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The Desert Fox (1951)

Rate: 7
Viewed: 1/14

Fox
1/14: Because of James Mason's performance, The Desert Fox isn't bad of a picture about Erwin Rommel, a well-known Nazi because of his North Africa campaigns during WWII.

I first read about him through William Shirer's The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, especially when he recounted the story of how Rommel met his fate. So, I had anticipated it in the film which is a poignant moment.

Of course, there's the story of Operation Valkyrie concerning the assassination attempt on Hitler by Colonel von Stauffenberg in the bunker compound. A heavy oak table saved him from the briefcase that blew up. Hence, the incident has been shown, saving anyone the time to see Valkyrie. Finally, not to leave me cheated, an actor, a Jewish no less, gives an amusing Hitler impersonation that's equal parts of hysterical screaming and lucid behavior.

One lazy approach to filmmaking is the use of stock footage. Unfortunately, it's heavily supplied in The Desert Fox. Also, at the beginning, the soldiers pretend to be shot. A machine gun is fired on the wooden door, yet there are no visible bullet holes through it.

All in all, The Desert Fox is a fair film, but I'm not sympathetic with Erwin Rommel's downfall.