RAID ON ROMMEL
US, 1971, 99 minutes, Colour.
Richard Burton, John Colicos, Wolfgang Preiss, Christopher Cary.
Directed by Henry Hathaway.
Raid on Rommel is a conventional war film, well after the end of World War Two. It has echoes of The Guns of Navarone – a group of commandos are freed to go on a mission to Tobruk and destroy the harbour guns. Richard Burton is in command. However, they are not really commandos, more medical personnel. However, they continue on the mission – as well as a diversion to blow up a fuel depot for Rommel.
Some of the footage comes from a Rock Hudson war film of some years earlier, Tobruk.
Henry Hathaway had directed many fine films from the 1930s ranging from The Lives of a Bengal Lancer and the first colour film, The Trail of the Lonesome Pine, to documentary-style films in the 1940s including 13 Rue Madeleine. With the coming of Cinemascope he made a number of very colourful films. However, he made a number of significant westerns with John Wayne including The Sons of Katie Elder and his Oscar-winning performance in True Grit.
1. Was this an entertaining war film? Interesting and exciting? Memories of the Second World War still vivid in the seventies? Is it real for modern audiences? Is it meant to be vivid history? Why does it not recede into the background of history?
2. Was this too much of a Richard Burton wins the war kind of film? How strong was the film on heroism? Individual heroism? Is this heroism realistic? Is it credible to an audience?
3. How successful was the picture of the Germans? Were they ridiculed too much? Were they admired as an equal enemy? The German commander and his taunts, yet his pursuit of the English? The stature of Rommel and what he had achieved in Libya? His personality in the film? Does it tie in with the legends about him? His courtesy to the English doctor, their discussion on stamps, the fact that he was tricked?
4. How important was Tobruk for the Second World War? Why has it stayed in the public's memory? Added to by films glorifying the siege of Tobruk?
5. Did the film communicate something of the human elements in war? Human error, human feelings, taking advantage of situations, Rommel's humanity and yet he lost?
6. Were the British over-glorified? As so resourceful? Their plan? Even the plan could not work. its success nevertheless? The trick of the truck? The trick with the Typhus? The trick of the visit to Rommel? The blowing up of the oil dumps, the mission itself? What response does all this heroism gain from the audience? How much strength and fortitude is needed for such a mission? Training, intelligence, perseverance? Was this clear in the film? The film was called "After The Raid". It did not focus on the persons, except Rommel. Did the English personalities come across at all? Alex as a hero and leader? His nervousness and excitement? Mackenzie and his support? The doctor and his refusal to fight bit his continued support? The Quaker? What about Viviane out there in the desert? A touch of glamour? Was this necessary of realistic?
9. Granted the heroism, and the reality of war, how much meaning was there in such death and massacre? Such destruction?
10. How much value in exploring the nature of war is such a film?
