Play Dirty (1968)

Director: Andre De Toth

Starring: Michael Caine, Nigel Davenport, Nigel Green, Harry Andrews

More Info: IMDB

Tagline: Forget the medals, throw away the rule book, if you want to survive.... Play Dirty

Plot Outline: A British Petroleum executive (Caine) is assigned to work with the British Army in North Africa handling port duties for incoming fuels. This gives him the official rank of Captain in the British Army. The Colonel (Green) in charge of a squad of Desert Rats is told he must have a British officer accompany his men on a dangerous mission 400 miles behind the German lines and is saddled with the Petroleum executive. The real leader of the Dirty Dozen (Davenport), a released prisoner himself, doesn't need or want the British officer, who's supposed to be in charge, but he's promised an extra 2,000 British Pounds if he gets him back alive.

My Rating: 8/10

Would I watch it again? Does the Pope wear a funny hat?

Here's the first 5:37...





Here's a pleasant surprise. I'm a sucker for WWII flicks to begin with; mostly pre-1980. I'm a bit more choosy when it comes to this genre after 1980. This cynical film is covered top to bottom in sand, sand and more sand. I kept thinking my lips were chapped it was so dry. Great atmosphere and cinematography (Edward Scaife). From the opening you'd think it was a big-screen version of RAT PATROL but it ain't. I could be if RP hadn't been aimed at a younger audience.



Caine is great as usual but it's Davenport that steals the show. This guy's a badass in the way that Robert Shaw was. In fact in '69 He co-starred with Shaw in THE ROYAL HUNT FOR THE SUN playing De Soto. I'm so jazzed about this guy's badassicity that I'm going to watch that one in a few minutes. He turned 80 last month. I bet he's still snapping people's necks in the old folks home and making it look like an accident.

"Badass with a British accent"

PLAY DIRTY does seem to go on for too long; especially after they "sort of" complete their mission only to find out there's more to do. I felt like I was done with this at that spot but I'm glad there was more. There are plenty of action sequences that take up a good deal of screen time with some well-earned tension. My favorite one involved Caine's character about to blow himself up (unknowingly) with a booby trap. Davenport saves the day but they drag it out with virtually no sound save the wind, building the tension as they search for the mine. HERE BE SPOILERS...at a moment when it's as tight as it can get another mine goes off. I jumped off the couch a couple of inches. Nice. Great editing job there, too. END OF SPOILERS...YARRRRR



The ending (which I won't spoil) is batshit fucking insane. It's one of those shovel upside the head with a loud "TINGK" kind of endings. In 2 seconds it went from being a 7 to an 8. WOW! It's a great payoff to a very well-made film. Highly recommended.