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Movie poster: Operation Leopard (1980)
🎬 Movie

Operation Leopard

1980 · 96 min War
5.5 / 10 · TMDB

In May 1978, the mining town of Kolwezi in Katanga, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo, the former Belgian Congo) is under attack from a group of communist guerillas coming from nearby Angola. The Europeans who work for the Belgian mining company and the Blacks who live in the town are taken as hostages by the invaders, who start a blood bath, shooting Europeans as well as Africans. Many of the Europeans being French, the French decide to organize a counter-attack, and to send a Regiment of Paratroopers from the Foreign Legion. The movie follows the stories of Delbart, a former non-commissioned officer, who was about to go back to France with his African wife and his child, Damrémont, who was Delbart's replacement, Bia, a Zairian doctor, and Annie, an American married to a Belgian engineer as well as Non com Legion officer Federico and the French Ambassador and the Military Attaché.

📋 Film Details

Original Title La légion saute sur Kolwezi
Year 1980
Country France
Genre War
Director Raoul Coutard
Runtime 96 min.
Rating TMDB: 5.5/10 (20 votes)

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🎬 MovieFinder's Take

The film constructs a tense narrative by relying on the documented events, alternating large-scale battle scenes with the personal dramas of the hostages. It explores the fragility of civilization under extreme pressure, avoiding simplistic political judgments.

Those who tire of glorified war epics will find a raw, tactical portrayal where survival and procedure outweigh rhetoric. What lingers after is the bitter truth about lives caught in distant geopolitical struggles. — MovieFinder Editorial

Director: Raoul Coutard

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Best Watched

Watch in complete darkness to feel every landing and firefight. Pairs with strong black coffee.

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