Tears of the Sun (2003)

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Antoine Fuqua

Writers (WGA):

Alex Lasker (written by) &
Patrick Cirillo (written by)

Release Date:

7 March 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | Thriller | War

Tagline:

He was trained to follow orders. He became a hero by defying them.

Plot:

Bruce Willis plays a Special-Ops commander who leads his team into the jungle of Nigeria to rescue a doctor played by Monica Belluci who will only go with them if they agree to rescue 70 refugees too.

Plot Keywords:

Refugee | Rebel | Doctor | Nigeria | Jungle

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Bruce Willis	...	Lieutenant A.K. Waters
Monica Bellucci	...	Dr. Lena Fiore Kendricks
Cole Hauser	...	James 'Red' Atkins
Eamonn Walker	...	Ellis 'Zee' Pettigrew
Johnny Messner	...	Kelly Lake
Nick Chinlund	...	Michael 'Slo' Slowenski
Charles Ingram	...	Demetrius 'Silk' Owens
Paul Francis	...	Danny 'Doc' Kelley
Chad Smith	...	Jason 'Flea' Mabry
Tom Skerritt	...	Captain Bill Rhodes
Malick Bowens	...	Colonel Idris Sadick
Awaovieyi Agie	...	Musa
Akosua Busia	...	Patience
Hadar Busia-Singleton	...	Amaka
Ida Onyango	...	Lasana
Fabrice Yahve Habimana Jr.	...	Bujo
Sammi Rotibi	...	Arthur Azuka
Benjamin Ochieng	...	Colonel Emanuel Okeze
Jimmy Jean-Louis	...	Gideon
Fionnula Flanagan	...	Sister Grace
Cornelia Hayes O'Herlihy	...	Sister Siobhan
Pierrino Mascarino	...	Father Gianni
Peter Mensah	...	Terwase
Howard Mungo	...	President Samuel Azuka
Kanayo Chiemelu	...	General Mustafa Yakubu
Nkeonye Nwankwo	...	Refugee Woman
Alpha Osman Davis	...	Alpha
Morris Sesay	...	Man with Goat
Cle Shaheed Sloan	...	Mission Rebel (as Cle Sloan)
Kobby Dankyi	...	Rebel Officer
Lahai Fahnbulleh	...	Injured Old Man
Allison Dean	...	Rape Victim
Rodney Charles	...	Christopher Marwa
Jewel McDonald	...	Village Woman
George Reid	...	Tortured Villager
Yannick Doth	...	Teenage Rebel Soldier
Ousmane Sall	...	Village Attacker
Harry Van Gorkum	...	Carrier Reporter
Michael Clossin	...	Rhodes' Aide
Anthony Vaughan	...	Rebel Squad Commander
Randall J. Gillet	...	Seahawk Pilot
William Wood	...	Carrier Corpsman
Chinyere A. Joyce	...	Chanting Woman
Martha Neavill	...	Chanting Woman (as Martha Myles)
Gerald Michael Burch	...	Refugee Camp Guard
Frederick Harris Jr.	...	Refugee Camp Guard
Elton C. Garner Jr.	...	Refugee Camp Guard
Floyd W. Vaughn	...	Relief Worker (as Floyd W. Vaughan)
John Anyak	...	Refugee
Ganohon Ansansame	...	Refugee
Kelani Babatunde	...	Refugee
Pele Leba Castro	...	Refugee
Haddy Cham	...	Refugee
Mariama Cisse	...	Refugee
Nafisatou Cisse	...	Refugee
Ngone' Dia	...	Refugee
Khady Dieng	...	Refugee
Fortune Diginee	...	Refugee
Fidelis Ezch	...	Refugee
Awino Gam	...	Refugee
Santino Garang	...	Refugee
Josanne Hutchinson	...	Refugee
Evelyn Kabba	...	Refugee
Fatmata Kargbo	...	Refugee
Hannah Koroma	...	Refugee
Gabriel Magok	...	Refugee
Sarah M. Mansaray	...	Refugee
Sophia Mark	...	Refugee
Abraham Nhiany	...	Refugee
Nathaniel Nyok	...	Refugee
Christiana Obani	...	Refugee
Esther Quaye	...	Refugee
Martha Quaye	...	Refugee
Alice B. Shaw	...	Refugee
Antonio Suco	...	Refugee
Faustino Suco	...	Refugee
Carmel Nyirabimana-Izuba	...	Refugee
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mark Bedell	...	F-18 Pilot (uncredited)
Justin Rodgers Hall	...	Rebel Soldier (uncredited)
Franky Mwangi	...	African child from mission (uncredited)

Directed by
Antoine Fuqua

Writing credits (WGA)
Alex Lasker		(written by) &
Patrick Cirillo		(written by)

Produced by
Ian Bryce	....	producer
Stephen J. Eads	....	associate producer
Heidi Fugeman	....	associate producer
Mike Lobell	....	producer
Arnold Rifkin	....	producer
Joe Roth	....	executive producer
Steven P. Saeta	....	co-producer
Cathy Schulman	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Lisa Gerrard
Hans Zimmer

Cinematography by
Mauro Fiore

Film Editing by
Conrad Buff IV
Christopher Holmes		(extended version)

Casting by
Mary Vernieu

Production Design by
Naomi Shohan

Art Direction by
David Lazan

Set Decoration by
Larry Dias

Costume Design by
Marlene Stewart

Makeup Department
John Blake	....	makeup department head
Chantal Boom'la	....	special makeup effects artist
Leslie Devlin	....	makeup artist
Cleve Gunderman	....	special makeup effects artist
Tania Kahale	....	assistant hair stylist
Erma Kent	....	hair stylist
Douglas Noe	....	prosthetics makeup artist
Deborah Patino	....	makeup artist
Karen Iboshi Preiser	....	makeup artist
Gerald Quist	....	makeup artist: Mr. Willis
Laine Rykes	....	makeup artist (as Laine E.K. Rykes)
Richard Snell	....	key makeup artist
JoAnn Stafford-Chaney	....	hair stylist
Kenneth Walker	....	key hair stylist
Jennifer Saeta	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Nicole Sortillon	....	additional makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Steven P. Saeta	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bernie Bonner Axelrod	....	second assistant director: second unit
Paula Case	....	second second assistant director
Alan Edmisten	....	first assistant director: second unit
Giselle Gurza	....	additional second assistant director (as Giselle Gurza Junco)
Phil Hardage	....	second second assistant director
K.C. Hodenfield	....	first assistant director
Joyce McCarthy	....	additional second assistant director
Phil Neilson	....	second unit director
Jeff Okabayashi	....	second assistant director
Rich Sickler	....	first assistant director (as Rich T. Sickler)
Lon Takiguchi	....	second assistant director: second unit
W. Scott Wolf	....	second assistant director

Art Department
David H. Allen	....	property master
Ronald S. Baratie	....	greensman
Pedro Barquin	....	stand-by greensman
Eric J. Bates	....	property master
Jason Bedig	....	leadman
Guy Belegaud	....	construction foreman
Melody Bishop	....	art department coordinator
Charisse Cardenas	....	set designer
Gary Diamond	....	set designer
Amina Allean Dieye	....	art department researcher
Daniel J. Gillooly	....	greens coordinator
Donald Goodman	....	drapery foreman
Shannon Hart	....	assistant decorator
Tom Hrupcho	....	paint supervisor
Heather Hudson	....	art department assistant
Al Lewis	....	art department researcher
Robert Loring Jr.	....	stand-by greens
Jim Magdaleno	....	storyboard artist
John Hammer Maxwell	....	on-set dresser (as John H. Maxwell)
Bryan McBrien	....	greens foreman
Barbara Mesney	....	set designer
Shanna Norton	....	set decoration coordinator
Joe Ondrejko	....	construction coordinator
Mark Rodriguez	....	set dresser
Steven Schwartz	....	assistant art director
Domenic Silvestri	....	set designer
Jason Sweers	....	graphic designer
Anne Marie Wilson	....	art department production assistant
Liloa Wong	....	greens foreman: Hawaii
Tracy Gaydos	....	art department coordinator (uncredited)
Trey Shaffer	....	graphic designer: set decorating (uncredited)

Sound Department
Mary Andrews	....	adr editor
Willie D. Burton	....	production sound mixer
Mike Chock	....	foley editor (as Michael Chock)
Mark Coffey	....	digital sound assistant
Susan Dudeck	....	dialogue editor
John P. Fasal	....	sound effects recordist
Michael Herbick	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ken J. Johnson	....	sound designer: weapons
Ken J. Johnson	....	sound effects editor
Michael Jonascu	....	sound effects editor
Elizabeth Kenton	....	adr supervisor
Elizabeth Kenton	....	dialogue supervisor
Sean Landeros	....	sound recordist
Daniel J. Leahy	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Daniel Leahy)
Marvin E. Lewis	....	boom operator
Howard London	....	adr mixer
Oscar Mitt	....	assistant sound editor
Piero Mura	....	sound effects editor
Chris Navarro	....	adr mixer
Chris Navarro	....	adr recordist
Josephine Nericcio	....	first assistant sound editor (as Josie Nericcio)
Steve Pederson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Curt Schulkey	....	dialogue editor
George Simpson	....	sound designer
George Simpson	....	supervising sound editor
Greg Steele	....	adr mixer
Bruce Stubblefield	....	adr supervisor (extended director's version)
Bruce Stubblefield	....	dialog supervisor (extended director's version)
John Joseph Thomas	....	foley supervisor
Craig Weintraub	....	assistant sound editor
Hugo Weng	....	dialogue editor
Bruce Maddocks	....	mastering engineer (uncredited)
Oscar Mitt	....	sound (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Archie Ahuna	....	special effects technician
Fern N. Ahuna	....	special effects technician
David Amborn	....	special effects foreman
Jack Davis	....	special effects technician
Ken Ebert	....	special effects technician
Eric Frazier	....	special effects technician
Howard Frazier	....	special effects technician (as Howard Byron Frazier)
John Frazier	....	special effects supervisor
Bruce D. Hayes	....	special effects technician
Jim Jolly	....	special effects technician
Alan Kiriu	....	special effects technician
Clarence Logan	....	special effects technician
Gary W. McEnroe Sr.	....	special effects technician
Ken Mieding	....	special effects technician
Joe Pancake	....	special effects foreman
Frances Pennington	....	special effects technician
Charles Raymond	....	special effects technician
Richard Redlefsen	....	lab technician: W.M.Creations
Richard Redlefsen	....	sculptor: W.M.Creations
James D. Schwalm	....	special effects foreman (as Jim Schwalm)
James D. Schwalm	....	special effects technician (as James Schwalm)
J.D. Schwalm	....	special effects
Harold Selig	....	special effects technician (as Hal Selig)
Kenneth Kekoa Su'a	....	special effects technician
Michael L.K. Su'a	....	special effects technician
James G. Thomas	....	special effects technician
Ray L. Wilkerson	....	special effects technician
Curtis Wingerter	....	special effects technician
Brent Wischnack	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Shadi Almassizadeh	....	digital artist: ILM
Hugh Bengs	....	digital paint/rotoscope artist
Katy Calbreath	....	technical assistant
Beth D'Amato	....	lead digital paint and roto artist: ILM
Matt Davis	....	Spydercam rigger technician
Tim Drnec	....	Spydercam coordinator-flight
Russell Earl	....	computer graphics supervisor: ILM
Brad Falk	....	digital artist
Scott Farrar	....	visual effects supervisor
Dan Feinstein	....	digital paint/rotoscope artist: ILM
Joe Gareri	....	visual effects producer: Pacific Title & Art Studio
David M. Gray	....	visual effects coordinator: ILM (as David Gray)
Roger Guyett	....	visual effects supervisor: ILM
Jack Haye	....	digital modeler: ILM
Patrick Jarvis	....	digital painter: ILM
Lars Jensvold	....	visual effects editor
Darren Jones	....	digital imaging engineer
Paul Kavanagh	....	animator: ILM
Tia L. Marshall	....	digital artist
Tory Mercer	....	digital compositor
Todd Mitchell	....	negative cutter: ILM
Robert Molholm	....	technical support
Eddie Pasquarello	....	computer graphics supervisor: ILM
Brett Phillips	....	lead propmaker
Patrick Phillips	....	visual effects
Denise Ream	....	visual effects producer: ILM
Todd Semmes	....	spydercam coordinator/rigging
Ben Britten Smith	....	spydercam flight control
David Sosalla	....	visual effects supervisor: Pacific Title & Art Studio
Jim Soukup	....	technical assistant: ILM (as James Soukup)
Dale Taylor	....	visual effects coordinator: ILM
James D. Tittle	....	digital visual effects coordinator: Pacific Title
Bruce Vecchitto	....	digital color timing supervisor: ILM
David Weitzberg	....	animator: ILM
Earl Wiggins	....	aerial effects supervisor
Dean Yurke	....	lead digital artist: ILM
Daniel Zizmor	....	digital resource assistant
Katie Morris	....	digital paint and rotoscope artist (uncredited)

Stunts
Layla Alexander	....	stunts
Josef Cannon	....	utility stunts
Eric Chambers	....	stunts
Keith Davis	....	utility stunts
Charles Grisham	....	stunt double
Justin Rodgers Hall	....	firearms instructor
Jim Hart	....	stunt double: Cole Hauser
Hollis Hill	....	stunts
Kevin L. Jackson	....	stunt performer
Ronald Jaynes	....	stunts fire safety
Chuck Jeffreys	....	stunts
Mark Kubr	....	stunt double: Nick Chinlund
Brock Little	....	stunt performer
Kortney Manns	....	utility stunts
Gina Mari	....	stunt double
Anderson Martin	....	assistant stunt coordinator (as Andy Martin)
Phil Neilson	....	stunt coordinator
Robert Powell	....	stunts
Mike Rufino	....	utility stunts
Derrick Simmons	....	stunts
Monica Staggs	....	stunt double: Monica Belluci
Michael Trisler	....	stunt double: Cole Hauser
Keith Woulard	....	stunt coordinator
Scott Miller	....	stunt safety (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Stuart Abramson	....	key grip
Tyler Allison	....	assistant camera
John Armstrong	....	generator operator
Robert Baek	....	additional second assistant camera
Michael Bauman	....	gaffer
Ken Bazal	....	second assistant camera
Matthew Berner	....	assistant camera: "b" camera
Larry Blanford	....	aerial director of photography (as Lawrence Blanford)
Larry Blanford	....	director of photography: second unit
Darwin Montana Browne	....	key grip: re-shoots
Kevin Brown	....	electrician
Shawn Christianson	....	electrician
Rick Crum	....	electrician
Charles Cullen	....	electrician
Thomas M. Dangcil	....	lamp operator
Willie E. Dawkins	....	set lighting
David Deever	....	video engineer
Jeffrey De La Rosa	....	electrician
Cale Finot	....	assistant camera: re-shoots
Kirk R. Gardner	....	camera operator: "a" camera
Seth Greenwald	....	dolly grip
Cindy Lagerstrom	....	rigging electrician
Michael Lyon	....	electrician
Frank Masi	....	still photographer
Maurice K. McGuire	....	camera operator
Charlie McIntyre	....	rigging gaffer
Christos Moisides	....	assistant camera
Daniel P. Moore	....	additional photographer
Daniel P. Moore	....	video operator
Douglas Olivares	....	camera operator
Simone Perusse	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Rell Putt	....	grip
Justin Quach	....	assistant camera
Paul Santos	....	electrician
David D. Scott	....	video engineer: aircraft carrier unit
Keith Solomon	....	director of photography: additional photography
Michael Tolochko	....	best boy electric: additional photography
Gary Katsuya Ushino	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Michael J. Walsh	....	balloon lighting supervisor
Greg Wardell	....	rigging electric best boy
Steven J. Winslow	....	camera technician: Wescam camera
Kelly Clear	....	chief lighting technician: pick-up shots (uncredited)

Casting Department
Kira Burns	....	extras casting coordinator
Barbara Harris	....	adr voice casting
Shalimar Reodica	....	casting associate
Deedra Ricketts	....	extras casting
Jay Scully	....	casting associate
K.D. Smith	....	extras casting assistant
Lynette Wich	....	extras casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Jean Bone	....	costumer: re-shoots
Toby Bronson	....	key set costumer
Nancy Collini	....	costumer
Holly Davis	....	key costumer
Lori Harris	....	set costumer
Mark Peterson	....	costume supervisor
Rebeka L. Roberts	....	costume ager/dyer
Lori Stilson	....	costumer: Mr. Willis
Cathie Valdovino	....	tailor

Editorial Department
Daniel Boccoli	....	second assistant editor
Jennifer Calbi	....	assistant editor
Mo Henry	....	negative cutter
Carole A. Kenneally	....	first assistant editor
Kevin Lefler	....	editorial assistant
Jim Passon	....	color timer
Chris Regan	....	color timer

Music Department
Slamm Andrews	....	music editor
Slamm Andrews	....	score recording engineer
Bob Badami	....	supervising music editor
James Dooley	....	composer: additional music (as James Michael Dooley)
Mark Eshelman	....	scoring cue mixer
Bruce Fowler	....	conductor
Bruce Fowler	....	orchestrator
Mark Graham	....	music librarian
Steve Jablonsky	....	composer: additional music
Jason Lloyd	....	scoring assistant
Malcolm Luker	....	music scoring mixer
Hugh Marsh	....	musician: violin
Alan Meyerson	....	music scoring mixer
Adam Michalak	....	score recordist
Trevor Morris	....	technical music advisor
Melissa Muik	....	programmer: ProTools
Melissa Muik	....	technical music advisor
Jennifer Nash	....	additional music editor
Heitor Pereira	....	musician: guitars and kalimbas
John Rodd	....	orchestral scoring recordist
Gregg Silk	....	assistant scoring engineer
Steven L. Smith	....	music preparation
Del Spiva	....	music editor: director's cut
Matthias Weber	....	music programmer
Pat Weber	....	scoring technician
Bruce Fowler	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Martin Tillman	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)

Transportation Department
D. Scott Guthrie	....	transportation captain
Kelly Loo	....	driver
Sheila Mandel	....	transportation office coordinator
Randy Peters	....	transportation coordinator
Candace Wells	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Joseph Bannon	....	combat specialist
Raymond W. Beal	....	animal trainer
Brad Bell	....	assistant location manager
Mitchell Bell	....	production coordinator
Joseph K. Borrelli	....	assistant accountant
Doug Carter	....	production assistant
John Charles	....	software engineer: Sony DAC
Maguy J.B. Cohen	....	translator
Brian Costa	....	production assistant
Noelle Coughlan	....	first assistant accountant
Mike Cunningham	....	armorer
Joshua Dragge	....	assistant: Mr. Fuqua
Susan Ehrhart	....	assistant production coordinator
Scott Ejercito	....	projectionist: dailies
Scott Ejercito	....	unit projectionist
Tyler Elliott	....	key assistant location manager
Howard Fannon	....	weapons
Curtis Norman Fuqua	....	production assistant (as Curtis Norman)
Otniel Gonzalez	....	assistant armorer
Rhona Gordon	....	studio teacher
Peter Graf	....	Stab-C technician
Sheree Greco	....	set production assistant: re-shoots
Russell Green	....	production assistant
Sissy Grover	....	travel coordinator
Martha Haight	....	assistant: Mr. Rifkin
Scott Hanson	....	production secretary
Harry Humphries	....	technical advisor: military
Gregg Kawecki	....	production assistant
Nancy Kiu	....	production assistant: re-shoots
Dawn Lambertsen-Kelly	....	assistant: Mr. Fuqua
Jeremy Lawson	....	production assistant
Rich Lee	....	pre-visualization designer
Kai Li	....	production assistant
Paul Lozada	....	combat specialist
Harry Lu	....	armorer
Ernie Malik	....	unit publicist
Liz Matthews	....	location manager
Jonas C. Matz	....	production medic
Shannon McBrien	....	accounting assistant (as Shannon Crimmins)
Denise Morgan McGrath	....	production accountant
David Mendoza	....	production assistant: re-shoot
Melvin Miranda	....	animal trainer (as Melvin W. Miranda Sr.)
Moanike'ala Nakamoto	....	assistant: Hans Zimmer
David Paris	....	helicopter pilot (as David W. Paris)
Bernadette Penotti	....	assistant: Mr. Willis (as Bernadette E. Penotti)
Randy Peters	....	aerial coordinator
Shawn Pipkin	....	set production assistant
Bill 'Chico' Powell	....	assistant accountant
Mary Anne Seward	....	script supervisor
John Siedenburg	....	caterer
Stephanie Spangler	....	location manager
Judy Stritof	....	production assistant
Kym Stys	....	stand-in
Ryan Suffern	....	set production assistant
Kristen van Dernoot	....	set production assistant: re-shoot (as Kristen Lynn)
Louise Weber	....	assistant: Mr. Willis (as Louise M. Weber)
Shane White	....	production assistant
Earl Wiggins	....	SpyderCam supervisor
Amy Wilkins	....	set production assistant
Erin Wilson	....	production assistant: re-shoots
Kevin Blumenfeld	....	technical assistant: Hans Zimmer (uncredited)
Gregg Lehrman	....	technical assistant: Hans Zimmer (uncredited)

Thanks
Philip M. Strub	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Cheyenne Enterprises
• Michael Lobell Productions
• Revolution Studios

Distributors

• Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) (2003-) (worldwide) (all media)
• Columbia Pictures (2003) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar Films (2003) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Columbia TriStar (Austria) (theatrical)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2003) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Buena Vista International (Japan)
• Cascade Film (Russia)
• Columbia TriStar Films
• Columbia TriStar Films de Argentina (Argentina)
• Columbia TriStar Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2004) (Spain) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (2004) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Columbia TriStar (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Columbia TriStar (2004) (Brazil) (VHS)
• FS Film Oy (2003) (Finland) (VHS)
• FS Film Oy (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2008) (Argentina) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• LK-TEL (Argentina) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (Argentina) (VHS)
• Medusa Distribuzione
• Nelonen (2006) (Finland) (TV)
• RTL Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (TV) (first national airing) (RTL5)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-Ray Disc)

Special Effects

• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) (special visual effects)
• Pacific Title and Art Studio (additional digital effects)

Other Companies

• Associated Press Television News  news footage
• Behind the Scenes Freight  shipping by
• Birds & Animals Unlimited  animals (as Birds & Animals)
• Blue Hawaiian Helicopter  thanks
• Cable News Network (CNN)  news footage
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  cranes and dollies
• DeLuxe Laboratories  prints (as Deluxe)
• HSL-37  "Seahawk" Helicopters SH-60B provided by
• ITN Archive  news footage
• Media Ventures  music production services
• Pacific Title  titles and opticals
• Panavision  camera and lenses
• Reuters  news footage
• Technicolor  color timing
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack published by
• Weddington Productions  post-production services

Also Known As:

Hostile Act (USA) (working title)
Hostile Rescue (USA) (working title)
Man of War (USA) (working title)
Rules of Engagement (USA) (original script title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong war violence, some brutality and language.

Runtime:

121 min | 142 min (director's cut)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:Not Rated (director's extended cut) | Iceland:16 | Malaysia:U | Spain:18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Brazil:14 | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-15 | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Philippines:PG-13 | Singapore:NC-16 | Singapore:PG (cut) | South Korea:12 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Canada:14A (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

Dole Plantation - 64-1550 Kamehameha Highway, Wahiawa, O`ahu, Hawaii, USA

Company:

Cheyenne Enterprises

Trivia:

(29 October 2002) A stuntman was killed filming a parachuting scene near Oceano, California. Jumping with eight other skydivers from 14,000 feet, the man was supposed to land on the beach, but actually landed about 300 yards offshore and drowned.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: In the end when the people are singing to Arthur Azuka, their mouths don't move, they don't match the lyrics.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Female news reader: [voiceover] The tension that had been brewing for months in Nigeria exploded yesterday as exiled General Mustafa Yakubu orchestrated a swift and violent coup against the democratically elected government of President Samuel Azuka. In a land with 120 million people and over 250 ethnic groups...

Movie Connections:

Featured in Action Heroes: Under Fire (2003) (TV)

An excellent action/thriller with something to say.

7.5 out of 10

Tears of the Sun is hardly perfect. Director Antoine Fuqua's direction can get a bit heavy-handed and most of the characters are one to two-dimensional in development (understandable, given the large cast). But it's a solidly made, often thrilling and sometimes thought-provoking film that aims for serious issues, particularly as a sober outlook of modern warfare and morals. It's not entirely successful at the latter, but to even attempt to stray from typical Hollywood is admirable, and Tears of the Sun is often more hit than miss.

Bruce Willis stars as A.K. Waters, the head of a mission to retrieve a Dr. Lena Hendricks (Monica Bellucci) from the Nigerian jungle, after Muslim rebels have just assassinated the presidential family, and are on a rampage throughout the country. Hendricks is located easily, but she will only leave so long as all able-bodied individuals on her mission can come along. Waters reluctantly agrees, but soon finds that he and his group must trek the jungles with no assistance and with 300 Nigerian soldiers hot on their trail.

Tears of the Sun works as a thoughtful film, but is more successful as a tension-builder. Director Fuqua shows an able hand at building suspense to a feverish pitch, all the way to the concluding battle sequence, a fifteen minute setpiece that rivals any recent war film in both intensity and technical superiority. The other major action setpiece is a tense shootout in a village, the aftermath of which is disturbing in its revelation of the rebels' treatment of civilians. Tears of the Sun is a violent film, but never exploitative in its approach.

The film's two best developed characters belong to Bruce Willis and Monica Bellucci. Willis has always been a fine actor, this understated approach has worked for him before and fits like a glove here. I'm not quite as familiar with Bellucci, who I've only seen in Brotherhood of the Wolf and as one of the brides in Bram Stoker's Dracula, but she's quite good here, easily the film's anchor when it comes to heart and warmth. I'm certainly not exaggerating when I say she's one of the most beautiful (and bodacious) women to ever grace the screen (and I look forward to her in the upcoming Matrix sequels).

There are flaws, such as the rather obtrusive musical score and some pretentious use of slow motion on Fuqua's behalf. The film's biggest narrative stumble comes with a plot twist 3/4's through the movie, when an extraneous plot twist is revealed. Admittedly, without the twist, the film wouldn't have been able to build up as much suspense, much less deliver that final battle. But when all is said and done, Tears of the Sun is highly recommended, a Hollywood film that has more on its mind than explosion and gunfights (which the movie still has an ample amount of).