MovieChat Forums > The Wild Geese (1978) Discussion > The first time you saw The Wild Geese...

The first time you saw The Wild Geese...

posted 18 years ago by crawfrordboon
67 replies | jump to latest

Here's the thread for people to tell their own stories of the first time they saw this great film, what you thought, how your opinion changed over the years, when you got the video/DVD, any funny stories about seeing it etc....

For my part, it was about 1999 on a Sunday evening, I was sitting in our family study flicking through the channels on a battered old mid-80s TV set, when I saw some kind of war movie. A load of men wearing green outfits in trucks were tearing through some arid-looking countryside; pretty soon they get attacked on a bridge by a plane. This looks a bit old fashioned, I think, but it looks riveting!

For the next 50 minutes or so I was hooked. Isn't that Roger '007' Moore making a few one-liners here and there? And surely that's Richard Burton, what's he doing looking so out-of-shape in a film like this - and a film with both those guys in, WOW it must be a winner!

I still remember the tragic plane scene, and being shocked when Burton has to shoot one of the others, who he apparently knows (remember I hadn't seen the start of the film where it sets up their friendship or Emile) - at the time I was too young and inexperienced to recognise Richard Harris. The final confrontation scene remained in my memory also.....

(FADE OUT)

Fade back in about four years later, having discovered the joys of being 18 and being able to buy things online not available in shops. I'd found the IMDb entrily by chance, looking for information on the Lee Marvin potboiler 'The Klansman', and decided to see if I'd been dreaming all those years ago - was there really a film with Burton and Moore set in some kind of war? After scrolling through Roger's career profile, I came across The Wild Geese. A funny title, I thought, but it looked very similar to the film I'd seen previously.

I took a chance and ordered a copy on video from an internet site. The first hour went by with not a great deal reminding me of what I'd seen, except the visual style and the presence of Burton and Moore. But then the action kicked in and I was right back in that place, absolutely chuffed and amazed by how good the film was. Since then I have watched the film so often, particularly the Roger Moore - drug dealer scene and the main titles, that the tape got worn out, so I invested in a DVD, which although lacking essential like subtitles and theatrical trailer, has only strenghtened my love of this great film.

Your own stories and memories please....

"He's a bit of a rough diamond but his heart's in the right place."

[–] stagebandman 17 years ago

I was working at the movie theater when this movie came out. There was almost no publicity, no TV ads, just the trailer that preceded it. The manager and I would make up the films the day before they opened (put the reels onto the platter, all spliced together). If the movie looked good, sometimes we'd have our own private screening (it's been 30 years, what are they gonna do?), and this one was a definite must see, as we were both fans of the actors. This really is an incredible movie that rates up there with today's most "realistic" action flicks. The realism, the blood, the violence really took me by surprise, considering the stars and director, but it certainly was not over the top. Great chemistry between the leads and Hardy Kruger was terrific. Gee, I'm ready to see it again, now!

"I thought you was dead" - "Not hardly"

[–] Mickey77 16 years ago

I first saw THE WILD GEESE as a double feature with THE THIRTY NINE STEPS in February, 1981.

Most board users are probably too young to recall that up until the early 1980's, before the home video rental business got organised, feature films had a much longer life in the theatre - usually having a long theatrical release and very often, as in this case, having it extended by being part of a double feature.

THE WILD GEESE was also one of the first films I bought on VHS - in 1984. The local video shop was closing down and it was selling for abour $3.00.

Recently a local Sunday Newspaper was giving the DVD away free - so it cost about $2.50 !!

It's such a great movie - that stands up to multiple viewings. I like the sharp, funny and often profane dialogue and its a joy to watch the cast at work - fascinating to see both Harris and Burton perform together.

http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=32397724

[–] clivey6 16 years ago

This was first shown on British TV in the early 1980s (as Earshaw recalls a few threads back), I was about 11 at the time. It was on ITV, following a superb evening of telly including Game For A Laugh (with the original team of Sarah Kennedy, Matthew Kelly and the late Jeremy Beadle, before it all went a bit rubbish), and the Stanley Baxter show. Then the big movie, as ITV would fruitily announce the way it did with James Bond films, before the advent of video and DVD made TV premieres not such a big deal.

Of course, the big draw for me was Roger 'James Bond' Moore in a great action film. I was hooked by it, and found it very engrossing. Of course, you can't easily go wrong with 'recruitment' films like Ocean's 11, where they have to get a gang together.

When Richard Harris is running for the plane, begging for Burton to shoot him, I had tears in my eyes. My older sister cackled merrily. This is what sisters do. From then on, whenever my sister shows merry insensitivity at a crucial moment in a film, we call it 'a Wild Geese moment'.

[–] Theoverlook 15 years ago

The first time i seen this movie it was on a wknd late at night when i was about 12yrs old. It blew me away. The story,cast,action all on the button. When i was 14 my parents bought a video recorder for the house and my dad gave me this movie as a xmas present. Wore it out over the years watching it so then bought it myself on dvd.

But what a great cast, burton, harris, moore etc. One of the very few movies i never tire of watching and is in my top ten movies of all time. Dont think we have the same actors these days that have such charisma.

[–] keith-149 15 years ago

Saw it in 1978 at the cinema - I was 12 years old and it was the first AA that I sneaked into !! AA had a min age of 14

Great movie then and still holds up

[–] hzhang01 15 years ago

Watched it in China (!) in movie theatre not long after it was out. It was dubbed in Chinese by some very good Chinese actors. It was a big hit then and I went to see it with friends several times. We loved Roger Moore because of the Bond movies. We also knew Richard Harris and had already seen his movie A Man Called Horse. We knew Richard Burton was a even bigger star but had never seen any of his movies. It was a huge event there. I believe everyone probably had gone to see it and talked about it afterward.

Even after so many years I still remember many scenes in the movie: the reluctant Richard Harris and his son...the training of these middle aged and out of shaped guys...the brave South African who yearned to settle down in his own farm. (I couldn't understand it then since this guy was obviously European. But I know better now). And of course the shocking fate of Harris' character. It left us wretched for days afterward.

Gosh, I need to get it from Netflix and watch it again. This time in it's original English!

[–] Saucy-Jack 15 years ago

I was at boarding school in about 1993, I was 11 years old and a teacher (whom I still loathe to this day) got us to watch The Wild Geese. I managed to watch it a couple more times during my tenure at the school, and the scene where Rafer begs Alan to shoot him never failed to make me cry.

Several years later I was able to buy the VHS, and watched it to death. Then I bought the DVD and watched it to death. It came back into prominence a few years ago when I made a friend who absolutely loved Roger Moore but had never heard of The Wild Geese. I got her to watch it, and she immediately realised what I meant when this was Moore at his most badass. We still laugh together at the drill/exercise scenes with Sandy, especially the "you are jumping from an aeroplane, not a whorehouse window" line. I'm giggling just going over and over that scene in my head now. The scene mentioned above no longer makes me cry, but I can feel my tear ducts being prodded at.

[–] Speranza9 14 years ago

This is a great thread for a great movie.

I remember my parents taking my brothers and I to see it in a cinema in Sydney not long after its release. It was probably 1979 or thereabouts and I was eleven years old. Several years later we recorded it when it was on TV.

Along with the Great Escape, Rocky II and Chariots of Fire - a weird mix I agree - the Wild Geese was one of my favourite movies as a youngster.

Like others, the final scene where Rafer is running for the plane, the Simbas bearing down on him with their machetes in hand and begging for his friend to shoot him was chilling. The memory stayed with me for weeks after my first viewing. I remember thinking how absolutely horrible it was to die that way, such a long way from home and the son he adored so very much.

Despite my love for this movie, I confess to largely having forgotten about it until last week when it was on one of our cable channels here in Sydney. I hadn't seen it for - oh my - some 20 years. Watching it with my wife, all the memories came flooding back. What a great movie!

My wife had not seen it before. I have to admit feeling very gratified when she impulsively screamed out "run! run!" as Rafer ran for he plane. The look of horror when Faulkner shot him was priceless. It was like seeing a classic movie, through fresh eyes, for the very first time.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] libertarian45 12 years ago

Like the previous poster (SYF), I was 13 in 1978 and living in Canada. We had just moved and I was back at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa visiting an old school chum. We went to see it at the new base theatre. Unfortunately, so did approximately 50 or so paratroopers (Petawawa was the home of the Airborne Regiment). During the jump sequence they started heckling the film for using improper jump commands. Most of them were French-Canadians from 1 Commando or the Regiment. My friend turns in his seat and yells, "hey, shut up!" I panic and tel him to settle down as I was sure they'd beat us up. Remember, we were only 13.

Well, we didn't get beaten and everything worked out fine.

[–] Burt989168 12 years ago

I saw the movie on the big screen in 1979. Cracker Jack from start to finish. Very exciting and not for the faint of heart. Still one of my favorite movies. The Wild Geese was not well marketed in the US at the time of release and has been very hard to find VCR,DVD,Cable since. A true cult movie but one I would recommend to anyone who is is fond of the shoot-em-up genre.

[–] figaro8 12 years ago

My Pop took me to see The Wild Geese in 1978, in a movie Theatre in Times Square New York City, when I was about 13 years of age, or even 12. It wasn't the first R Rated film I had seen, as I believe in 1970 or so, I was taken to see a George C. Scott, European crime film named The Lost Ride, when I was say aged 5. However, The Wild Geese, and The Deer Hunter, brought me into the realm of adult films and violence. Why Pop took me to see these films, I don't know? However, they brought about a lifelong love of film in general, without turning violent myself. Seeing John Wayne die violently in The Cowboys in 1972 by the hand of Bruce Dern, only fostered a love for The Duke, and violent films. I always remembered The Wild Geese: "Gentlemen, we have been doublecrossed." And the plane taking off without our mercenaries, and of course the James Bond actor of the day, Roger Moore was one of them. What a great cast of British actors in this action movie, with some great writing as well. Sure, it's inappropriate by today's standards and mores, yet we should view it as a good action piece, understanding that, now in 2012, the Southern part of Africa is different from the movie, and in many ways, free from the White colonial influences, but never from the history. The cliche gay character, who is a merc, probably would not be in a movie of today either, portrayed in the way he was; and he was actually portrayed heroically. Paradoxically, although gays have become much more accepted in Western Society and film, I would not see this character in a movie made today.
I saw this movie only that time in 1978, and then rented it once in 1992 in North Carolina. Yet I remember it, and wish to see it again. The memories are so strong.

[–] figaro8 12 years ago

Paraphrasing here, but: "you're supposed to be jumping out of an aeroplane, not a whorehouse window."

[–] Postieman 11 years ago

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPFCHS_j0cE

Back in the UK in the early 80s when most people didn't own a VCR pubs and clubs used to have film nights and one night down the local this was on i'd never even heard of it.
i only called in for a pint and ended up watching the whole movie never forgot it. Who could forget the sight of RSM Sandy Young marching onto the parade ground with that soundtrack.. EPIC!!