The Siege of Jadotville - Netflix movie for October.

[carlos marighela]

The helmets or the Eureka figures?

[traveller]

I have some Mongrel in berets that I plan to headswap and then add others, maybe Eureka and put M1 helmets on them as well

[traveller]

I just found a treasure in pdf:

http://source.southdublinlibraries.ie/bitstream/10599/4927/2/The%20battle%20of%20Jadotville.pdf

[Ash]

Mercenary commander by Col J Puren. The bits on the use of mercenary airpower are particularly good. As is the part about the UN's support for Mobutu

That's a rare book these days. good find

[flags_of_war]

I had never heard of this battle so looked it up. Now looking at the clip and the fire fights they are showing, it makes me wonder the quality of the troops as none of the Irish died in the battle. 

[Ash]

You would be amazed at the stuff I find in the local thrift shop. It is not just a place where one can get a hair piece that makes them look like a medieval warrior.

... it's so damn frosty..

[bulldogger2000]

Watched the movie just last night.  EXCELLENT.  Most certainly worth your time to watch it a few times (which I will).  Interesting point that I was NOT aware of was that the MERC commander was actually one of the most decorated members of the French Foreign Legion.  Irish on one side, French on the other, I guess war does make for strange bedfellows.

[Lowtardog]

Just watched it, its a good film, really enjoyed it

[Ninefingers]

Watched it last night, bloody brilliant I thought. Peter Pig are going to sell a lot of AK47 Republic figures off of the back of this...

[carlos marighela]

Jesus or as the scenery chomping Mr Dornan would have it 'Jaysus, fook, Jaysus'. If that wasn't the biggest steaming pile of shite I have watched in a long time i don't know what is.
 
Hollywood melodramatics aplenty, two dimensional characters, pantomime villains and an appalling script. Forget any of the button counting quibbles it's a load of shit on its cinematic merits. I feel vaguely sorry for the poor sods whose tale it purported to relate.  We aimed for a modern take on Zulu via Police Academy VI is the general impression I was left with.

I did love the bit where he plants his handkerchief after the failed parlay with the evil Frenchman (facial scars and all) and announces to his command that he's marked out the range. That was fucking cunning, save for the fact that any professional soldier would have got every bugger to have drawn up a range card for every pit as part of the defence plan.

If the chaps in the real battle were as piss poor as the film depicted it would have been all over in five minutes.

Question? Does the Irish Army really salute like a bunch of fucking matelots?

[foxweasel]

Don't hold back, tell us what you really think. I thought it was a good film, they got all the weapons, kit and uniforms right. Not often that happens. They were under siege for 6 days and could have held out for longer if they'd had the ammunition, think it was the Africans and mercs who were crap.

[carlos marighela]

I have no doubt that the real defenders of Jadotville were brave men who performed well. Demonstrably they did.

The 'film' was cartoon affair and a poor one at that whatever the merits of the kit. Save for a couple of five minute cameos, the Katangans/Congolese didn't get a look in, save to litter the battlefield. Your mileage may vary.

Pity, I had been quite looking forward to it, given its unusual subject matter.

[carlos marighela]

It doesn't, it paints them as cardboard villains. Don't expect subtelty. The only nuance is that Roman Polanski's wife pops up as a vaguely sympathetic Belgian widow.

[juergen c. olk]

What matters is the Irish Congo Veterans gave it a thumb s up ,including the ones who were there. Yes the movie was a little stiff..and yes it was a Chickasaw not a Huey,,but you got to see a Fouga Magister...flying. Considering how many films comeout on the subject I;m grateful . Netflix;s other film Beasts of No Nations was brilliant. I enjoyed it ,especially having read two books on the Matter 3 1/2 stars out of 5

[Elbows]

I watched it and enjoyed it.  I think anyone should have known full well ahead of time to tone down their expectations.  It's a Netflix movies about a conflict almost no one knew happened.


***SPOILERS AHEAD***



Yes, it had a huey.  Yes it had an F4 which shot down Dag etc.  I'm more curious if they did really kill what appears to be 200-300 hundred Africans for no losses.

I could criticize the film for days, but I guess I'm not sure what people were expecting.  Hell, when was the last time we saw an accurate, brilliant war film?  Das Boot?