Customer Reviews

The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel

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Both these movies have James Mason playing the part of General Erwin Rommell. The Desert Rats is the story of Australian Infantry under the command of a British Officer (Richard Burton)who although out numbered and out gunned delay the advance of Rommell's Afrika Corps outside of Tobruk until the British Relief Column arrives. Almost like a sequel to The Desert Rats is the story of The Desert Fox. This story is told through the eyes of an ex-British Officer who after the war tries to find out exactly how and why Rommell died under the Nazi Regime. The story reveals how an unwell Rommell, recently returned from the middle east campaign is invited to join the plot to kill Hitler. It shows Rommell's battle of conscience over his loyalty to an insane leader and his knowledge of the plot for that leader's assassination. Although he will not support the plot to kill Hitler, Rommell will not turn the conspirators in either - a decision that would cost him his life.

I strongly recommend the purchase of both these movies.

This was a very good movie on the life of the Desert Fox while in Hitler's service, but I was slightly left hanging as to what exactly happened to him at the end.

Far superior account of the plot to kill Hitler. DVD in good shape and met all expectations

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.

This movie is misleadingly named. Although Rommel was indeed the commander of Germany's Afrika Corp in World War II, and there earned a reputation as a master tactician, that is not what this movie is about. Two-thirds of this movie's 88 minute length focuses on Rommel's minor role in a conspiracy to kill Hitler. The conspiracy failed, and Rommel eventually paid with his life for his involvement. (In truth, Rommel was lucky. The other conspirators were hanged on piano wire and died a painful death. Because he had been built up into a national hero, Rommel was given the opportunity to take poison, and the public was told he died of war wounds.

I'm afraid most viewers, jaded by modern F/X and action laden efforts like Saving Private Ryan, will be disappointed with this rather inexpensively made effort from 1951. There is very little action other than a commando raid during the first five minutes of the movie. The little remaining action is actual stock footage of the war, skillfully cut into the film. The movie is very talky, focusing on Rommel's relationship with his wife and son, Field Marshal Von Rundstedt, and Adolph Hitler.

I have to admit that when I watched an early scene that showed Rommel in North Africa, wearing a long black leather overcoat consulting with his officers, I said to myself "pure Hollywood! there is no way he would have been wearing that in the hot desert." Then I went to my library and consulted a book on Rommel, lavishly illustrated with photographs. Not only was Rommel wearing the black leather overcoat, he was dressed precisely as depicted in the movie. There is also a remarkable resemblance between Rommel and James Mason, who does an outstanding job portraying Rommel in the movie. The moviemakers got it right, and I was wrong.

In between stock footage and some odd chase scenes, this is a pretty good film about Erwin von Rommel.

Rommel has always been my hero, and James Mason gives a fine performance as "the Desert Fox." OK, so maybe he doesn't look like Rommel, but he plays him well and his looks aren't as off as some other atrocious role choices have been. John Wayne as Ghengis Khan comes to mind.

Rommel is pretty well realized, although I would have also liked to have seen his earlier life shown as well. I understand that probably wasn't the intention of the film makers, and as showing Rommel in his WWII life, this film succeeds.

This film biography of General Erwin Rommel is made memorable by the outstanding performance of James Mason in the title role. Mason is the perfect German general and this was his first major blockbuster in Hollywood after a string of disappointing movies after he left his native Britain. There are many historical inaccuracies in this film and it certainly isn't good history, but it's very enjoyable, particularly the latter sections of the movie.

The film drags quite a bit at the beginning and is curiously disjointed in sections. The battle sequences are rather poorly done and amateurish, but the dialogue between Rommel and his subordinates is immediate and crisp. The scenes with his wife and son are also interesting and well-scripted. The last thirty minutes of the movie are undoubtedly the best portions, where the German general staff informs Rommel he must die. Rommel's farewell to his family is poignantly written and memorable. The film is worth watching because of Mason's superb performance. Don't expect truthful history, but be engrossed by a great actor.

Good pace and not much out of what's recorded in the books about Rommel. Holleywood left it's fantasyland bs out of this movie.

Field Marshal Erwin Rommel (James Mason), better known as "The Desert Fox" was a very popular and respected German soldier in WWII! The film pays tribute to Rommel and is a superb tribute about Rommel's life as General, husband and father. Rommel was a huge believer in tactics and won many early victories as the film shows, not all in great detail, but enough to get the point across. As the film begins at the begining of WWII, Rommel took control of the Afrika Korps, and they would take total control of North Africa. But then the tide would turn, and the Germans were defeated. Somewhat defeated but not totally lost Rommel is put in charge by Hitler (Luther Adler) to take over the Atlantic Wall. He orders it to be built up to such military power that the Allies will be pushed back into the sea and be defeated. As this happens the film picks up. The D-Day Invasion is one of the high points of the film. But it does not fail after that. Something just as important to Rommel as the Atlantic Wall, is taking Hitler out of power and this seems to be a must, not an option. So along with others that believe the Fuhrer must be taken out of power, they plot to assassinate him. But it fails and Hitler goes after everyone that might be against him. In the end Rommel himself is targeted and must either take poison and save his family and reputation or die a slow death. So Rommel puts on his best uniform and bids farewell to his wife (Leo G. Carroll). "The Desert Fox" is a must see as it is about a man who was loved by his fellow soldiers and was respected by those who fought against him during the war.
Grade:B+

James Mason was such a fine actor that he could portray a credible Rommel and then portray Humbert Humbert in "Lolita". He was very good in this. I first saw this movie 40 years ago on TV, and I enjoy it still.