Shout at the Devil (1976)

Shout at the Devil (1976), directed by Peter R. Hunt.

The first half is the comic and daring escapades of ivory poachers vs a German colonial governor in southeast Africa just before WW1. The natives are amiable and obedient, and look at that lush plantation house!

After personal tragedy it turns darker with the War, without being exactly a serious drama. It is quite exciting toward the end, but there is also something cut-rate about the whole project. Still: it's a notable addition to the "colonial adventures" genre.

Lee Marvin has great comic talent, but goes over the top if not restrained. Roger Moore can do both funny and serious sides in the same movie. I always liked Barbara Parkins and never got to see enough of her; maybe time to see The Mephisto Waltz (1971) again. Ian Holm is a mute Arab servant.

"No animals were harmed": those elephants must be good actors! They sure look shot to me.

Maurice Jarre score.

Available on a rather fine Blu-ray from Shout Factory under their "Timeless Media Group" label. No subtitles, and I had a hard time understanding the German villain sometimes.

Can I say what fine work Shout/Scream is doing in publishing these less-than-famous and genre catalog titles? Things I never would have expected and often looking very decent.

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