Guns Of Darkness (1962)

In a South American country, a high ranking employee (David Niven) of a sugar company finds his marriage disintegrating to the point where his wife (Leslie Caron) wants to leave him. But when a revolution breaks out and the military takes over the country, the couple find that a simple act of humanity has political repercussions that make them enemies of the state. A potentially intriguing political thriller gets bogged down in domestic issues to the point that it seems the film is encouraging political revolution as an alternative sort of marriage counseling or therapy! The characters' behavior is questionable and poor Leslie Caron is treated as a ninny though considering some of her actions, perhaps it's not unjustified. It's not a bad movie by any means but its potential is barely tapped which makes it a frustrating film. Luckily, Niven and Caron are such strong screen presences that they cover up a lot of the movie's problems. The normally reliable Benjamin Frankel's score is no help but Robert Krasker's (EL CID) neat black and white cinematography is nicely rendered. Directed by Anthony Asquith (THE VIPS). With James Robertson Justice, David Opatoshu and Ian Hunter.