Commando Leopard
Encyclopedia
Commando Leopard is a 1985 Italian
war film
(or Euro War
) directed by Antonio Margheriti
and starring Lewis Collins
. It's the second film in the Margheriti/Collins trilogy, that started with Codename: Wildgeese and concluded with The Commander.
n dictatorship
, a group of rebel freedom fighters fight to bring about a less oppressive society. The rebels, led by the enigmatic Enrique Carrasco (Collins
) who has returned to his native land to fight, attack a hydro-electric dam. Along with Carrasco's native fighters are Smithy (Steiner
), a British
mercenary
, and Maria, an native ex medical-student turned freedom fighter. After killing the security guards, Carrasco's men place explosives at a crucial point in the dam wall, when they blow the dam the resulting tidal surge destroys a nearby bridge that is carrying Government
convoy. On hearing the news, the President demands the head of the secret police, Colonel Silvera (Kinski
), to eliminate the rebels. Carrasco's group arrive at an impoverished village to gain medical supplies for their wounded, unfortunately the village leader informs Carrasco that there is none, but there are nearby priests that looks after the sick and wounded. Splitting his force in two, Maria leads a group including the wounded to seek out the priests while Carrasco, Smithy and the rest of the group return to the dam. After leaving the village Government forces led by Silvera's deputy (Leutenegger
) attacks the village with flame thrower armed helicopters. At the site of the destroyed dam, Carrasco finds that the Government forces have already built a pontoon bridge
and are recovering the sunken supply convoy. Using scuba diving
equipment, Carrasco and Smithy plant time bombs on some of the still submerged trucks that carried explosives. But the two rebels can exit the river the bombs explode, the pressure wave knocks Smithy unconscious and he surfaces and is captured. Carrasco is more fortunate and escapes with the help of an elderly friend (Pigozzi
) and his men, who turn up in a truck in the nick of time.
In a prison located in the country's capital, Smithy is being held with other political prisoners when he learns of a plot to free them.
Cinema of Italy
The history of Italian cinema began just a few months after the Lumière brothers had patented their Cinematographe, when Pope Leo XIII was filmed for a few seconds in the act of blessing the camera.-Early years:...
war film
War film
War films are a film genre concerned with warfare, usually about naval, air or land battles, sometimes focusing instead on prisoners of war, covert operations, military training or other related subjects. At times war films focus on daily military or civilian life in wartime without depicting battles...
(or Euro War
Euro War
Macaroni Combat, also known as Macaroni War or Euro War films, is a nickname for a broad sub-genre of war film that emerged in the mid-1960s, so named because most were produced and directed by European co-productions notably Italians....
) directed by Antonio Margheriti
Antonio Margheriti
Antonio Margheriti , also known under the pseudonym Anthony M. Dawson, was a prolific Italian filmmaker. He was born in Rome and died in 2002 from a heart attack in Monterosi, Viterbo, near Rome at the age of 72....
and starring Lewis Collins
Lewis Collins
Lewis Collins is an English actor best known for his tough-guy role as Bodie in The Professionals. He was educated at Bidston Primary and Grange School in Birkenhead. He started out as a ladies' hairdresser before playing drums and guitar in pop groups. He had a number of other jobs before...
. It's the second film in the Margheriti/Collins trilogy, that started with Codename: Wildgeese and concluded with The Commander.
Plot summary
In an un-named Latin AmericaLatin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n dictatorship
Dictatorship
A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. It has three possible meanings:...
, a group of rebel freedom fighters fight to bring about a less oppressive society. The rebels, led by the enigmatic Enrique Carrasco (Collins
Lewis Collins
Lewis Collins is an English actor best known for his tough-guy role as Bodie in The Professionals. He was educated at Bidston Primary and Grange School in Birkenhead. He started out as a ladies' hairdresser before playing drums and guitar in pop groups. He had a number of other jobs before...
) who has returned to his native land to fight, attack a hydro-electric dam. Along with Carrasco's native fighters are Smithy (Steiner
John Steiner
John Steiner is an English actor. Tall, thin and gaunt, Steiner attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and worked for a few years at the BBC. Steiner featured in a lead role in a television production of Design for Living by Noel Coward. Later he found further work primarily in films...
), a British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
mercenary
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
, and Maria, an native ex medical-student turned freedom fighter. After killing the security guards, Carrasco's men place explosives at a crucial point in the dam wall, when they blow the dam the resulting tidal surge destroys a nearby bridge that is carrying Government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
convoy. On hearing the news, the President demands the head of the secret police, Colonel Silvera (Kinski
Klaus Kinski
Klaus Kinski, born Klaus Günter Karl Nakszynski , was a German actor. He appeared in more than 130 films, and is perhaps best-remembered as a leading role actor in Werner Herzog films: Aguirre, the Wrath of God , Nosferatu the Vampyre , Woyzeck , Fitzcarraldo and Cobra Verde .-Early...
), to eliminate the rebels. Carrasco's group arrive at an impoverished village to gain medical supplies for their wounded, unfortunately the village leader informs Carrasco that there is none, but there are nearby priests that looks after the sick and wounded. Splitting his force in two, Maria leads a group including the wounded to seek out the priests while Carrasco, Smithy and the rest of the group return to the dam. After leaving the village Government forces led by Silvera's deputy (Leutenegger
Hans Leutenegger
Hans Leutennegger is a Swiss bobsledder who competed in the early 1970s. He won the gold medal in the four-man event at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo....
) attacks the village with flame thrower armed helicopters. At the site of the destroyed dam, Carrasco finds that the Government forces have already built a pontoon bridge
Pontoon bridge
A pontoon bridge or floating bridge is a bridge that floats on water and in which barge- or boat-like pontoons support the bridge deck and its dynamic loads. While pontoon bridges are usually temporary structures, some are used for long periods of time...
and are recovering the sunken supply convoy. Using scuba diving
Scuba diving
Scuba diving is a form of underwater diving in which a diver uses a scuba set to breathe underwater....
equipment, Carrasco and Smithy plant time bombs on some of the still submerged trucks that carried explosives. But the two rebels can exit the river the bombs explode, the pressure wave knocks Smithy unconscious and he surfaces and is captured. Carrasco is more fortunate and escapes with the help of an elderly friend (Pigozzi
Luciano Pigozzi
Luciano Pigozzi is an Italian film actor. He appeared in 105 films between 1954 and 1989. He was often credited under the pseudonym Alan Collins and occasionally Alan Collin....
) and his men, who turn up in a truck in the nick of time.
In a prison located in the country's capital, Smithy is being held with other political prisoners when he learns of a plot to free them.
Cast
- Lewis CollinsLewis CollinsLewis Collins is an English actor best known for his tough-guy role as Bodie in The Professionals. He was educated at Bidston Primary and Grange School in Birkenhead. He started out as a ladies' hairdresser before playing drums and guitar in pop groups. He had a number of other jobs before...
- Carrasco - Klaus KinskiKlaus KinskiKlaus Kinski, born Klaus Günter Karl Nakszynski , was a German actor. He appeared in more than 130 films, and is perhaps best-remembered as a leading role actor in Werner Herzog films: Aguirre, the Wrath of God , Nosferatu the Vampyre , Woyzeck , Fitzcarraldo and Cobra Verde .-Early...
- Silveira - Cristina Donadio - Maria
- Manfred Lehmann - Padre Julio
- John SteinerJohn SteinerJohn Steiner is an English actor. Tall, thin and gaunt, Steiner attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and worked for a few years at the BBC. Steiner featured in a lead role in a television production of Design for Living by Noel Coward. Later he found further work primarily in films...
- Smithy - Hans LeuteneggerHans LeuteneggerHans Leutennegger is a Swiss bobsledder who competed in the early 1970s. He won the gold medal in the four-man event at the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo....
- Capitan - Thomas DannebergThomas DannebergThomas Danneberg is a German actor and voice-actor. He is best known as Charles Emerson in the 1967 Edgar Wallace film The Blue Hand and for dubbing over the actors Arnold Schwarzenegger Terence Hill, Sylvester Stallone, John Cleese, Dan Aykroyd, Adriano Celentano, Nick Nolte, John Travolta,...
- José - Francis Derosa - Hidalgo
- Alan C. Walker - Emiliano
- Michael James - Pater Miguel
- Rene Abadeza - Hector (as René Abadeza)
- Subas HerreroSubas HerreroRicardo Wright Herrero , better known as Subas Herrero, is a Filipino actor, comedian and singer. He is the father of Cutuy Herrero, current vocalist of local Filipino band Chapter 2....
- Homoza (as Subas Herrera) - Mike MontyMike MontyMike Monty was an American character actor, born in 1936 in Chattanooga, Tennessee as Michael O'Donahue but he changed his name to Mike Monty late in life....
- Priest on Train (uncredited) - Luciano PigozziLuciano PigozziLuciano Pigozzi is an Italian film actor. He appeared in 105 films between 1954 and 1989. He was often credited under the pseudonym Alan Collins and occasionally Alan Collin....
- Friend of Carrasco's father (uncredited)