The Guns of Navarone (1961, not rated, 158 minutes) was made more than 60 years ago and it got 7 Academy Award nominations. It’s obvious that Gregory Peck, David Niven, and Anthony Quinn had a good time. The actors and actresses act, they tell a credible story, you feel your heart beating more than once, there’s not too much blood—that’s how they made good war movies in 1961.
The thing that becomes obvious after several viewings is that there is a unique intensity in each character, many axes to grind, many personal burdens to bear. Each character is fighting his or her own war. The story is rich. And you know how it ends.
You won’t be surprised to learn that there’s one German officer who’s more or less a good guy. Thanks, Hollywood.
It’s a gritty war movie without too much gore (nearly everybody dies after getting shot once). The Guns of Navarone satisfies, it piques, it gets personal, it has abundant highs and lows, and the good guys win.
Watch The Guns of Navarone on DVD or Blu-ray
Read The Guns of Navarone, the novel by Alistair MacLean and the inspiration for the movie
Download and read the ebook of The Guns of Navarone by Alistair MacLean from Hoopla
