MovieChat Forums > The Wild Geese (1978) Discussion > why were they double crossed

why were they double crossed

posted 15 years ago by MichaelM24
3 replies | jump to latest

So I finally saw this movie for the first time last night (my dad had raved about it for years) and I really really liked it. But I was confused why the team was double crossed by the guy who hired them in the first place. Maybe I somehow missed an important piece of dialogue, but after the airplane is ordered to leave them behind, I kept waiting to find out why he double crossed them. But it just never seemed clear to me. I know we later see him back in England making a deal with somebody, but I just couldn't figure it out or how he would benefit from it. Like I said, maybe I missed a key piece or something, but could somebody explain it to me? Thanks.

[–] hswitzer 15 years ago

The employers (Mathison) were attempting to get copper mining rights in the country. The current government would not go for it, so they wanted Limbani as a barganing chip. While the team was in country the government gave in, I think abandoning the mercenary force was part of the deal... as wiping them out would make the government look stronger.

propaganda=on IMDB, apparently any movie with Americans as the good guys

[–] sascha-17 14 years ago

Actually it was a bit simpler: It was money.

Matherson was hoping to reinstate Limbani as president who whould then in turn grant him the mining rights. That was the whole point of hiring the Wild Geese.

But: While the mercs were on the mission, Matherson got what he wanted (copper-mining-rights) from the current administration (General Ndofa's regime) at the bargaining table. So now Matherson didn't need Limbani anymore.

He could've done nothing, the plane would've picked up the team and Limbani, but then he would have had to pay the rest of the mercs' fee. By cutting them loose, he simply saves a lot of cash. This is even mentioned in the dialogue and the reason why Faulkner visits him in the end: He wants to collect the fees that Matherson still owes them (and only gets half of it IIRC, cause Matherson didn't have more in his safe).

[–] grendelkhan 13 years ago

Combination of both scenarios. the mercenary mission is a bargaining chip to get Ndofa to release their concessions, then the doublecross allows Matheson to keep the rest of the fees and eliminate the evidence of the mission.

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