Rod Taylor plays Brynie MacKay, a former World War II hero turned cynical
pilot-of-fortune.
Brynie and his partner, Mike Brewer (Peter Deuel), are former ace flyboys
adventuring in an Africa that's in its last throes of anti-colonialist turmoil.
The idealistic Mike and the cynical Brynie live an uncomplicated life, running
an air-freight company in North Africa. They spend long days on the beach,
and enjoy nightclubbing and belly dancers by night
Trouble starts after they accept an ill-advised job to transport goods
for black-marketeer Lee Harris (Harry Guardino). After being framed by Harris
for transporting drugs, Brynie's plane is impounded. He cuts a deal with
Harris to get the plane back, but it involves flying more crooked missions.
On one of the missions, Harris kills Mike, bringing violence and emotion
to a head.
Amid the danger, Brynie begins an affair with Elana (Claudia Cardinale)
-- the bad guy's mistress. The bond between Brynie and Elana goes well beyond
their physical attraction -- even though there's plenty of that.
They're both damaged souls, courtesy of the war. The scenes between Cardinale
and Taylor are beautifully crafted and well-acted, conveying the complicated
nature of their relationship.
