Customer Reviews

The Desert Rats [VHS]

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Richard Burton stars in this excellent war drama, directed by Robert Wise. James Mason reprises his role as Rommel, from "The Desert Fox."
I have to admit, I watched this in the hopes that I might gain some additional insight into the desert fighting in Iraq.
And I did. Even though this is a 50-year old movie, the desert scenes...the horrible reality of a "war in a desert"...gives this film another subtext for the viewer, and makes it all the more gripping.
Yes, there are the standard war-movie subplots, but for the most part, there's a lot of uncommonly good elements to this movie. The Aussie aspect, the procedural details to the raids and attacks. It's constantly involving...
Consider this a safe bet for war film fans, and an equally safe bet for those who simply enjoy a good story well told.

IN A NUTSHELL: A GLIMPSE INTO DESERT WARFARE

Former editor, turned up-and-coming director, Robert Wise, essentially turns an otherwise fairly standard world war 2 yarn into a classic war film. Tight editing, decent special effects, a good screenplay plus compelling action scenes led by Burton, alongside an able British and Aussie sounding cast, lift "The Desert Rats" to cinematic respectability.

"The Desert Rats" delivers in the action department with a frontal Panzer attack in the opening minutes of the film and tries to keep up the pace for 88 minutes.

WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT

Richard Burton [Lt. Colonel MacRoberts] is a hard-nose officer in the British Eighth Army. He's entrenched at Tobruk and battling Rommel's Africa Corp. Hastily placed in charge of a newly arrived, green Australian unit, MacRoberts keeps tight discipline and asks the impossible of his men. Nevertheless, the results for McRoberts are surprisingly good as he and his men play their roles in continuing the defensive efforts at Tobruk for more than 8 months against Rommel. In good story telling form, we see the action more than hear about it, and it is all rather believably depicted.

Probably for the audiences benefit, MacRoberts is temporarily captured by the Germans in a night raid, where, while having a wound field dressed, he meets and defiantly dares Rommel [James Mason], "if you can crush Tobruk - then crush it!"

Afterwards, amidst a nice action scene where the German truck carrying the allied prisoners is strafed by Spitfires, MacRoberts escapes and returns too easily to the allied side, across enemy lines.

--- *THE PLAYERS* ---

Richard Burton - Capt. MacRoberts

Robert Newton - Bartlett

Robert Douglas - General

James Mason - Rommel

Torin Thatcher - Barney

Chips Rafferty - Smith

Charles "Bud" Tingwell - Lt. Carstairs

The film is narrated throughout by what I believe is the voice of Michael Rennie, who played "Klaatu" in the "Day the Earth Stood Still" and was a "voice" in the preceding "The Desert Fox", 1951.

---* THE PRODUCTION CREDITS *---

Robert Wise - Director [WEST SIDE STORY, SOUND OF MUSIC, THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL & EDITOR OF "CITIZEN KANE"]

Robert L. Jacks - Producer

Richard Murphy - Screenwriter [Nominated for ACADEMY AWARD - BEST SCREENPLAY]

Lucien Ballard - Cinematographer

Leigh Harline - Composer (Music Score)

Alfred Newman - Composer (Music Score)

Barbara McLean - Editor

Addison Hehr - Art Director

Lyle Wheeler - Art Director

Ray Kellogg - Special Effects [between 1950-1955 did effects for about 50 feature films, ended with Tora!Tora!Tora!, 1970]

BOTTOM LINE: "THE DESERT RATS" - SIMPLY A TIGHT WELL DONE WAR DRAMA

This simple film holds up well [now 54 years] on the foundation of an excellent screen play. Burton, Mason and Wise really team-up well to keep this film really tight and mostly filled with relevant and exciting action for 88 minutes.

Plenty of action. One of Burton's finest performances in a war drama. A must see for anyone who likes war pictures. Very convincing. James Mason also portrays a fine role as "The Desertfox" once again.

If you enjoy WWII movies you certainly want to catch this one with Richard Burton and James Mason. The cast, sets, and music are great. It is true classic WWII movie. Even if you aren't a war movie fan if you enjoy documentaries about the war you will enjoy this well told story of the battle for Tobruk. I was never a big fan of Burton's but I think he did a good job in this movie and "Where Eagles Dare".

Richard Burton playing English captain Tammy MacRoberts is solid in the well done WW2 flick "The Desert Rats". Burton is assigned to mold a group of green Australian recruits shipped into the besieged garrison of Tobruk during the 1941 offensive push of Fieldmarshal Rommel through North Africa. The stern Burton is tough yet efficient but certainly not loved by the fun loving Aussies, who balk at his regimented ways.

Rommel played by the talented James Mason, who despite his Britsh roots utters most of his lines in authentic sounding German. His German accent when speaking English holds up very well. Rommel is compelled to conquer Tobruk in his plan to conquer Egypt and control the Suez Canal. The troops deployed there however using underground shelters built into the flat desert landscape doggedly withstand the nerve wracking and continual artillery shelling.

They hold out for eight months styming Rommel's attempt to overrun their defenses. Although "The Desert Rats" was released eight years after the war in 1953, the film serves as a tribute to the brave men that served there.

The Desert Rats is an awsome film and should be watched by any War movie buff. Richard Burton is great as the tough MacRoberts and James Mason again plays Rommel to perfection. Even better there is a scene where Burton lectures Rommel on the importance on the defense of Tobruk. I was actually surprised at the quality of the battle scenes, the sound, the picture quality, and all the co-statrs were even convincing. The only annoying part of the movie is the feelings between the Aussies and MacRoberts but oh well its not that bad. This movie blew me away and I hope it does the same for you.

Richard Burton and James Mason star in this film about a group of highly outnumbered men who put a stop to Rommel's advance in North Africa.

Burton stars as Colonel MacRoberts, an Englishman who is assigned to the Australian garrison who's job it is to hold the town of Tobruk. If Tobruk were to fall into the hands of the Germans, Rommel would have a clear path to the Suez Canal, and ultimate control of all of North Africa. Mason stars as Field Marshall Erwin Rommel. His vaunted Africa Korps have been wreaking havoc against the British and now the Brits are in full retreat. Their last holdout is Tobruk.

Facing overwhelming odds, the defenders of Tobruk, led by MacRoberts, have resorted to a series of hit-and-run raids ot frustrate the Germans while the rest of the British army regroups near Cairo. Promised relief by the British forces, the besieged at Tobruk manage to hold out for nearly nine months against constant shelling and tank attacks. Finally, at the point of nearly pulling out, the Australian garrison is finally relieved by the British.

Generally, I thought this was a slightly above average film. James Mason's character of Rommel is hardly included in the movie at all; Burton's character of MacRoberts is the centerpiece of the film. As for the battle scenes, they are somewhat subpar as opposed to other movies I've seen. The action just isn't that great, and the actual combat lacks in authenticity and intensity. Still, I did enjoy this movie. Not knowing much about this specific theatre of combat, I did learn some things that I didn't know before. Also, I thought Richard Burton did a credible job in his role as MacRoberts. I think Mason's portrayal of Rommel was handled poorly, and I wish he could have been in more parts of the movie. I think people will enjoy this movie. It describes a lesser-known theatre of the war, and showcases how a small group of determined soldiers held out against a much larger enemy force.

This is a very good WWII movie set in North Africa. Richard Burton is very good in his role. It seems that he put a lot more depth into his characters in his earlier pictures as you can see here. As for Mason, he is one of a handful of actors that are always good no matter what role they play. Robert Wise also demonstrates why he is such a gifted director turning in a film with both a good story and character development. This is a notch above many other war movies.

This is a WWII classic featuring tank warfare and strategy with excellent performances by Richard Burton and James Mason. A must see for any war movie buff.

This is a follow-up of sorts to The Desert Fox made a year or so previously .James Mason reprises his role as Field Marshall Rommel ,head of the Afrika Korps ,although this time out it is basically a cameo role as distinct from the star turn of the previous picture.

It tells the same story of the same battle ,this time from the perspective of the Ninth Australian Division .Richard Burton gives a forceful performance as Captain Roberts ,a British officer appointed to take charge of the Division ,much to his disgust as he ses the Australian conscripts as inferior to the British regulars to whom he is more accustomed .The Division is encamped near Tobruk and is surrounded and outnumbered by a better armed German army .In their ranks is one Bartlett (Robert Newton) an alcohic ,and cynic who is also Roberts' former university professor who has come down in the world.He tries to persuade Roberts that his perception of his new troops is wrong .The movie focuses on the fighting -short ,sharp and intense -and the strains which the constant danger places the men under .It is a tough ,realistic movie about the Tobruk campaign which was to prove such a turning point in the history of the war .It conveys the intensity of the challenge facing the heavily ougunned Allied forces against numerically overwhelming odds .

Newton is superb as the philosphising drunk -alternately weepy,bellicose and bawling.It is a gift role and he milks it for all it is worth .There is a commanding turn from Mason and Chips Rafferty and Charles Tingwell are impressive as Aussie soldiers .Robert Wise directs with authority and there is an award winning screenplay from Richard Murphy together with some sharp monochrome photography by Lucien Ballard

This is one of the leaner and tougher war movies of its era and repays viewing as both a good movie and accurate reconstruction of a key turning point in the war .Winston Churchill remarked of the North African campaign thay it was "Not the beginning of the end but rather the end of the beginning ",See the movie and wotk out why these words were so true