Memories of the Biafran/ Nigerian civil war reechoed in a new Hollywood classic - Tears of the Sun starring Bruce Willis and Italian model-actress, Monica Bellucci. The new flick is a recreation of the horror of the war that threatened the nation's unity decades ago.

Bruce Willis stars as Lt. AK Waters, the leader of a Navy SEAL unit sent to war-stricken Nigeria to save an American woman, Dr. Lena Kendricks (Monica Bellucci), who runs a mission there. But when Waters arrives, he finds that Kendricks won't leave until the unit agress to escort the refugees she cares for out of the hostile territory as well.

In the one hour 40 minutes action-packed movie which changed title thrice (Man of War, then Hostile Act, then Hostile Rescue, lastly Tears of the Sun), Willis and his unit's assignment is to bring home the doctor who is by no means a helpless damsel in distress. However, the beautiful doctor foils the heroic rescue attempt by refusing to leave without a group of 70 African refugees. When the doctor refuses to abandon her humanitarian cause, Willis is challenged to create Plan B.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, also responsible for directing Denzel Washington in his Golden Globe Awards' Best Actor winning role Training Day, Tears of the Sun which was originally scheduled to be released date in the Summer of 2002, is a serious re-visitation of the man-on-man vulturism that characterised the Biafran/ Nigerian civil war. The film tells a rescue story set in a "future" war in Nigeria, but shot in Hawaii.

Tears of the Sun
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In the new action-adventure film, viewers will see Willis convincingly interpreting the role of a confused Lt. A.K. Waters, the usually hard-bitten war veteran who finds himself deeply conflicted at having to choose between following orders and the dictates of his own conscience. Dr. Kendricks' refusal to leave with the unit changes the mission's scope. Can a handful of US. soldiers get to their rendezvous point before the several hundred African soldiers on their tail get to them first?

Rather, she implores Waters to escort them on a dangerous trek through the dense jungle to the nearby border of Cameroon. During the journey, the S.E.A.Ls find themselves the unwitting guardians of a man sought by the rebel militia. This further endangers their already hazardous mission. But all the while it strengthens resolve to protect Lena - for whom he has unexpectedly developed feelings - and the refugees, and to deliver them safely across the border.

Directed by Antoine Fuqua, Tears of the Sun was originally scheduled to be released date in the Summer of 2002. Shooting commenced in March 2002 through June 2002.

The story of the making of the film is equally intriguing. Tragedy struck the crew. Stuntman Michael Barber was declared missing and presumed dead after parachuting from a plane while filming a scene during shooting on October 29, 2002. Along with seven other parachutists, Barber leapt from a plane. They were supposed to land on Pismo Beach in California, but instead landed about 300 yards offshore. Barber was found dead five days later.

The movie had quite a few changes since going into production having had to drop its title from Man of War (for September 11, 2001 reasons), to Hostile Act, Hostile Rescue, and finally the neutral title quite poetic Tears of the Sun. Apparently reacting to the very real possibility that the USA may actually be at war when it will be released, the Man of War title was dropped for Hostile Act, yet the producers soon changed it slightly to Hostile Rescue. Before, in a surprising turn of events, Sony decided to go with the title, Tears of the Sun, which was the name of the script most often connected to the long-in-development (and probably now shelved) Die Hard 4.

The release date had originally been announced as a possible Summer, 2002 release, but then it was pushed to the fall of 2002, then to January 31, 2003, and now to March 7, 2003.

The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) rated the film "R" for strong war violence, some brutality and language. Tears of the Sun will be distributed by Revolution Studios (Sony).

Produced by Mike Lobell, Arnold Rifkin and Bruce Willis, Tears of War stars Bruce Willis (A.K. Waters), Monica Bellucci (Dr. Lena Kendricks), Cole Hauser (Atkins), Fionnula Flanagan, Tom Skerritt, Eamonn Walker, Johnny Messner (Lake), Charles Ingram, Chad Smith, Malick Bowens (Idriss Sadique), Akosua Busia, Rodney Charles (Christian Marwah), Nick Chinlund, Paul Francis (Doc), Cornelia Hayes O'Herlihy, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Peter Mensah, Sammy Rotibi.

The film is directed by Antoine Fuqua (Training Day, Bait, The Replacement Killers; he's also got The Jacket in development). The screenwriters are: Patrick Cirillo (Homer & Eddie, Fear Itself), Alex Lasker (co-writer of 1982's Firefox), Robert Orr (Savior).

From the clips from the movie trailers available for review, Tears of the Sun marks Bruce Willis' return to action movies, though it appears to be more "dramatic" action than movie buffs are used to. Nevertheless, Tears of the Sun is pretty cool.

Nevertheless, the movie definitely plays it seriously, unlike some of Willis' other action movies that at least hint at some humor; this one is going to be serious and it's going to be dramatic. People are going to die, including lots of innocents. It is essentially a war movie, though it will probably play more to action buffs than war buffs.

Basically, the trailer show that the film will appeal to many groups. Those looking for serious, modern warfare may be intrigued by the drama of the film, while action fans across the world will be excited to see Bruce Willis with a gun in his hand once more.

More importantly, Nigerians, indeed Africans will be enthralled to see the story of their society highlighted in a major Hollywood production. Many will be intrigued to see Hollywood stars like Bruce Willis, Cole Hauser, Monica Bellucci among other, scampering away from Biafran Ogbunigwes even when they are armed with sophisticated Western warfare arms.

Children in Nigeria Abbas Buy This Art Print At AllPosters.com From the looks of the trailer, this time out Bruce has dispensed with the second world war drama lacklustre performance in Die Hard and gone for what the punters really want to see: Willis, stranded in the jungle with 5,000 rebel forces looking to defenestrate him and armed only with an extremely large gun and a tough grimace. It's almost like someone watched Zulu and Rambo II late one night and spliced the two together into an unholy concept idea.

A big budget flick, the producers and the production company, Columbia Pictures expended about $70 million producing Tears of the Sun. Willis' goal is for this to be his 14th film to bring in more than $100 million at the box office. The titled has a history of its own. Tears of the Sun was the title most often associated with Die Hard 4.

Though Hans Zimmer (Rain Man, Driving Miss Daisy) takes credit for music, THISDAY checks revealed that a young Nigerian woman was actually consulted to do the Igbo music for the film. Tears of the Sun's theme, aside coming in consonance with the appellation a section of the Ibos would like to describe the East, touches slightly around the Biafran war. It was supposed to have been shot the film in Nigeria but found the country to be very unsafe, and also contemplated the amazon, but found the tropical Hawaii equally amenable. In fact, the buzz had it that there is some pressure to change the setting from Nigeria before its March 7, release.