“Our complaints are brief. We make them against the nearest wall.” – Lt. Schwegler
Number of Times Seen – Twice (6 Sep 2018 and 9 May 2024)
Link to original review – Here
Brief Synopsis – A British soldier during the African Campaign becomes a spy in Rommel’s headquarters and find a way to thwart the Nazi plans.
My Take on it – Such a powerful story that is even more profound knowing what happened after the events of the film in real life. Making a movie during the war can be cumbersome, especially given the fact that the real story is incomplete, but they still do a nice job showing how things could play out. The mystery of the story is relayed quite well and they slowly revealbits and pieces along the way that give a much bigger picture of all that is going on. I’m quite amazed that Billy Wilder directed this film since he was more known for his comedies or pseudo-comedies, but he effectively tells this tale. The way that this story touches upon real events is great and helps keep things seeming so believable along the way. The cast is great with Franchot Tone, Anne Baxter and Erich von Stroheim are all superb with their performances.
Highly Recommended!
MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – For the first shot of Erich von Stroheim as Field Marshal Erwin Rommel in this film, director Billy Wilder shot him in a close-up from the back of his neck as an establishing shot. Wilder said, “Standing with his stiff fat neck in the foreground he could express more than almost any actor with his face.” (From IMDB)
Rating – Oscar Worthy (9/10) (no change from original review)
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