The Guns of Navarone



"First, you've got that bloody old fortress on top of that bloody cliff. Then you've got the bloody cliff overhang. You can't even see the bloody cave, let alone the bloody guns. And anyway, we haven't got a bloody bomb big enough to smash that bloody rock. And that's the bloody truth, sir."

- RAAF Squadron Leader Howard Barnsby

The Guns of Navarone is a book by Alistair MacLean, published in 1957, and more famously a classic 1961 film adaptation. The events depicted take place during World War 2 but are entirely fictional. A contingent of British soldiers are stranded on an island in the Aegean Sea and rescue by ship is impossible due to the large battery of anti naval guns located at the cliffs of Navarone. Due to the embedded position of the guns in the cliffs, destroying them by air strikes proves impossible. A British major (Anthony Quayle) assembles a commando team and convinces a reluctant captain (Gregory Peck) to join. The movie chronicles the squad's attempt to sneak into Greece and blow the guns. Also stars David Niven and Anthony Quinn.

It won the Academy Award for Best Visual effects. It was also nominated for, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Score (nominated but lost in same category for a Grammy as well), Best Sound, Best Writing Adapted Screenplay.

Also notable around these parts for being one of the films that Hideo Kojima, creator of the Metal Gear franchise, has cited as a source of inspiration for his games.


 * Airstrike Impossible: Subverted because the airstrike really is impossible.
 * Almighty Janitor: Andrea Stavros.
 * America Wins the War: Averted in both the book and film.
 * Attack Hello: Maria slaps her brother Spiro as a reminder to write more often.
 * Avengers Assemble: A Mission: Impossible style examination of photographs.
 * Badass Crew
 * Badass Mustache: Miller.
 * Badass Teacher: In the film, Corporal Miller was a former chemistry teacher.
 * The Big Guy: In the book, Andrea is described as a "giant". He's also The Lancer to Mallory.
 * Bilingual Bonus: In the film, several times characters speak untranslated German.
 * The Butcher: "Butcher" Brown, AKA "The Butcher of Barcelona".
 * Climbing the Cliffs of Insanity: The first obstacle for the team as they infiltrate Navarone. Mallory is chosen for the mission because in civilian life he is an accomplished mountaineer.
 * Cluster Bl--dy Bomb: The Australian squadron commander.
 * Cold-Blooded Torture: The torture Anna was said to have undergone and Captain Sessler torturing a wounded Major Franklin in the film.
 * Collapsing Lair: The German fortress after the Guns are destroyed.
 * Colonel Badass: Andrea Stavros.
 * Command Roster: In the film version, we have:
 * The Captain: Keith Mallory.
 * Number Two: Andrea Stavros.
 * The Heart: Miller.
 * Cunning Linguist: Pappadimos, supposedly. He can sing in Greek, anyway. The film's Pappadimos is a native of Navarone, and son of the local resistance leader.
 * Mr. Fixit: "Butcher" Brown.
 * Good Luck Charm / original The Captain: Major Franklin.
 * Cute Mute: Anna
 * Deadpan Snarker: Miller played by David Niven.
 * Dream Team
 * Dressing as the Enemy: After turning the tables on their interrogators.
 * During the War
 * Every Car Is a Pinto: A German truck shoved over a cliff explodes while falling.
 * Expository Theme Tune
 * A Father to His Men: Miller snidely suggests that Mallory play this part when he's trying to convince Mallory to shoot.
 * Feed the Mole: Or feed one of their men they have to leave behind and know he will be captured and interrogated.
 * The Film of the Book
 * Five-Man Band:
 * The Hero: Mallory.
 * The Lancer: Stavros.
 * The Smart Guy: Miller.
 * The Big Guy: Brown.
 * Tagalong Kid: Pappadimos.
 * The Messiah: Franklin.
 * The Chick: Maria.
 * Flare Gun: A German soldier uses one to mark Andrea's sniping position.
 * For Doom the Bell Tolls: Used figuratively in the film.
 * Foregone Conclusion: The Expository Theme Tune says the guns will be blown up. The movie tells how.
 * Gender Blender Name: Andrea Stavros.
 * Genre Deconstruction: Of the "crack military team sent behind enemy lines" genre.
 * Gentleman and a Scholar: Miller in the film version.
 * Giant Wall of Watery Doom: During the landing on Navarone.
 * Hand Signals
 * I Will Fight No More Forever: "Butcher" Brown.
 * I Will Only Slow You Down: Major Franklin after his leg is broken.
 * Stevens, in the book, tries unsuccessfully to get frozen to death in the mountains because of this trope. Later, he convinces the others to leave him behind when the only way for them to escape the Germans is to leave behind a rearguard who will have no chance of survival.
 * Karma Houdini: Captain Sessler.
 * The Last Dance: Andy Stevens in the Devil's Playground, no longer afraid.
 * Lie Back and Think of England: Only about shooting a prisoner instead of sex.
 * Literal Cliff Hanger: As they are Climbing the Cliffs of Insanity, Andrea keeps Mallory from falling.
 * Look Behind You!: A German sailor tries this on Brown aboard the small boat.
 * The Mole:.
 * My Country, Right or Wrong: Lt. Muesel in the film.
 * Names to Run Away From Really Fast: "Butcher" Brown.
 * Never Tell Me the Odds: The Expository Theme Tune mentions the odds against the mission twice.
 * Non-Action Snarker: Miller as played by David Niven.
 * No One Gets Left Behind: In the book it's Stevens who gets dragged along with a broken leg, in the movie Franklin has the dubious honor.
 * Subverted in the book; early on, Miller realizes Stevens' leg is lethally infected with gas gangrene, so he's being carried to prevent the Germans capturing and interrogating him before he dies (also, it's implied that Mallory is hoping for a miracle of some sort). Ultimately, when the only way for the team to escape the Germans and continue the mission involves a Heroic Sacrifice, Stevens has to pull a gun on the rest of the team to convince them that it's time to leave him behind.
 * Not Even Bothering with the Accent: Gregory Peck is playing an Englishman, but speaks with his normal voice.
 * Officer and a Gentleman: Deconstructed with Mallory. Miller even calls him out on it.
 * Played straight with Lt. Muesel, the balding German officer, who tries to stop Sessler from torturing Franklin.
 * Psycho for Hire: Brown, though it's more "to order" than "for hire", what with him being in the military.
 * Punch Clock Villain: Lt. Muesel.
 * Reluctant Warrior: The film's Miller, by and large.
 * Same Character but Different: Mallory, Miller, Andrea Stavros
 * Shoot the Dog: Captain Mallory, Anna and Maria Pappadimos.
 * Showdown At High Noon: The gun battle between Spyros Pappadimos and a German officer.
 * Spared by the Adaptation: Major Franklin, whose counterpart in the original book died.
 * Spy Speak: "High Flight reports Indians on warpath in your territory."
 * Standard Hollywood Strafing Procedure: During the Stuka attack.
 * Stealth Hi Bye: Keith Mallory in the book.
 * Stock Phrases
 * Permission to Speak Freely?: In the movie Corporal Miller uses it with Major Franklin.
 * That's an Order: Both Major Franklin and Captain Mallory use it in the film.
 * Suicide Mission
 * Throw a Barrel At It: During the battle at sea Andrea throws a barrel at a German sailor.
 * Title In: The current time and day of the mission, occurs each day.
 * Travel Montage: In true Indiana Jones style!
 * Truth Serums: The Germans use scopalomine on Major Franklin.
 * The Voiceless:, after she's discovered to be The Mole.
 * War Is Hell: The Germans' ruthlessness, Butcher Brown's PTSD.
 * What the Hell, Hero?: Corporal Miller to Captain Mallory after he lied to Franklin about the nature of the mission then leaving Franklin as a way to feed the Nazis fake info.
 * World War II
 * You Are in Command Now: Captain Mallory after Major Franklin is injured.
 * You Shall Not Pass: In the book with Andy Stevens.