Tuareg
Based on a book by Spanish author Alberto Valquez Figueroa (who also wrote the sceen play), directed by Italian Enzo G. Csatellari, filmed in Spain, Italy and Isreal, released in 1984.
Starring Mark (NCIS) Harmon also featuring that stalwart of Spanish cinema Aldo Samdrell
The film opens with a story-teller telling the tale of the lost great caravan, this is where we are introduced to Tuareg leader Gacel (played by a young, handsome and very browned-up. Harmon), a man highly experienced and toughened to the ways of the desert.
Later two men stumble into his camp, hospitality being a primary law among the Tuareg, he welcomes them and gives them shelter and aid. Unfortunately the men are being hunted by the military of the new Arab government (which country - Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya is never explained?) as one is the former president Abdul el-Kabir now hunted by the new government.
The soldiers have automatic weapons and threaten his family, one of the men is executed the former president taken away and Cacel is forced by his tribal honour to go and rescue him.
What follows is a bit of boys own nonsense where Carcel follows the soldiers to the fortress where they are holding the former president and rescues him against all odds (Rambo has nothing on this guy) 😂.
He then leads him across the desert to the frontier where the French are waiting (could be Algeria or Chad maybe??)
With the president now safe, Cacel hears his family have been taken hostage so heads back to rescue them. I won`t spoil the end, but it was quite well done.
All-in-all, total rubbish, but with some interesting bits.
Equipment
The equipment used is an interesting mix: 1950s Jeeps, GMC 6x6 & Dodge 4x4 trucks and M3 half-tracks (all used by the Italians, Isrealis and Spanish), I also saw a WW2 era Jeep and Landrover and they used a Piper Cub spotter plane.
Weapons are also very mixed: M16s, Colt (or similar) 45 pistols, ZB medium machine guns, FM 24/29 LMGs, the Tuareg uses a 303 Enfield rifle!
The soldiers wear a light khaki/sand coloured uniform with gaiters and jump boots with a feldmutz type cap and rank insignia on the shoulder straps; they all have a cross strap canvas webing rig and belt with ammo pouches left/right to the front, water bottle (US style) at the back. Para-militaries/police wear a grey uniform, a peaked cap with red band, they have a black belt and holster.
I have lots of Goumier/Tuareg/Bedouin, French and Spanish soldiers and equipment for the 1950s period (Infi war and Algeria) some of this film plot could well be developed into a tabletop game.
The film doesn’t sound much like it was ever destined to set the silver screen alight. I suspect the “armies” would just be wearing/equipped with whatever the heck was available at the time. The assumption always seemed to be (in my mind, at least) that it was sufficient that the bad guys looked and dressed appropriately bad/evil.
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Geoff
These early post independence/cold war type movies have some interesting kit and sometimes a good plot (often not). As it happens I`ve done quite a bit of reading into sub Saharan Africa in the 1950s/60s & 70s, so the film was interesting from that stand point. I may set up a quick game - French Algeria or Lybia/Chad or maybe Spanish Sahara over that next few months - watch this space :)
DeleteNot a film I have ever heard of but it sounds like a good romp.
ReplyDeleteNot one I remembered at all until the very end - which I`m not going to spoil. To be honest I only watched it because it was cooler indoors under the aircon than outside :) The fact that Spanish movie stalwart Aldo Samdrell was in it and a very young Mark "Jethro gibbs" Harmon made it interesting along with the setting and kit on display. Plot - not so much :)
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