Amazon.co.uk Review
The Desert Fox, released six years after the end of the War, is a solemnly respectful tribute to Erwin Rommel, Germany's most celebrated military genius. James Mason's portrayal of this gallant warrior became a highlight of his career iconography. The film itself is oddly disjointed, though: a pre-credit commando raid to liquidate Rommel is followed by a flashback to the field-marshal's lightning successes commanding the Afrika Korps--a compressed account via documentary footage and copious narration (spoken by Michael Rennie, who also dubs Desmond Young, the Rommel biographer and one-time British POW appearing briefly as himself). The dramatic core is Rommel's growing disenchantment with Hitler (Luther Adler), his involvement in the plot to assassinate the Fuhrer, and his subsequent martyrdom.
The Desert Rats stars Richard Burton in only his second Hollywood role (between Oscar-nominated turns in My Cousin Rachel and The Robe), as a Scottish commando put in charge of a battalion of the 9th Australian Division defending Tobruk. The Aussies don't like him, and with a year of grim North African duty already under his belt, he's not too crazy about his new responsibilities either. The outfit is charged with staving off the battering assaults of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel for two months, to give the British Army time to regroup in Cairo and prepare for a counterattack. In the end, the "desert rats" play hell with the Desert Fox for 242 days, during which time they and their commander develop some mutual respect.
This is a solid, workmanlike World War II picture that, having been made in 1953 rather than 1943, can acknowledge a degree of eccentric humanity and soldierly professionalism in the enemy. Featured guest star James Mason reprises his Rommel from The Desert Fox, playing all his scenes in German except for a scene of ironical repartee with Burton. Another distinguished Brit, Robert Newton, gets costar billing as a boozy, self-confessed coward who used to be Burton's schoolmaster. However, a goodly number of Australians--including Chips Rafferty and Charles "Bud" Tingwell rate at least as much screen time. Robert Wise directed, with a trimness that reminds us he started out as an editor, and the pungent black-and-white cinematography is by Lucien Ballard. --Richard T. Jameson
Special Features
- The Desert Rats theatrical trailer
- The Desert Fox theatrical trailer
- Scene access
- Interactive menus
DVD Technical Information:
- Language: English (2.0 Stereo), French, Italian, German, Spanish (2.0 Mono)
- Main feature subtitles: Dutch, French, Italian, German, Spanish, English & German for the hearing impaired
- Full frame version 4:3
- Video Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
- Region Code: 2 PAL
- Black and white
- Running time:
The Desert Rats: 84 minutes
The Desert Fox: 84 minutes
From the Back Cover
James Mason delivers a strong performance in the title role of this sympathetic study of Field Marshall Erwin Rommel. In the early ‘40s, Rommel’s juggernaut Afrika Korps dominated north Africa. But as the tide turned and he came to the painful realization that his Fuhrer, to whom he had sworn allegiance, was destroying Germany, his ingrained sense of duty pushed him into a conspiracy against Hitler. Focusing on the later part of Rommel’s career, the film portrays him as a dedicated soldier, sympathetic to this men and devoted to the art of waging war in a dignified, disciplined manner. Co-starring Jessica Tandy as Rommel’s wife and Cedric Hardwicke as another anti-Hitler conspirator, The Desert Fox is an intimate look at one of the most respected military tacticians of modern times, openly admired by both those who followed him into combat and those who faced him on the field of battle.
The Desert Rats:
Richard Burton stars in this exciting film about the courageous men who held off notorious Field Marshall Erwin Rommel, despite being hopelessly outnumbered. The year is 1941, and all that stands between Rommel and the Suez Canal is the fortress of Tobruk, which is manned only by a small Australian battalion whom Captain MacRoberts (Burton) must whip in to shape – fast! James Mason co-stars in a stunning portrayal as Rommel in this stirring, action-packed story of the World War II heroes known as The Desert Rats.
