Review for The Syndicate

‘The Syndicate’ may not be the greatest film ever made but it certainly doesn’t deserve the shoddy treatment it’s had to date. Thankfully this brand new, full length transfer will set the record straight and allow interested viewers the chance to assess it properly.

Released in the UK in August 1968 it was one of many films that just came and went with very little excitement. Perhaps we were all a bit Daktari-ed out to want more African adventures, or maybe it was because it was such an odd tale with a fairly unlikable set of characters.

Whatever the case, its lukewarm reception meant that by the time it was released in the US (in October) it had been savagely cut to a mere 63 minutes and distributed as a support film called ‘Kenya – Land of Treasures’, making it sound like an archetypal travelogue movie which it most certainly isn’t.

Indeed, that has been the only version available to the general public since then, on DVD and streaming services like Netflix and Amazon prime. But a quick look at a preview of one of those was enough to confirm what I’d heard – that this was a horrible, washed out print which did the film no favours at all.
Which is a shame because, putting its dramatic value to one side for a moment, the location shooting throughout the film (even at night) is first-class. Which is why it’s good to have a very decent transfer which this most certainly is.

Shot on location in the savannas of Kenya, there is much to enjoy in the frequently stunning views of the vast open spaces.

‘The Syndicate’ is a kind of road movie with a dysfunctional group drawn together on an expedition to prospect for uranium deposits. Each of the group has elected to join the syndicate with dreams of un-told wealth if they can locate a decent supply. They have four weeks’ worth of supplies, money and support so with the clock ticking, they have to make headway quickly. But after a series of accidents, members of the group realise they may have a viper in their midst which adds to the inevitable tensions. Now that no one can be trusted, it’s not long before the gloves are off and any pretense of camaraderie lost.

American-born actor William Sylvester (best known for his role in 2001: A Space Odyssey) provides the romantic interest for June Ritchie (A Kind of Loving, Mouse on the Moon) who plays the long suffering younger wife of her alcoholic husband, also on the trip, played by Plane Makers star Robert Urquhart. Christian Doermer, a classic blonde-haired German, plays a grasping character also makes a play for June Ritchie’s character before being beaten back by heroic Sylvester.

There are moments when the film appears to plod along a bit but it keeps delivering unexpected thrills at regular enough intervals with the very best of these saved to the last.
If you have an interest in unspoiled Kenya or any of the very fine cast then you may well enjoy this film. If you’ve been frustrated by the shoddy nature of all previous releases, then this will be a real treat. Not for everyone, but it’s great that Network and Studio Canal have done such a great job cleaning it up.