Colonial Past French or British?
At the airport guests are welcomed in French: " Bienvenue" on a great board on the building.
Then again, there seems to have been British colonial rule.
How does this compute?
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The uniforms worn by the Zangaro Army have a British look about them, check out the uniform worn by the officer who torture's Walken's character ... almost identical to the British Army's No. 2 dress.
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I suppose it would not be impossible that both languages may be spoken in the fictional land of Zangaro, in parts of West Africa this is the case, such as in The Gambia and Cameroon, which both use English and French to some extent (in addition to African languages.)
I think the implication in the film is that it is a former British colony as at one point when Shannon is being taken on a tour of the City, the Hotel owners daughter tells Shannon about the colonial days and speak about the residence of 'The Governor general' which I understand to be terminology of British colonial rule.
I think in the book the Forsyth intimated that Zangaro was a ex-Portuguese colony, even the name has a meaning of 'The Angry one' in that language.
this may indicate the setting as Guinea-Bissau, or possibly the former Spanish colony of Fernando Poo.
Everything will be OK in the end, if it aint OK,it aint the end.
The uniforms worn by the Zangaro Army have a British look about them, check out the uniform worn by the officer who torture's Walken's character ... almost identical to the British Army's No. 2 dress.
That's because those scenes where filmed in Jamaica, which was a British colony (commonwealth?)and the production as I recall was English.
Dave share
Not Jamaica, the location was Belize.
Everything will be OK in the end, if it aint OK,it aint the end.
The berets are worn French-style (cap badge over right eye or temple as opposed to over the left eye like all Commonwealth countries).
The MPs have PM written on their helmets (Police Militaire).
It was filmed in the small Country Belize (located in central America) which was still a Colony of Britain. Belize did not get Independence from Britain until September 21, 1981. The British Army had a lot to do with the film as well.
My father lived one block from the actual location of the final battle scene in the City. He even has an autograph from one of the actors of the film.