambush which goes bloodily awry), but as soon as the sequence is over the film begins to nose-dive. Richard Harris here contends with probably the weakest role of his career (it's NOT his worst film, but certainly his most bored and subdued performance ever), while supporting stalwarts like Ray Milland, Sven Bertil Taube and Denholm Elliott are wasted too. Even Joan Collins - included primarily just for sex appeal in a male-dominated story - fails to add any sparkle to the proceedings. James Fargo directs rather lethargically, making the plot unbearably hard-to-follow on the one hand while over-simplifying the racial themes on the other. I won't be watching A Game For Vultures again and, if you value your time, I'd suggest that you shouldn't even bother with it in the first place!

Disaster

[jaibo · 2/10 · 22 April 2000]

A complete pile of hooey! This is one of the most muddled movies you'll ever see. None of the plot makes any sense, characters come and go without rhyme nor reason (in fact Roundtree is killed at one point and then appears again a few scenes later - and he isn't playing Jesus!). The biggest disappointment is reserved for fans of La Collins - she makes a tiny cameo appearance moments before the end, for no good reason, then the film finishes. Audience breathes a sigh of relief.

The Rhodesian Bush Wars from both sides

[Chase_Witherspoon · 6/10 · 27 March 2022]

Convoluted plot concerns SAF expatriate (Harris) whose loyalty to his homeland begins to cloud his business affairs leading to a near-fatal brush with the self-described 'freedom fighter' Gideon (Roundtree), himself dedicating his service to the emancipation of Rhodesia. Despite the two men's attempts to galvanise their respective side's strategic position in the increasingly bloody conflict, they each lament the heavy human toll it inflicts on their countrymen, beginning to question the end-game and (somewhat prophetically) whether the future state can endure its violent past.

Director Fargo's plot requires serious concentration to follow, suffering too many impassioned political commentaries, and a complex array of characters whose sole purpose is to achieve martyrdom in the name of their respective cause.

Aside from the main protagonists, Denholm Elliott plays a shrewd, hard-drinking PI, Ken Gampu a militant ZANU officer who unlike Roundtree's more sophisticated approach, willingly accepts collateral damage as a price of the conflict, and sultry Joan Collins shows up for dinner and cocktails every 20 mins or so to lighten the mood. Ray Milland is also on-hand in a recurring role as a covert investor of the arms trading affair.

As other reviewers have remarked, the scenery is pleasant, the soundtrack is contemporary and catchy, and the international cast has considerable depth. If only the myriad sub-plots could've been condensed, the ingredients are there for a much more coherent film.

Film Damaged by Editing

[jalipa · 8/10 · 1 June 2011]

This movie was damaged by post production editing. Despite that it remains a reasonable political thriller. 'Game for Vultures' is based on the novel of the same name. Written by Michael Hartmann, a Rhodesian/Zimbabwean lawyer, it is loosely based on real events.

The movie opens with a 'contact' between Guerillas, led by Gideon Marunga (Richard Roundtree) and a patrol of white Rhodesian reservists in the bush. In the firefight, the leader of the white patrol is injured, while a mixed race guerrilla fighter Danny Batten (Tony Osboa) is captured. Marunga escapes.

Enter two businessman engaged in sanctions busting David Swansey (Richard Harris) a Rhodesian and Col Brettle (Ray Milland) a Briton .Brettle tells Swansey that the US government is going to sell off Army surplus Huey helicopters. Swansey is reluctant to get involved, considering it out of their league but takes the information to a Rhodesian Government civil servant Tony Knight (Neil Hallett).

Swansey returns to Rhodesia, partly to contact Knight but also to see his brother Peter, the injured Army Sargent Peter is married to Ruth, whose brother is Danny Batten, the captured "terrorist".

Swansey meets with Knight and finds that the Rhodesian Government is enthusiastic about the getting hold of the helicopters. So with 80 million dollars, Swansey heads back to Europe to buy them.

Brettle & Swansey have a plan. They will use a third party PITCON a British owned Paraguayan forestry company to buy 50 helicopters. The firm is in financial difficulties. The Rhodesians will clear PITCON's debts and give them handsome profit in exchange for the helicopters.

However, unknown to them, their plans are taped by a private investigator Raglan Thistle (Denholm Elliot) who is working for an investigative Journalist Larry Prescott (Sven-Bertil Taube).

Unfortunately, Thistle's recordings are incomplete, they don't know who is selling the helicopters, so Prescott decides to approach Swansey's British girlfriend, Nicole (Joan Collins) in the hope of learning more.

Meanwhile, Marunga (Roundtree) having escaped from the failed ambush has been assigned to work with another guerrilla leader 'Sixpence' (Ken Gampu) together they are ordered to attack a Large Missionary Station and kidnap the children as recruits/child solders for the cause. After only bringing 30 odd children out of the original 1000, Marunga is hailed as a hero by his superiors.

Swansey, now back in London, goes out to dinner with Nicole, who tells him of her meeting 'an old Rhodesian friend' of his (Prescott). Alarmed Swansey goes back to his hotel and picks up his briefcase containing incriminating evidence.

Later that evening, Thistle, having broken into Swansey's Hotel room reports to Prescott that there is nothing there, furious, Prescott pays him off and waits for Swansey & Nicole to return.

When Swansey & Nicole return from dinner, they are accosted by an irate Prescott who threatens to expose Swansey. Crossing the road following the couple, Prescott is hit by a car. Suddenly a passer-by hands Swansey some files that 'he must have dropped'. It is Prescott's dossier, implying that the Rhodesian agents have just killed Prescott.

The next day Brettle tells Swansey that the deal is going through.

Raglan Thistle, who has kept copies of the tapes of decides to approach the London office of the Freedom Fighters. He sells the tapes for several thousand pounds and flees the country.

The movie now turns to Rhodesia. Ruth Swansey (Jana Cilliers) is visiting her brother Danny Batten (Tom Osoba) in prison. He claims innocence but passes her a message asking her to act as a getaway driver for a prison break. She agrees.

The Freedom fighters summon Marunga to London where he is tasked with stopping the helicopters from reaching Rhodesia. Aided by a Kenyan Embassy official Alice Kamore (Alibe Parsons) he finds out that the Americans are selling helicopters in West Germany.

Both PITCON & the US are threatened by TV exposure. Brettle, , visits Swansey demanding that the Rhodesians return the Helicopters to the Americans – Swansey refuses, to Brettle's amazement he is in fact a Rhodesian patriot. Facing arrest and ruin, Brettle commits suicide.

Marunga & a US official arrive at a West German warehouse but instead of helicopters, they find it empty. Swansey has managed to truck them out. Marunga tells his superiors that if the Americans don't know where the choppers are they need to ask a Rhodesian.

Danny Batten, free in Salisbury, kidnaps Tony Knight and tortures him to reveal the location (South Africa). Marunga travels back from London to Zambia to lead a team to attack the airbase holding the choppers, Back in Africa he is delighted to find that Sixpence is alive and will accompany him.

Swansey has also returned to Africa, Swansey is informed that South Africa is under pressure from the US to return the helicopters. The Rhodesian SAS, will raid the airbase and load them onto Dakota's to be flown back to Rhodesia. Swansey is given permission to go on the mission.

Danny Batten, now desperate to escape the Rhodesian capital Salisbury brutally murders his sister when she refuses to help him escape. He in turn is killed by her distraught with a pitchfork.

The Rhodesians get to the base first and start loading. The first transport is taxiing to take off, when the Guerrillas attack. In the resulting battle Marunga & Swansey finally meet face to face.

Marunga wearily demands to know "Who's winning?" Swansey, shakes his head. "Nobody. nobody's winning." Marunga spares Swansey's life, only to hear an armed Rhodesian come to Swansey's aid. Swansey's eyes meet Marunga's as he tells the soldier that there were no terrorists nearby. Marunga runs away into the night.

The movie ends as it began an ambush by Black Freedom fighters of a patrol of white Rhodesian reservists. Gideon Marunga and David Swansey are facing each other over the sights of their guns.

The human cost of conflict

[seveb-25179 · 7/10 · 2 May 2022]

I think this movie is far better than the ratings it has received here would suggest. Personally I did not find the plot overly complicated or hard to follow and the dialogue and action are well executed.

However I can imagine many probably found a political slant to the movie which was distasteful, and that may have impacted their opinion of the movie and influenced the tone of their subsequent comments. I could not help but notice that the preponderance of nasty violent acts depicted were committed by the black freedom fighters / terrorists, rather than the white oppressors. So it lacked balance in that regard.

But despite that, I think it builds up an unusually well rounded and nuanced picture of the suffering that it does depict, from the front line protagonists and guilty background conspirators, to predicament those who are only trying to get by and survive, yet are unable to avoid being dragged into the conflict, to the innocent children, with no choices to make, who are caught in the middle.

Of the two protagonists, Richard Roundtree goes on the longer moral journey, his confidence and belief in his cause slowly undermined and eaten away each time he witnesses the death of a different category of collateral individual. While for Richard Harris the consequences of his actions remain largely abstract until the final big action scene of the movie, when he quickly catches up.

Richard Harris' performance is more charming than usual and he manages to put off being conflicted until the final scenes. Richard Roundtree (Shaft) relishes a rare international outing. Joan Collins, Albe Parsons and Jana Cilliers all look good. Ray Milland, Denholm Elliott, Sven-Bertle Taube and Tony Osba (McLaren from Porridge) all add to the quality of the production, but I most enjoyed the performance of Ken Gampu as the fearsome "Sixpence".

Both leads learn to give greater weight to the human cost of the war the more they come to experience it for themselves, but in the end does it make any difference?

So in conclusion, I think it works well as a "general" anti-war movie, but not so well as a balanced view of the specific war it depicts. All people will fight to be free, unfortunately for the people of Zimbabwe so far they have only succeeded in replacing one oppressor with another.