The Desert Fox (1951)

THE DESERT FOX (1951)

By Ralph Santini - ***½

The Desert Fox is a WWII biopic that tells a rather interesting story about one of the most celebrated German generals in WWII, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, a Wehrmacht officer who chiefly commanded in the Afrika Korps unit in Northern Africa which Hitler conquered right after getting his hands on most of continental Europe and occupying it. But after the Afrika Korps was demolished by the Allied forces, Rommel was asked to command a German unit in Northwestern Europe for D-Day, which the Allies struggled to invade for a long time. But after the Allies managed to win the beachhead battles, Rommel was later suspected as a traitor to Nazi Germany and later died nearly a year before the Nazis surrendered. This film intelligently uncovers what exactly happened to the German patriot when he died and how Adolf Hitler accused him of treason against the citizens of the Third Reich.

The film begins when a group of British commandos raid a German military station rather unsuccessfully and after one of those soldiers got wounded he asks a German officer, Capt. Aldinger (a pre-Have Gun Will Travel Richard Boone) “did we get him?” and Aldinger retorts “are you serious, Englishman?”. This is one of those scenes that demonstrates that this film will become very enjoyable with a well-done screenplay and marvelous acting. We later cut to a scene where a group of British prisoners of war under arrest by German soldiers then they are later stormed by an Allied air raid and leads to a persuasion by a German Officer asking a British Officer, Desmond Young (portraying himself) to tell the R.A.F. to cease fire but refuses. This is a scene where are finally introduced to Erwin Rommel here portrayed with excellent results by James Mason. He absolutely delivers as the German general and his performance is nothing short of riveting. In fact, I think that’s what makes this movie so nearly excellent.

We later learn that Rommel catches Diphtheria and is treated in a German hospital for the disease but we later find out that the arrogant Führer insists that he returns to Northern Africa in spite of the illness. However, Rommel is unsatisfied to learn about strong supply problems and even bad reinforcement action. When Rommel even requests a retreat the cruel pretended Führer insists on Victory or Defeat, which angers the Field Marshal and that statement drives him mad causing him to even defy the Führer’s orders. After Rommel is once again seriously ill he is visited by his wife (Jessica Tandy, wonderful) and an old friend Dr. Karl Strolin (an equally excellent Sir Cedric Hardwicke) and he discuss with both of them all of Hitler’s ridiculous ideologies about winning the war. Eventually when Rommel recovers he is visited in his mansion by Dr. Strolin who suggests that it’s basically time to end the war by conspiring against Hitler. However we see that Rommel is actually reluctant simply because he considers that Politics are none of his business resulting in a rather unfriendly conversation between the friends. So, Rommel is given another chance to his active service, this time in Northern France, where there is a great debate on where the Allies will storm the beaches. When Rommel reports to Field Marshal von Rundstedt (another extraordinary role by Leo G. Carroll) outside of Paris he gets rather blunt with the commander in chief about German defenses being rather dubious. However, Von Rundstedt warns Rommel that Hitler is strictly responsible for any German military strategy and that he is under the influence of astrologers, and like the rest of the Wehrmacht leaders, he will be closely watched at all costs. After Normandy has been finally invaded by Allied forces Rommel feels that he’s had absolutely enough and Von Rundstedt somewhat agrees only he feels to old to participate against the Führer. Nevertheless he strongly wishes Rommel good luck.

But right now comes one of the most compelling scenes in the entire war drama and that is Rommel’s discussion with Adolf Hitler (a riveting performance by Luther Adler) about the declining strategies of winning the war. But the bombastic leader gets horribly riled and insists on acting very unreasonable because he refuses to lose the war. This scene is absolutely remarkable because we greatly depict one of the most dangerous lost causes engineered by one of history’s dirtiest and most psychotic leaders where he feels rather spoiled by a rather honest military officer who all he wants is a reasonable surrender who’s had enough of human carnage. Hitler has done a lot of human damage to the world and look how Rommel feels about the war, he was rather displeased on Hitler’s methods about winning a war by telling him his rigid tactics on how to win it. When we saw earlier back in the scene in Northern Africa, another respected officer, played by the mostly dependable George McCready, whom he ironically played a conversely nasty French officer in Stanley Kubrick’s excellent WWI Drama “Paths Of Glory” insinuates that the tactics are “sheer madness!”. He even compares the tactics to those used in the middle ages. I mean no wonder the war went a little on for a year after Normandy. We even use a depiction of the plot to kill Hitler, where the disabled officer, Col. Claus von Stauffenberg (Eduard Franz) initiates a bomb exploding the building the führer was present but the plain unfortunately failed and we then cut back to Rommel, months after being wounded in an air raid is resting rather peacefully at his home with his family, has been issued a call from Hitler and he is told that he is receiving a visit from Gen. Burgdorf (Citizen Kane’s Everett Sloane, again excellent) which turns out to be an arrest for Rommel for the crime of treason. Burgdoff informs Rommel that he’s got two choices, either appear before a court martial against him or take a sedative that might turn off his life forever. After Rommel leaves his family we are later informed with an excellent question mark ending.

This is one of those war docudramas, which was directed by Henry Hathaway who also directed the equally compelling “House on 92^nd Street”, that, in my opinion, honestly depicts a realistic portrayal of one of the most celebrated German generals in the history of World War II. The cast is excellent, the script is absolutely well done and the scene where Rommel bickers with Hitler needs no absolute introduction. WWII historians will love this film and I hope they agree with me. A near-excellent rare gem.