Customer Reviews

Tobruk [VHS]

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4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Tobruk is a story of a fictional but historically possible raid to destroy "Rommel's" POL facilities in that city's harbor. In actuality the POL was British, captured when Tobruk fell to the Germans in June 1942. Rock Hudson plays the reluctant hero, and George Peppard is the commander of a group of expatriate anti-nazi German/Austrians. The British forces are apparently an amalgam of the Long Range Desert Group and the Special Air Service; both of whom performed missions of this type and are portrayed as martinets-someting the LRDG and SAS were definitely not. Peppard speaks excellent German throughout (though with a slight American accent) and steals some of Hudson's scenes. The anti-nazi German unit did in fact exist; it was composed of German Jews living in Palestine and Foreign Legion veterans (though they had considerably more military value in the roles of communications interception and prisoner interrogation). The mutual animosity between the British forces and the Jewish forces is also historically accurate. The most interesting aspect of the movie is their initial encounter with Italian forces. Many Americans are unaware that until 1943 Italy was an Axis power-in fact many Italian units continued fighting on the Axis side until the end of the war. Uniforms and equipment are fairly authentic, though those are American halftracks posing as German and the Axis tanks are post-war American M47's. Naturally, there are Hollywoodism's: the most apparent is the liberal distribution of submachine guns to the "Germans". Directors love to see protaganists firing rounds from the hip at all and sundry, but it just ain't true. At this time of the War, 1942, only NCO's and some other specialists were issued machine-pistols, every one else made do with a rifle. Later on, especially on the Eastern Front, entire squads were equipped with them. Oh yeah, you NEVER fire without the stock and without aiming-won't hit a thing... This is a good beer-and-pretzels movie for a Sunday afternoon. Some interesting use of desert war details grafted onto a standard Hollywood storyline.

Director Arthur Hiller, Screenwriter Leo Gordon (who also plays the brawny deep-voiced Sergeant Krug) and an excellent cast raises this film a few notches above average. German-Jewish commandos go undercover to infiltrate Nazi held North Africa and these guys know how to fight. This film works on many levels and poses many questions. That is what makes it so good. Howard A. Anderson, Jr. and Albert Whitlock were nominated for an Oscar for Special Visual Effects. The cast includes Rock Hudson, George Peppard, Nigel Green (a brilliant character actor), Jack Watson, Percy Herbert and Guy Stockwell.

Tobruk was produced by Roger Corman's brother Gene and features Rock Hudson, George Peppard, and Nigel Green as commandos assigned to destroy the fuel base used by Adolf Hitler's Afrika Korps under Erwin Rommel, who appears briefly at the end played by Curt Lowens.

Hudson is Major Donald Craig, a prisoner of Vichy French forces in Algiers. Craig is grabbed by German commandos, and is surprised to find that these commandos are part of a British unit, the Special Identification Group - "German Jews, serving with the British. However, as Germans, we still have our uses," as their leader, Captain Bergman (Peppard) puts it.

Somehow, George Peppard pulls off this role, even though he never showed much acting talent in his films - only in the TV role that saved his career, The A-Team, did he ever shine as an actor.

Nigel Green is the commando leader, Colonel Harker, a by-the-book officer who harbors an intense dislike of the Jews under his command - "Six years is Palestine taught me that," he says to Craig.

Posing as a German column transporting British prisoners, the commando force dodges a pair of Axis columns - and in the process tricks them into opening fire on each other - blows up an old Nazi minefield, and goes through bitter windstorms. During a night stop, Craig and Bergman talk, and Bergman's bitterness shows through - "200 Jew power, Major," he says as he tunes a half-track's engine.

Next day the column is strafed by a British P-40, and the commandos have to shoot it down. They are then set upon by local tribesmen, who hand over two prisoners of their own - a British father and daughter, who are working for the Germans to get the Muslim world into the war against Stalin. Both are tricked into trying to flee, and are killed by a passing Italian patrol - which exposes that a turncoat is working amid Bergman's men.

The column finally reaches Tobruk, but is horrified to learn that two Panzer divisions undetected by Allied intelligence are preparing to move out. The commandos go to work on short defense batteries and a fierce firefight erupts, ending with a spectacular finale amid the explosion of Rommel's fuel base.

In the 1960s TOBRUK was the kind of film that inspired kids to play army. Action packed throughout, this picture has all of the ingredients you would usually have to find in several movies. Rock Hudson stars as a reluctant volunteer leading foray behind enemy lines. The target is a German fuel depot near the Libyan port of Tobruk. Rock Hudson (ICE STATION ZEBRA) and Nigel Green (ZULU, PLAY DIRTY) lead a convoy across the desert, through minefields, past German and Italian patrols, into the Tobruk perimeter. Not only do they stumble across Rommel's panzer reserves, the team also has to deal with a heavily casemated battery of Italian coastal cannons. George Peppard (THE BLUE MAX, OPERATION CROSSBOW) and Guy Stockwell costar as German Jews leading a special commando unit assigned the task of getting Hudson into Tobruk.

This movie has a lot going on. Tanks blasting away, a POW escape, aerial strafing by a P-40, flamethrowers, spies in the midst, and gigantic coastal artillery booming away at the Royal Navy. What more could you ask for?

A more believable plot for starts. Aberration of military history aside, this film is basically a shoot 'em up, blast 'em up box office spectacular. The California National Guard generously lent its support to this picture so you see M-41, M-47, and M-48 tanks everywhere. Do not get me wrong. This is not a criticism on the lack of authentic Axis armor in this or other movies. The hard fact is,with the exception of a few imported wheeled vehicles, Hollywood made no attempt to acquire or preserve derelict German tanks at the end of Second World War. Even KELLY'S HEROES, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, and BAND OF BROTHERS made do with heavily modified armor chassis from more available tanks. For purpose of a motion picture a tank is a tank. The point is that in TOBRUK there are an awful lot of armored vehicles loitering somewhere other than the front.

Rock Hudson as a British officer. I do not think so. The story billed him as a Canadian, but the whole British Army facade does not work. Nigel Green is a very powerful actor and unfortunately finds himself performing a string of scripted cliches. George Peppard was unable to master a German accent. In THE BLUE MAX he made no attempt at gutteral annunciation and the film was a success. In TOBRUK he tries so hard to be German that he comes off as phony. Guy Stockwell does a much better job.

Enough TOBRUK bashing. To its credit the film has action and special effects galore. It is military fiction in the same genre as THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE. This is a movie that is best enjoyed with all distracting persons removed from the room and the volume turned up. At the time of this review TOBRUK has not yet been released on DVD. Hopefully it will soon be available in widescreen.

Tobruk is an excellent WWII action picture that takes the viewer on an exciting trip across 800 miles of hot,burning desert with the British commandos. The Germans and the Italians are outclassed along the way. Their attempt to destroy the fuel bunkers at Tobruk (to stop Rommel's advance against the allies) is the finale of an "on-the-edge-of-your-seat" war flick well worth seeing and owning.

Director Arthur Hiller, Screenwriter Leo Gordon (who also plays the brawny deep-voiced Sergeant Krug) and an excellent cast raises this film a few notches above average. German-Jewish commandos go undercover to infiltrate Nazi held North Africa and these guys know how to fight. This film works on many levels and poses many questions. That is what makes it so good. Howard A. Anderson, Jr. and Albert Whitlock were nominated for an Oscar for Special Visual Effects. The cast includes Rock Hudson, George Peppard, Nigel Green (a brilliant character actor), Jack Watson, Percy Herbert and Guy Stockwell.

in tobruk, a handfull of german jews descized as germans set out with the british to the german heald city in north africa called tobruk. their mission is to blow up the german oil tanks in the city of tobruk. the way the get in is by the british posing as pows gaurded by the german jews pretending to be german soldiers. even though the events in this movie never happened, it would be preety cool if they did. i would recomend this movie to anyone who likes seing historical fiction.

Director Arthur Hiller, Screenwriter Leo Gordon (who also plays the brawny deep-voiced Sergeant Krug) and an excellent cast raises this film a few notches above average. German-Jewish commandos go undercover to infiltrate Nazi held North Africa and these guys know how to fight. This film works on many levels and poses many questions. That is what makes it so good. Howard A. Anderson, Jr. and Albert Whitlock were nominated for an Oscar for Special Visual Effects. The cast includes Rock Hudson, George Peppard, Nigel Green (a brilliant character actor), Jack Watson, Percy Herbert and Guy Stockwell.

This must be a good movie for the rating that I have given it! It is fairly well put together, even though its not militarily accurate. The various music themes through the movie give a positive vibe about the picture. Congratulations to cast and crew!

Even though I haven't seen it yet, Tobruk is a great war movie to watch. Rock Hudson and George Peppard are British officers who are out to destroy Field Marshal Rommel's fuel depot in Tobruk in a massive large-scale raid. When I get the movie, I hope to watch it.