A sterling cast, strong direction, atmospheric scenery but a dire shortage of adrenaline rushes underwhelms Phil Karlson's "Rampage," superficial safari saga about big game hunting versus big game trapping. Droopy-eyed Robert Mitchum stars as Harry Stanton, a professional wildlife trapper who catches exotic animals for the Wilhelm Zoo in Germany. As the film unfolds, the zoo curator informs Stanton that great big game hunter Otto Abbot will organize the safari and arranges for the American to meet this world-renowned big-game German hunter at his palatial residence. Confident and supremely self-assured as always, Mitchum appears perfectly natural as Stanton. He advocates capturing rather than killing wildlife. Long before animal conservation and political correctitude gained traction, Mitchum's Stanton displayed respect not only for jungle beasts but also for the customs of the Malaysian tribe that participate in the hunt. Indeed, the filmmakers embrace the theme of animal conservation that John Huston's "The Roots of Heaven" (1958), an arthouse epic about the slaughter of African elephants drummed up. Later, once our protagonists reach Malaysia, we watch the elaborate traps Stanton uses to ensnare two big cats. Basically, Stanton hides his sprawling nets inconspicuously in the foliage, then signals squads of marching natives raising an uproar to drive the frightened cats into the nets. Sometimes, the animals escape Stanton's best laid efforts. For example, the climax of the action occurs during a chaotic incident when Stanton traps not only himself but also his infuriated prey in the same net. Unlike the two tigers he trapped earlier, this beast is reputed to be half-leopard and half-tiger and nicknamed "the Enchantress."
Meantime, Anna (Elsa Martinelli of "Hatari!"), Abbot's statuesque mistress, a gorgeous girl far younger than he, accompanies them to Maylasia. She embraces Abbot's big game hunting lifestyle. Moreover, she knows how to shoot a rifle and riddle the bullseye every time. Actually, she surpasses Abbot in the accuracy of her marksmanship. For the time, the story behind their provocative relationship must have seemed risqué. While many a May-December relationships occurred in private life, the controversy of such a relationship on screen for the public sphere in a 1960s era film is curious. According to Anna, Otto took her from her mother, raised her, and later seduced her! Eventually, Stanton raises the issue in a playful way when he vows to take Anna away from Otto. Surprisingly, Otto encourages Stanton's amorous designs to seduce Anna. However, he assures Stanton that Anna will abandon him! Anna and Otto both deliberately dare Stanton to do take his best shot. Meanwhile, Stanton finds himself stunned by the traditions of his native guide, Talib (Sabu Dastagir of "The Elephant Boy"), who notices Stanton sleeps alone in his tent. Imagine Stanton's surprise and shock when Talib graciously offers to share his wife with him! Appearing genuinely embarrassed by such as prospect, Mitchum shows some genuine spontaneity when Talib's wife agrees to bed down with him. This is the one of only moments when our hero loses his cool. The second one is when his helicopter shuts down in flight.
When Stanton isn't alienating Anna, he clashes with the egotistical Abbot. These two titans circle each other politely enough but champion their primary differences. Stanton traps animals because he thinks they look better alive. Abbot shoots them because he prefers to display them as trophies in his game room. Predictably, once they have arrived in Malaysia, the riff between Stanton and Abbot deepens, until Abbot's self-loathing generates suicidal sentiments on his part after his failure to kill a rhino with his first shot. The moment that Otto realizes he is no other the great white hunter occurs when he brings down the beast with his second shot. Compared with Harry and Anna, Otto Abbot emerges as a more interesting character because he undergoes change over time during the safari. Essentially, Stanton remains the same man he was from the start, and little in "Rampage" ruffles his feathers. Nothing about Harry changes throughout the action.
Nevertheless, "Rampage" has other problems. You can tell when the stuntman steps in for Mitchum to tangle with the "the Enchantress." The helicopter ride out to the safari rendezvous doesn't make your blood simmer. Briefly, the chopper's engine conks out, and Stanton starts praying. Moments later the pilot solves the problem. Black projection is used for the shot of our heroes in the chopper. The incident doesn't raise your blood pressure. Clever editing in the confrontation with the "Enchantress" makes it appear like Mitchum is in the thick of it, lunging with a flaming torch at a big cat in a cave. The giveaway is you never see Mitchum in the same shot with the snarling beast.
Elmer Bernstein's blustering orchestral soundtrack punches up the film, but a tight budget didn't give Karlson the same coverage that Howard Hawks enjoyed in "Hatari!" Scenarists Robert I. Holt of "White Comanche" and Marguerite Roberts of "True Grit" based their screenplay on Alan Caillou. "Hell Is For Heroes" lenser Harold Lipstein photographs the action against some grand scenery, but all too often it seems the producers were trying the pull the budget out from under Phil Karlson, since some scenes come off half-hearted. Sometimes, when a film founders for lack of clout, the phrase 'feed the tiger' comes to mind. The plane should have crashed but not killed anybody. Otto should have died. The rubber snake that Stanton shoots is phony. A close up of a real snake inserted with Mitchum blasting it along with screams from Martinelli would have amped up a dull safari hiking scene. Altogether, "Rampage" qualifies as above-average, but it suffers from not enough white-knuckled action scenes.
Meantime, Anna (Elsa Martinelli of "Hatari!"), Abbot's statuesque mistress, a gorgeous girl far younger than he, accompanies them to Maylasia. She embraces Abbot's big game hunting lifestyle. Moreover, she knows how to shoot a rifle and riddle the bullseye every time. Actually, she surpasses Abbot in the accuracy of her marksmanship. For the time, the story behind their provocative relationship must have seemed risqué. While many a May-December relationships occurred in private life, the controversy of such a relationship on screen for the public sphere in a 1960s era film is curious. According to Anna, Otto took her from her mother, raised her, and later seduced her! Eventually, Stanton raises the issue in a playful way when he vows to take Anna away from Otto. Surprisingly, Otto encourages Stanton's amorous designs to seduce Anna. However, he assures Stanton that Anna will abandon him! Anna and Otto both deliberately dare Stanton to do take his best shot. Meanwhile, Stanton finds himself stunned by the traditions of his native guide, Talib (Sabu Dastagir of "The Elephant Boy"), who notices Stanton sleeps alone in his tent. Imagine Stanton's surprise and shock when Talib graciously offers to share his wife with him! Appearing genuinely embarrassed by such as prospect, Mitchum shows some genuine spontaneity when Talib's wife agrees to bed down with him. This is the one of only moments when our hero loses his cool. The second one is when his helicopter shuts down in flight.
When Stanton isn't alienating Anna, he clashes with the egotistical Abbot. These two titans circle each other politely enough but champion their primary differences. Stanton traps animals because he thinks they look better alive. Abbot shoots them because he prefers to display them as trophies in his game room. Predictably, once they have arrived in Malaysia, the riff between Stanton and Abbot deepens, until Abbot's self-loathing generates suicidal sentiments on his part after his failure to kill a rhino with his first shot. The moment that Otto realizes he is no other the great white hunter occurs when he brings down the beast with his second shot. Compared with Harry and Anna, Otto Abbot emerges as a more interesting character because he undergoes change over time during the safari. Essentially, Stanton remains the same man he was from the start, and little in "Rampage" ruffles his feathers. Nothing about Harry changes throughout the action.
Nevertheless, "Rampage" has other problems. You can tell when the stuntman steps in for Mitchum to tangle with the "the Enchantress." The helicopter ride out to the safari rendezvous doesn't make your blood simmer. Briefly, the chopper's engine conks out, and Stanton starts praying. Moments later the pilot solves the problem. Black projection is used for the shot of our heroes in the chopper. The incident doesn't raise your blood pressure. Clever editing in the confrontation with the "Enchantress" makes it appear like Mitchum is in the thick of it, lunging with a flaming torch at a big cat in a cave. The giveaway is you never see Mitchum in the same shot with the snarling beast.
Elmer Bernstein's blustering orchestral soundtrack punches up the film, but a tight budget didn't give Karlson the same coverage that Howard Hawks enjoyed in "Hatari!" Scenarists Robert I. Holt of "White Comanche" and Marguerite Roberts of "True Grit" based their screenplay on Alan Caillou. "Hell Is For Heroes" lenser Harold Lipstein photographs the action against some grand scenery, but all too often it seems the producers were trying the pull the budget out from under Phil Karlson, since some scenes come off half-hearted. Sometimes, when a film founders for lack of clout, the phrase 'feed the tiger' comes to mind. The plane should have crashed but not killed anybody. Otto should have died. The rubber snake that Stanton shoots is phony. A close up of a real snake inserted with Mitchum blasting it along with screams from Martinelli would have amped up a dull safari hiking scene. Altogether, "Rampage" qualifies as above-average, but it suffers from not enough white-knuckled action scenes.