Back in 1981, director John Irvin unleashed havoc when he released “The Dogs of War.” This cinematic masterpiece brings to the screen one of the best works of author Fredrick Forsyth.

The film begins when Sir. James Manson hires an American mercenary Jamie “Cat” Shannon (Christopher Walken) to go on a reconnaissance mission in Zangaro, a fictional African nation based on Equatorial Guinea.

Shannon arrives in Clarence, capital of Zangaro, undercover as a photographer for a nature magazine. When his cover is blown, he is arrested and tortured until deportation.

He returns to America with the vital intelligence of Zangaro’s political and military stability. After briefing Manson, Shannon is offered the chance to lead a coup that will oust President Kimba.

Manson hopes to take control of Zangaro’s platinum mine by ousting Kimba and replacing him with a puppet leader named Colonel Bobi, who will sell the mining rights below the market price.

Shannon at first refuses, but changes his mind when his estranged wife refuses to give him a second chance at rebuilding their relation. He meets with his mercenary team in London were they begin to plan out the coup.

The remainder of the film, until the final battle, focuses on the preparation for the coup. The crew is spread out all over Europe to acquire the needed weapons, ammunition and transportation for the attack while Shannon plans out the attack.

After acquiring the required equipment, the mercenaries sail from Spain to Zangaro while picking up a military unit loyal to Col. Bobi.

After a day of training, the guerilla army enters Clarence under the cover of night. In the films climatic battle, the small army of rebels – armed with only Uzis, bazookas and grenade launchers – are successful in storming the heavily fortified military garrison and take out Kimba.

With the coup a success, Manson and Col. Bobi arrive in the morning to take power but to their surprise, Shannon shoots Bobi and puts into power Dr. Okoye, a pro-democratic political figure in Zangaro.

While the film stays true to the novel as best it could, there are still some alternations that drastically affect the original plot.

It starts with the introduction in an unnamed Latin America state that is on the verge of collapsing as opposed to the unnamed African state. But it’s implied to be a secessionist state of Biafra in the final days of the Nigerian Civil War.

Because of this change in setting, there is no reference to an unnamed character known only as the General (who was based on General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, president of Biafra and a close friend of Forsyth). Despite having only a minimum appearance and references, the General was a vital character who has a major influence on Shannon.

Then, there is no mentioning of Crystal Mountain, the origin of the platinum, while only very minor reference to the platinum mines. This might seem to have very little importance, but it’s the reason why Shannon has been hired to topple Kimba’s government.

Another element is the lack of political or moral elements that were vital to either the plot or Shannon’s character. Also, like so many films of the era, any reference to Kimba’s Marxist view or connections with the Soviet Union has been removed.

One minor alternation is that Shannon’s name was originally Carlo, as opposed to Jamie – and he was Anglo-Irish, not an American.

On a positive note, the film was successful in finding a balance between the well detailed planning and the climatic battle at the end. Like Forsyth’s novel, the film becomes a guide on how mercenaries operated during the era.

The film lacks a cast of well-known actors with the exception of Walken, who had won an Oscar for his performance in “The Deer Hunter.” Yet he is successful in carrying that award-winning performance into the Shannon character.

“The Dogs of War” was released on DVD in 2001. Its features include the trailer along with the film in wide screen and full screen. The film is rated R for violence, language and sexual content.

For fans of either Forsyth or 80’s action films, “The Dogs of War” is a must see.