This movie was damaged by post production editing. Despite that it remains a reasonable political thriller. 'Game for Vultures' is based on the novel of the same name. Written by Michael Hartmann, a Rhodesian/Zimbabwean lawyer, it is loosely based on real events.
The movie opens with a 'contact' between Guerillas, led by Gideon Marunga (Richard Roundtree) and a patrol of white Rhodesian reservists in the bush. In the firefight, the leader of the white patrol is injured, while a mixed race guerrilla fighter Danny Batten (Tony Osboa) is captured. Marunga escapes.
Enter two businessman engaged in sanctions busting David Swansey (Richard Harris) a Rhodesian and Col Brettle (Ray Milland) a Briton .Brettle tells Swansey that the US government is going to sell off Army surplus Huey helicopters. Swansey is reluctant to get involved, considering it out of their league but takes the information to a Rhodesian Government civil servant Tony Knight (Neil Hallett).
Swansey returns to Rhodesia, partly to contact Knight but also to see his brother Peter, the injured Army Sargent Peter is married to Ruth, whose brother is Danny Batten, the captured "terrorist".
Swansey meets with Knight and finds that the Rhodesian Government is enthusiastic about the getting hold of the helicopters. So with 80 million dollars, Swansey heads back to Europe to buy them.
Brettle & Swansey have a plan. They will use a third party PITCON a British owned Paraguayan forestry company to buy 50 helicopters. The firm is in financial difficulties. The Rhodesians will clear PITCON's debts and give them handsome profit in exchange for the helicopters.
However, unknown to them, their plans are taped by a private investigator Raglan Thistle (Denholm Elliot) who is working for an investigative Journalist Larry Prescott (Sven-Bertil Taube).
Unfortunately, Thistle's recordings are incomplete, they don't know who is selling the helicopters, so Prescott decides to approach Swansey's British girlfriend, Nicole (Joan Collins) in the hope of learning more.
Meanwhile, Marunga (Roundtree) having escaped from the failed ambush has been assigned to work with another guerrilla leader 'Sixpence' (Ken Gampu) together they are ordered to attack a Large Missionary Station and kidnap the children as recruits/child solders for the cause. After only bringing 30 odd children out of the original 1000, Marunga is hailed as a hero by his superiors.
Swansey, now back in London, goes out to dinner with Nicole, who tells him of her meeting 'an old Rhodesian friend' of his (Prescott). Alarmed Swansey goes back to his hotel and picks up his briefcase containing incriminating evidence.
Later that evening, Thistle, having broken into Swansey's Hotel room reports to Prescott that there is nothing there, furious, Prescott pays him off and waits for Swansey & Nicole to return.
When Swansey & Nicole return from dinner, they are accosted by an irate Prescott who threatens to expose Swansey. Crossing the road following the couple, Prescott is hit by a car. Suddenly a passer-by hands Swansey some files that 'he must have dropped'. It is Prescott's dossier, implying that the Rhodesian agents have just killed Prescott.
The next day Brettle tells Swansey that the deal is going through.
Raglan Thistle, who has kept copies of the tapes of decides to approach the London office of the Freedom Fighters. He sells the tapes for several thousand pounds and flees the country.
The movie now turns to Rhodesia. Ruth Swansey (Jana Cilliers) is visiting her brother Danny Batten (Tom Osoba) in prison. He claims innocence but passes her a message asking her to act as a getaway driver for a prison break. She agrees.
The Freedom fighters summon Marunga to London where he is tasked with stopping the helicopters from reaching Rhodesia. Aided by a Kenyan Embassy official Alice Kamore (Alibe Parsons) he finds out that the Americans are selling helicopters in West Germany.
Both PITCON & the US are threatened by TV exposure. Brettle, , visits Swansey demanding that the Rhodesians return the Helicopters to the Americans – Swansey refuses, to Brettle's amazement he is in fact a Rhodesian patriot. Facing arrest and ruin, Brettle commits suicide.
Marunga & a US official arrive at a West German warehouse but instead of helicopters, they find it empty. Swansey has managed to truck them out. Marunga tells his superiors that if the Americans don't know where the choppers are they need to ask a Rhodesian.
Danny Batten, free in Salisbury, kidnaps Tony Knight and tortures him to reveal the location (South Africa). Marunga travels back from London to Zambia to lead a team to attack the airbase holding the choppers, Back in Africa he is delighted to find that Sixpence is alive and will accompany him.
Swansey has also returned to Africa, Swansey is informed that South Africa is under pressure from the US to return the helicopters. The Rhodesian SAS, will raid the airbase and load them onto Dakota's to be flown back to Rhodesia. Swansey is given permission to go on the mission.
Danny Batten, now desperate to escape the Rhodesian capital Salisbury brutally murders his sister when she refuses to help him escape. He in turn is killed by her distraught with a pitchfork.
The Rhodesians get to the base first and start loading. The first transport is taxiing to take off, when the Guerrillas attack. In the resulting battle Marunga & Swansey finally meet face to face.
Marunga wearily demands to know "Who's winning?" Swansey, shakes his head. "Nobody. nobody's winning." Marunga spares Swansey's life, only to hear an armed Rhodesian come to Swansey's aid. Swansey's eyes meet Marunga's as he tells the soldier that there were no terrorists nearby. Marunga runs away into the night.
The movie ends as it began an ambush by Black Freedom fighters of a patrol of white Rhodesian reservists. Gideon Marunga and David Swansey are facing each other over the sights of their guns.
The movie opens with a 'contact' between Guerillas, led by Gideon Marunga (Richard Roundtree) and a patrol of white Rhodesian reservists in the bush. In the firefight, the leader of the white patrol is injured, while a mixed race guerrilla fighter Danny Batten (Tony Osboa) is captured. Marunga escapes.
Enter two businessman engaged in sanctions busting David Swansey (Richard Harris) a Rhodesian and Col Brettle (Ray Milland) a Briton .Brettle tells Swansey that the US government is going to sell off Army surplus Huey helicopters. Swansey is reluctant to get involved, considering it out of their league but takes the information to a Rhodesian Government civil servant Tony Knight (Neil Hallett).
Swansey returns to Rhodesia, partly to contact Knight but also to see his brother Peter, the injured Army Sargent Peter is married to Ruth, whose brother is Danny Batten, the captured "terrorist".
Swansey meets with Knight and finds that the Rhodesian Government is enthusiastic about the getting hold of the helicopters. So with 80 million dollars, Swansey heads back to Europe to buy them.
Brettle & Swansey have a plan. They will use a third party PITCON a British owned Paraguayan forestry company to buy 50 helicopters. The firm is in financial difficulties. The Rhodesians will clear PITCON's debts and give them handsome profit in exchange for the helicopters.
However, unknown to them, their plans are taped by a private investigator Raglan Thistle (Denholm Elliot) who is working for an investigative Journalist Larry Prescott (Sven-Bertil Taube).
Unfortunately, Thistle's recordings are incomplete, they don't know who is selling the helicopters, so Prescott decides to approach Swansey's British girlfriend, Nicole (Joan Collins) in the hope of learning more.
Meanwhile, Marunga (Roundtree) having escaped from the failed ambush has been assigned to work with another guerrilla leader 'Sixpence' (Ken Gampu) together they are ordered to attack a Large Missionary Station and kidnap the children as recruits/child solders for the cause. After only bringing 30 odd children out of the original 1000, Marunga is hailed as a hero by his superiors.
Swansey, now back in London, goes out to dinner with Nicole, who tells him of her meeting 'an old Rhodesian friend' of his (Prescott). Alarmed Swansey goes back to his hotel and picks up his briefcase containing incriminating evidence.
Later that evening, Thistle, having broken into Swansey's Hotel room reports to Prescott that there is nothing there, furious, Prescott pays him off and waits for Swansey & Nicole to return.
When Swansey & Nicole return from dinner, they are accosted by an irate Prescott who threatens to expose Swansey. Crossing the road following the couple, Prescott is hit by a car. Suddenly a passer-by hands Swansey some files that 'he must have dropped'. It is Prescott's dossier, implying that the Rhodesian agents have just killed Prescott.
The next day Brettle tells Swansey that the deal is going through.
Raglan Thistle, who has kept copies of the tapes of decides to approach the London office of the Freedom Fighters. He sells the tapes for several thousand pounds and flees the country.
The movie now turns to Rhodesia. Ruth Swansey (Jana Cilliers) is visiting her brother Danny Batten (Tom Osoba) in prison. He claims innocence but passes her a message asking her to act as a getaway driver for a prison break. She agrees.
The Freedom fighters summon Marunga to London where he is tasked with stopping the helicopters from reaching Rhodesia. Aided by a Kenyan Embassy official Alice Kamore (Alibe Parsons) he finds out that the Americans are selling helicopters in West Germany.
Both PITCON & the US are threatened by TV exposure. Brettle, , visits Swansey demanding that the Rhodesians return the Helicopters to the Americans – Swansey refuses, to Brettle's amazement he is in fact a Rhodesian patriot. Facing arrest and ruin, Brettle commits suicide.
Marunga & a US official arrive at a West German warehouse but instead of helicopters, they find it empty. Swansey has managed to truck them out. Marunga tells his superiors that if the Americans don't know where the choppers are they need to ask a Rhodesian.
Danny Batten, free in Salisbury, kidnaps Tony Knight and tortures him to reveal the location (South Africa). Marunga travels back from London to Zambia to lead a team to attack the airbase holding the choppers, Back in Africa he is delighted to find that Sixpence is alive and will accompany him.
Swansey has also returned to Africa, Swansey is informed that South Africa is under pressure from the US to return the helicopters. The Rhodesian SAS, will raid the airbase and load them onto Dakota's to be flown back to Rhodesia. Swansey is given permission to go on the mission.
Danny Batten, now desperate to escape the Rhodesian capital Salisbury brutally murders his sister when she refuses to help him escape. He in turn is killed by her distraught with a pitchfork.
The Rhodesians get to the base first and start loading. The first transport is taxiing to take off, when the Guerrillas attack. In the resulting battle Marunga & Swansey finally meet face to face.
Marunga wearily demands to know "Who's winning?" Swansey, shakes his head. "Nobody. nobody's winning." Marunga spares Swansey's life, only to hear an armed Rhodesian come to Swansey's aid. Swansey's eyes meet Marunga's as he tells the soldier that there were no terrorists nearby. Marunga runs away into the night.
The movie ends as it began an ambush by Black Freedom fighters of a patrol of white Rhodesian reservists. Gideon Marunga and David Swansey are facing each other over the sights of their guns.