The Desert Fox
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Movie Reviews of The Desert Fox
Movie Review: Desert Fox
Summary: 5 Stars
Enjoyed the movie once again after many, many years. Arrived as new in a timely manner.Movie Review: Good bio flick
Summary: 4 Stars
Field Marshall Erwin Rommell has been portrayed in dozens of films, but never better than in the 1951 film starring James Mason. The wonderful supporting cast features Cedric Hardwicke, Leo G. Carrol, Eduard Franz, Everett Sloan, George Macready, Richard Boone, and Jessica Tandy as Rommel's wife and Luther Adler as Hitler.
James Mason appeared in more than films. He was nominated for an Oscar 3 times ("A Star is Born", "Georgy Girl", "The Verdict") and won a Golden Globe for "A Star is Born" (1954). He is perhaps best known for his role in Stanley Kubrik's "Lolita" (1962) for which he was nominated for a Golden Globe. Other memorable roles include Brutus in "Julius Caesar" (1953) and Captain Nemo in "20,000 leagues Under the Sea" (1954). Mason identified himself as a "fairly desirable sort of character actor" and claimed that the "public never knows what it's getting by way of a Mason performance" - true to a point, except audiences knew they would always get a great performance, which is what he gives in this film.
Other actors who played Rommel include Erich von Stroheim ("Five Graves to Cairo", 1943), Werner Hinz ("The Longest Day", 1962), Christopher Plummer ("Night of the Generals", 1966), Wolfgang Preiss ("Raid on Rommel", 1971), Karl Michael Vogler ("Patton"), and Helmut Griem (The Plot to Kill Hitler", 1990). James Mason played him again in "The Desert Rats" (1953) with Richard Burton (FWIW - Burton starred years later in "Raid on Rommel" (1971) directed by Henry Hathaway who directed "The Desert Fox")
Cedric Hardwicke plays an old friend of Rommel who tries to persuade him to join the plot against Hitler (played by Luther Adler). Sir Cedric's strong voice and stony appearance graced nearly 100 films. He played the evil bishop in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1939), Dr. Livingstone in "Stanley and Livingstone" (1939), and King Arthur in "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court" (1949). I remember him best as the Pharaoh in "The Ten Commandments" (1956).
Eduard Franz is another conspirator, although he is on screen only for a minute or so. Franz appeared in more than 50 films and made a successful transition to TV in the 50s. He had recurring roles as Gregorio in "Zorro" (1958) and as the Psychiatrist Dr. Raymer in "Breaking Point" (1963-4). Franz was extremely versatile and could play an Indian ("White Feather"), a Mexican ("Zorro"), a German ("Desert Fox"), etc. I remember him best as Dr. Stern in "The Thing" (1951).
Luther Adler (a Jew) plays Hitler. Adler was a director as well as an actor on Broadway, and his sister Stella was well known as an acting coach and with her and Lee Strasberg they formed the Group Theatre Acting Company where people like Elia Kazan, John Garfield, Lee J Cobb, Franchot Tone, and others started. In fact, one of the first jobs Marlon Brando ever got was in a play directed by Luther called "A Flag is Born" (1946). Adler made only a few dozen films as he was busy in his other endeavors. He had memorable roles in "DOA" (1950), "The Last Angry Man" (1959), and "Absence of Malice" (1981).
Adler's portrayal of Hitler is OK. Dozens of actors have played Hitler - Charlie Chaplin, Alec Guiness, Bruno Ganz, Ian McKellan, Anthony Hopkins, Ludwig Haas, Michael Sheard, Noah Taylor, etc. Bobby Watson played him nearly a dozen times. My favorite is Bruno Ganz in "Downfall" (2004).
Everett Sloane appeared in more than 100 films and TV programs and was part of the Orson Welles stock company. In fact his film debut was in "Citizen Kane" (1941) as Mr. Bernstein and he appeared in several Welles films like "Journey into Fear" (1943) and "Lady from Shanghai" (1948). He transitioned to TV in the early 50s. Sloane has a small part as a German General who offers Rommel the choice of suicide or death.
Jessica Tandy plays Rommel's wife. Tandy was a marvelous actress who appeared in a mere 50 films but earned an Oscar and a Golden Globe ("Driving Miss Daisy", 1989), 2 Tonys ("Streetcar Named Desire", 1947, "The Gin Games", 1978) and an Emmy "Foxfire", 1987) as well as numerous nominations for films such as "Fried Green Tomatoes" (1991) and "Cocoon" (1985). She has one of the longest careers on record, having started in 1932 ("The Indiscretions of Eve") and worked continuously through 1994 ("Camilla"). She claimed to be "most comfortable on the stage".
Richard Boone appears throughout the film as an aide to Rommel, but he almost never speaks. Boone was a terrific actor, perhaps best known for his TV western series "Have Gun Will Travel" (1957 - 1963), but he was a busy actor and appeared in nearly 50 films, 3 of them with Wayne ("The Alamo" i1960, "The Shootist" in 1976, "Big Jake" in 1971). Boone was a graduate of the Actor's Studio.
George Macready appears briefly in the beginning. He was an excellent character actor, appeared in nearly 100 films and was active on TV. He was often cast as an aristocratic villain because of his cultured accent, and the scar on his face was often used to this advantage. He had memorable roles in "Gilda" (1946), "Tora, Tora, Tora" (1970), and "Seven Days in May" (1964), but my personal favorite was his role as French General Mireau in "Paths of Glory" (1957)
Henry Hathaway directs this film and also directed "Raid on Rommel" (1971). Hathaway is best known for his westerns, for which he won 3 Western Heritage Awards - "How the West Was Won" (1962), "The Sons of Katie Elder" (1965), and "True Grit" (1969). He was nominated for an Oscar for "Lives of a Bengal Lancer" (1935). Hathaway worked in a number of genres, and his memorable films include "The House of 92nd Street" (1945), "13 Rue Madeline" (1947), "Call Northside 777" (1948), and "Niagara" (1953) Hathaway claimed "To be a good director you've got to be a bastard. I'm a bastard and I know it." Indeed, Mason commented in his autobiography that Hathaway had been difficult to work with.
The film is written and produced by Nunnaly Johnson. Johnson was a creative genius. He was twice nominated for an Oscar for best screenplay ("The Grapes of Wrath" and "Holy Matrimony") and DGA and Cannes nominated for "Man in the Gray Flannel Suit" (1956). His other memorable works include "The Dirty Dozen" (1967), "The Three Faces of Eve" (1957), "How to Marry a Millionaire" (1953), "The Woman in the Window" (1944), "Tobacco Road" (1941), and "Jesse James" (1939).
Coming so close to the end of WW 2, the film was criticized as being too gentle on the Germans. Bosley Crowther said the film had "a strange disregard for the principles and the sensibilities of those who suffered and bled in the cause of defeating German aggression." On the other hand, the coming Cold War meant that Germany and the US would combine against the Russians, so a film about a "good German" was politically correct, even if a little early. Notwithstanding this, the film tends to ignore Rommel's early career in which he was an ardent Nazi.
Another criticism of the film is that it uses stock footage from other films, and most of the action with Rommel is behind the scenes rather than on the battlefield, where he was a legend.
When viewed as a character study, this is a great film with a wonderful supporting cast, although they are not used to their full advantage. It's not really a war film, and action fans will be disappointed.
Movie Review: The Desert Fox
Summary: 4 Stars
The Desert Fox is a tight little film about Rommel that's directed by Henry Hathaway. I'm sure it's not 100% accurate but what film can be in only 88 minutes? Hathaway certainly glorifies Rommel as an honorable man that was only being a good soldier. Once again, not being a historian, I'm not sure of its accuracy but I don't think I've ever heard the person of Rommel being disparaged. There have been many facts about different German officers of that period that are common knowledge, many of them are never shown in a good light. The exception seems to be Rommel.
The movie is based upon the biography written by Brigadier Desmond Young who had been captured in Africa. He only saw Rommel from a distance one time in the desert & from this, after the war, he researched the background of the Desert Fox. The movie doesn't focus on Rommel's (James Mason) role in the Africa Corps. It focuses more so on the later period when he was a part of the Normandy defenses & his involvement in the assassination attempt on the leader of his nation. None of this is presented in much depth & in the end Ididn't feel any sorrow in the demise of Rommel.
Frau Rommel (Jessica Tandy) is presented as the dutiful wife though there is a hint that she was the catalyst in getting Rommel involved in the plot. Dr. Karl Strolin (Cedric Hardwicke) approaches Rommel about the plot. At this point we are told that Rommel has harbored secret feelings about the situation that he had revealed to his wife. Rommel sees it as an act of treason even though it's the right thing to do. This inner conflict causes Rommel to be hesitant about the consequences.
There's not a lot of action in the movie, it's more of a character study about a man who must make an extraordinary decision. The movie has authentic film footage interspersed throughout. The film even has the part where the satchel bomb was placed in the bunker by Col. Von Stauffenberg (Eduard Franz) to kill the infamous leader (Luther Adler). There are a couple of scenes with Field Marshall Von Runstedt (Leo G. Carroll), one of which reveals where Von Runstedt's sympathies might lay.
The official version of Rommel's death was that he died from his war wounds. The film makes it plain that Rommel was about to be put on trial for treason & it was obvious he was guilty. The messenger (Everett Sloane) makes it plain that Rommel only has one choice. Rommel wants to go to trial but his wife & son would suffer the consequences of this. Rommel is a hero & they would prefer he would go away quietly without making the noises that the German people would hear & respect. Rommel agrees to take the offer in order to protect his family.
The Desert Fox is a good film that gives James Mason a chance to show some of his acting skills. The real life Desmond Young portrays himself in the movie & is the narrator. The film is in very good condition & there aren't any significant bonus features though it does have a Spanish audio track & subtitles in English & Spanish.
Movie Review: The Fox, After The Desert...
Summary: 4 Stars
1951's "The Desert Fox" stars James Mason in what became a signature role as Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, justly famed and charismatic Commander of the German Afrika Corps during World War II. Oddly, the movie isn't about Rommel's exploits in North Africa. Instead, the dramatic thread is Rommel's growing disenchantment with Adolf Hitler as the tide of the war begins to turn against Germany in 1942.
The movie opens with an unsuccessful British commando raid on Rommel's headquarters in North Africa. An ailing Rommel then makes his appearence, returning from Europe to rally his troops as the Battle of Al Alamyn begins. Rommel's tactical wizardry is not enough to defeat an overwhelming British force; when Rommel requests permission to save his army by withdrawing, Hitler directs him to fight to the death. Thus begins the erosion of Rommel's confidence in Hitler.
By 1943, Rommel has been assigned to bolster German defenses in France against a threatened Allied invasion. He has also been quietly approached by a conspiracy that intends to remove Hitler and sue for peace. Rommel, a duty-bound soldier, is horrified by the thought of treason. However, he fails to wrest useful military guidance from a raving Hitler as the Allied invasion of France gets underway in June 1944. The reluctant Rommel then makes a fateful commitment to the conspiracy.
Rommel is seriously injured in Normandy and is in hospital when a bomb wrecks Hitler's headquarters but fails to kill Hitler. Hitler's revenge is swift and brutal. In the dramatic climax of the movie, Rommel's involvement in the plot becomes known and he is confronted with a terrible choice.
In 1951, the details of Rommel's fate were not widely known. The movie very nicely mixes live action and documentary footage to tell the real story with minimal dramatization. Mason is superb as Rommel; a young Jessica Tandy plays his supportive wife. Leo Carroll has a nice turn as aging Field Marshal Von Rundstadt, Rommel's nominal boss in Normandy, who is fired for defying Hitler. Luther Adler is frightening as the slowly deteriorating Hitler.
This movie is highly recommended to fans of the World War II genre. Those interested in a longer look at the Desert War should seek out 1953's "The Desert Rats" in which Mason reprises his role as Rommel for the siege of Tobruk.
Movie Review: A Proper Tribute To The Desert Fox
Summary: 4 Stars
Henry Hathaway's 1951 film on Erwin Rommel, Nazi Germany's most brilliant tactician whose indirect involvement in a failed plot to assassinate Hitler resulted in his untimely death.
The film is a character study and focuses more on Rommel's relationship with Hitler and the German High Command as opposed to his achievements as a military tactician. Because the nature of his death wasn't very well known at that time, the film focuses on Rommel's deteriorating relationship with Hitler and his eventual participation in the assassination plot. This is normal since, with the film being made only 6 years after the end of WWII, audiences would have been quite unreceptive to a film glorifying a German general's military exploits against allied forces.
All in all, James Mason delivers a brilliant performance as a man who is struggling with his conscience. Is his duty as a general to just obey Hitler or to protect Germany from destruction? What should he do when Hitler's megalomania is a greater threat to Germany than the Allies themselves? How can he be a good soldier and live with himself by committing treason: even if treason is the only logical alternative? Although the film isn't entirely accurate in its history, it succeeds in capturing all of the internal conflicts Rommel must have suffered in deciding what to do. The film is also accurate in portraying the impossible dilemma faced by Von Runstedt and others in the German High Command with Hitler's incessant meddling in military planning and execution. As the movie shows, by 1944 Hitler assumed direct control of virtually all military operations in the major theaters with disastrous results (i.e. insisting that most heavy guns and panzer divisions remain in Calais even when the D-Day invasion was well underway). This dilemma was dealt with humor in the movie when Von Runsted sarcastically tells Rommel about how corporals (i.e. Hitler) are such brilliant strategists and tacticians who clearly know far more about waging war than your run-of-the-mill Field Marshalls: "You know how rigid those corporals can be."
Altogether a great film that sheds light on the character of one of the greatest military tacticians of the 20th Century. A film not to be missed.