Raid on Rommel (1971)

This film is very enjoyable, due to the fact that Richard Burton was probably drunk through much of this film, and his dialogue is quite funny at times. I know this film borrows heavily from "Tobruk," but it is still a fun film, with fast moving action sequences. We do see the same birds flying in the sky in numerous shots, and Richard Burton is filmed wide, so he can match up with George Peppard, since they were lifting scenes from Tobruk. The part where the Nazi and the Britsh doctor are talking about stamps is pretty funny. A good way to pass 2 hours on a rainy or snowy day. See it if you are a fan of war films, or a fan of Richard Burton.

What an awful mish-mash of a movie. Lacking direction, mediocre acting, appalling editing. One wonders who approves the making of films like this. I can't even put this kind of propaganda in context (1971)- hooray the West democracies can win sometimes ? Surely movie-makers have some respect for their craft, and even with low-budget pot-boilers they'd bother with script,continuity,plot and character development ? Why were the (British) propaganda war films during, and just after, World War 2 so sophisticated and nuanced and yet so many rubbish war films made from the 1970s onwards ? So much for the linear-development of cinema as art. Some genres have 'naturally' petered out, such as Westerns. Hollywood only rarely re-captures the wit and humour of pre-war rom-coms. "Art house" films are mere pretension and few are both experimental and touch the audience. "Serious" war films are one-dimensional. This film doesn't pretend to be serious, but really...it should never have been made.

This is not a horrible war film. Rock Hudson really ... wait ... its Richard Burton! This movie is an example of what happens with a small budget, one star and copyright to any film archive. How many films show footage of "Tora, Tora,Tora"? Same here. Almost 75% of the film is footage taken from the 1967 movie "Tobruk" starring Rock Hudson and George Peppard. The idea apparently was to take one movie, create a different plot line and use the same film. It almost works! Most of the cuts from the "Tobruk" film to new scenes filmed are seamless (almost, watch as the halftracks change color and type every few minutes.) But one of the problems are the little incidentals. The female spy in Hudson's movie is in many of the scenes. So what to do? Well, create a character that does nothing to forward the plot except as eye candy. Problem solved. But otherwise a typical 70s war film if you can get past that problem with "Tobruk". A little research might help. The opening credit for Rommel's army in 1943 is alittle out of perspective. By 1943 the Germans were falling back from the Americans and British on two fronts and early in the year Tobruk was in Allied hands. Oh well, lets just suspend our belief for a second. The only complaint would be the surprising poor acting of Karl Otto Abernathy as the German Hauptman. He was great "The Great Escape" (he caught Mr. X on the street) and in "Kelly's Heroes"( as the German tank commander) but here he just overacts. Wolfgang Priess does a great Rommel and the rest of the cast is good but just how many prisoners did Burton rescue? At the beginning it looks like fifteen but by the time they reach the cliff guns a whole division has appeared! Anyway a nice bookend if you have the DVD "Tobruk".

I really liked this film. It was a little slow to start, but the acting and action made it worth while. Richard Burton is the in top of his form. I really liked how there were no subtitles to the German speaking parts. (at least on the DVD). It immersed me in the film further, and allowed me to guess what they might be saying via recognizable words and such. Also, it was interesting how they played the more human side of Rommel. A very intriguing story laden with likeable characters. Check this one out.