A gripping war adventure featuring Hollywood legends Gregory Peck, David Niven, Anthony Quinn and Richard Harris is set to air on BBC2 tonight (Saturday, January 3) at 5.30pm. Directed by J. Lee Thompson, the film is based on a novel and tells the story of a commando team tasked with destroying two massive Nazi guns on the Greek island of Navarone to rescue 2,000 stranded British soldiers.
Released in 1961, the film was a box office success, becoming the second highest-grossing film that year and earning several Academy Award nominations, including a win for Best Special Effects. Critics at the time praised it, with the Washington Post calling it "a magnificently detailed cliff-hanger" and the Los Angeles Times hailing it as "the best adventure movie to hit the screen this year."
The film's reputation has endured, with a 92% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which notes: "Bolstered by a cast of memorable stars and an impressive sense of scale, The Guns of Navarone fires with vivid characterisation and entertaining spectacle." Viewers have also shared enthusiastic recommendations, praising its emotional depth and portrayal of war's darker side without glamorising it.
One viewer wrote: "Hard to beat this movie... you can really feel the emotional residue of World War II." Another described it as "a classic war film that ranks as one of the best ever produced," while a third called it "movie-making at its best." However, not everyone was impressed, with one critic noting: "So much exposition. Inordinately long with so many unnecessary setting shots."
