Dogs of War – 1981

• 2021/07/31

Hidden behind the bargain bin 80s action film actioneer marketing (Christopher Walken waving a massive Manville XM18 launcher) lies one of the best ever studies of the mercenary trade, and the cold cruelty with which the great powers toy with weak nations. After a nightmarish first half where Walken reckons an all-too-realistic dictatorship in Central Africa, he meticulously puts a team and plan together for a client-mandated assault. For the most part, this plays out like one of the great 70s procedurals, like 3 Days of the Condor or All The President’s Men, where sporadic bursts of disturbing violence punctuate the building tension. It all leads to a phenomenally tense and precise action climax, that is both powerful and cathartic, making this little-known cinematic curiosity the crown jewel of its star’s career.