Take elite commandos, send them on a do-or-die assignment – and sit back and watch the action explode. The men-on-a-mission formula that worked in 1967’s The Dirty Dozen and in Where Eagles Dare (released in the U.S. in 1969) provides another salvo of volatile screen adventure with this strike force saga released in 1968. Rod Taylor and Jim Brown are among a mercenary unit rolling on a steam train across the Congo, headed for the dual tasks of rescuing civilians imperiled by rebels and recovering a cache of diamonds. The film’s violence is fierce, unforgiving, ahead of its time. Quentin Tarantino would offer a tribute of sorts to this red-blooded wallop of a cult fave by using part of its compelling score in Inglourious Basterds (2009).

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Video Quality

Warner Archive presents Dark Of The Sun with an impressive 1080p master transfer released in 2018 in its original 2.35:1 aspect ratio sourced from a 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative with select especially damaged instances using safety separation elements. The care taken with going back to the original camera negative yields wonderful results that are unlikely to displease anyone. The film showcases no forthright signs of wear and tear or debris. At worst, you get a bit of understandable softness during optical transitions that are inherent to the source.

Detail and clarity are exceptional with the rich natural film grain intact and resolved consistently. The colors of the environments are so lush that at times that you nearly forget the characters are traversing through a hostile environment. Each hue is deftly saturated for the ultimate presentation. Black levels are deep with firm stability throughout. There are no serious digital hiccups such as compression artifacts, banding, or any other such issues. Warner Archive delivered on all fronts here.

Audio Quality

The Blu-Ray comes with a robust DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio track that delivers the grandeur necessary. Dialogue always comes through clearly without being obscured by any background noises. With this being an action-packed outing, activity regularly engages the speakers when bullets start to fly. The score from Jacques Loussier is used emphatically to submerge you into this warzone filled with destruction and heartbreak. There is no serious age-related wear and tear to the track such as drop-outs, hissing, or popping. Warner Archive has done everything right with this audio presentation. Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included for the feature film.

Special Features

Audio Commentary: Larry Karaszewski (Trailers From Hell), Josh Olson, Brian Saur, and Elric D. Kane provide a nifty commentary track in which they discuss the background of this picture, the history of the performers, tidbits on writing credits, and much more that is worth a listen.

Theatrical Trailer (2:42)

Final Thoughts

Dark Of The Sun is a brutal action outing that leans into excess without sacrificing the connection to character. The core of the story is the friendship between the characters played by Rod Taylor and Jim Brown, and the way in which they encapsulate varying degrees of morality hits hard in the end. As a spectacle, there are some impressively staged sequences that make this stand above many of its ilk. The film escalates stakes very effectively, and those who are unfamiliar with it are in for a treat. Warner Archive has released Blu-Ray featuring a favorable A/V presentation and a few cool special features. Recommended

Dark Of The Sun can be purchased directly through MovieZyng or various other online retailers.

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.