The Desert Rats (1953) User Reviews (42)

One of the most realistic and best of the fifties war movies with excellent direction by Robert Wise

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 20 November 2007]

1941 Lybian desert, North Africa. German forces are pushing through to Suez, the key to the Middle East , only Tobruk is still holding out, there's a considerable unit there. With the British in full retreat, nothing stood in Rommel's way but the tiny garrison of Empire troops cut off in the fortress won of Tobruk.Meantime, Germans dropping leaflets captioning : Surrender! German forces have surrounded Tobruk, it is useless to try to escape. Single soldiers waving handkerchiefs will not be fired upon. Aussies..do not sacrifice yourselves needlessly. Lay down your arms. Surrender! . The picture is the story of Tobruk and the men who made up its garrison, of the fight they made against the pick of Hitler's troops and of the nickname they won with blood and bore with pride: ¨The Deser Rats¨. British headquarter Cairo's ordered to take up defensive positions for two months ,reunited the officers(Robert Douglas, Torin Thatcher, among others) deal the Tobruk 's defense : the positions are the following, the first line of defense ,using the old Italian perimeter, the second line by Colonel White's supporting artillery and the inner fortification. The British plan of defense is based chiefly on the belief of a Bilzkrieg by Rommel(a splendid James Mason reprise his role from ¨The Desert fox¨). The general proposes to let Rommel's tanks come through here unopposed, leaving the tanks to proceed up this avenue alone. Colonel White will have moved artillery to line both sides of the avenue.Meanwhile the soldiers are already digging positions for the captured Italian field-pieces. So, the longer we hold our fire, the deeper Rommel's tanks will advance into this box and the easier they will be to destroy. The General assigns to McRoberts, an infantry captain with battle experience, twice decorated, he must put into the line.The crusty captain( a stiff but sensitive acting by Richard Burton) takes a charge of an Australian division formed by valiant soldiers and a kind-hearted schoolmaster alcoholic(sensible performance by Robert Newton steal the show as drunk turned reluctant soldier) fighting a desperate rearguard action against overwhelming German forces.

This reconstruction of a phase in the battle of Tobruk(deeds also filmed by Arthur Hiller in ¨Tobruk¨ with Rock Hudson) is correctly based on true events, though excessive importance for the Aussies. The actual deeds are based on series of engagements between British and Axis forces over Libyan port. Occupied by Italy 1911, Tobruk was taken by Britain in Operation Battleaxe 1941.It was captured by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel June 1942 after the retreat of the main British force to Egypt, and this precipitated General Sir Claude Auchinleck's replacement by General Bernard Montgomery as British commander. Montgomery recovered it after the second of Battle of El Alamein and it remained in British hands for the rest of the war.

Excellent look at British and ANZAC troops

[Homer900 · 7/10 · 2 July 2006]

I haven't seen this gem in almost 20 years and AMC presented it today. An excellent look at the British war effort against the Germans and Italians in North Africa. Except for the minor mistakes of weaponry (American made Thompsons in the hands of Germans, Colt M1917 water-cooled MGs for German MGs, etc) this was a realistic and rousing tale of the North African campaign. Of course Hollywood liberties were taken, it is a movie, not a documentary. The interplay between Richard Burton and Robert Newton was excellent, with Newton's performance the proper balance for Burton's sometimes hysterical scene-chewing. That is is based loosely on real events and in many cases ANZAC and British troops did hold back Rommel's attacks many times only enhances the story. Kudos to the makers and an excellent addition to any war movie collection.

You can all but feel the rocks pounding down as each Nazi shell hits.

[bensonmum2 · 7/10 · 19 June 2006]

The Desert Rats is a very enjoyable WWII film dealing with a portion of the war that may seem alien to those in America. Americans are accused, and sometimes rightly so, of thinking WWII began and ended with America's involvement. But it didn't. The Desert Rats is the story of the Allies last stand in Northern Africa at Tobruk. Rommel and the Nazis would have clear sailing to the important Suez if Tobruk fell. It's up to Capt. MacRoberts (Richard Burton) and his band of green Aussie replacements to stop the advance of Hitler's army.

When you read comments about war movies, you always read complaints about historical accuracy. Is The Desert Rats true to history? I'm not a student of history, so I wouldn't know. Furthermore, I don't really care. To me, it's about the entertainment I get from a film and I've always found The Desert Rats entertaining. The authentic looking sets, the tremendous ground shaking explosions, the plot that focuses on a small band of men, and the action sequences are all highlights of the movie for me. Robert Wise's direction and Lucien Ballard's cinematography put the viewer in the middle of the action. You can all but feel the rocks pounding down as each Nazi shell hits. It's very well done.

My only complaint about The Desert Rats is in the overall construction. I realize that it's a result of attempting to be historically accurate, but history doesn't always put events in the most exciting sequences. The film opens with its best moments. The battle scene between the dug-in Aussie's and Rommel's tanks is as exciting and well filmed as I've seen in a war movie. Unfortunately, the movie (as dictated by history) cannot keep up this pace. The ending, as the now battle-hardened Aussie hold a hill waiting for replacements, is anticlimactic.

The beginning of the end for Rommel.

[masonx · 6 April 2000]

Interesting re-enactment of the desert campaign during WWII as seen through the experiences of one small company in the British army. They are a disparate group of soldiers. A motley band of commonwealth troops of mixed personalities led by Captain MacRoberts played by Richard Burton. Through the fire and hell of battling the Desert Fox and his war-hardened troops MacRoberts by lifting their spirits and their morale eventually melds his men into a fighting fit group of warriors. Enough said.

Although the story has neither the forced authenticity of 'The Longest Day' or the Hollywood panache of 'Where Eagles Dare' I believe it still manages to stand out in a special place on its own. Prior to a host of many other war movies it was the first to concentrate exclusively on the common soldier in the trenches, his anxieties for the present and hopes for the future. I also liked the side story of the young captain who is surprised to have under his command a favourite old school master, Bartlett played by Robert Newton. It causes some quizzical looks amongst the men, especially when he insists on continuing to address the old private as sir. Here the Desert Fox is played with dignity and respect by James Mason. The other german characters are also portrayed benignly, perhaps in view of the fact that very few atrocities were committed by Rommel's troops unlike their counterparts in Eastern Europe. History records accurately what eventually happened to Rommel in the aftermath of the plot to assassinate Hitler but here that is all in the near future. I recommend this b & w film to all war movie buffs of this English made genre but if you're looking for 'Saving Private Ryan' perhaps you should give it a miss.

An excellent war picture

[MOscarbradley · 7/10 · 15 September 2017]

It wasn't a great part and it wasn't a great film but this early performance from Richard Burton showed just how great an actor he might become. Unfortunately Hollywood, Taylor and the bottle often seemed to get in the way. In "The Desert Rats" he is the young officer leading his men into battle or more specifically, into the battle for Tobruk and he really is very good and as war films go, this is a tight and exciting picture, (it clocks in at under 90 minutes). Robert Wise was the director and you can tell this movie was directed by a great editor; there isn't a wasted moment in the whole film and the action scenes are brilliantly handled. James Mason once again appears as Rommel and there's a fine supporting performance from Robert Newton as Burton's old schoolmaster, now a private in his command.

Old-skool War-film

[freemantle_uk · 7/10 · 19 April 2009]

The North Africa Campaign, the Siege of Tobruk and the Desert Rats all have an important place in the British and Australian Psyche during and after the Second World War, and it took less then 10 years after the war for a film about the Siege to be made.

In 1941 British and Australian troops had control of the fortress town of Tobruk in Libya. Tobruk gets surrounded by German and Italian troops as the Axis tries to take Egypt and the Suez Canal. The British high command order the Australian General Leslie Morshead to hold Tobruk for 2 months to disrupt the German supply lines. Morshead was a clever commander, trapping German tanks to make them useless and made his troops fight a tough guerrilla campaign. The main focus of the film is on a British officer, 'Tammy' MacRoberts who is given command of a fresh batch of Australian troops, including his former school master. He has to train his troops to get them ready for the battle and first the bitter war.

The acting isn't that good, the Australian accents were awful and it would have been easier if their casted Australian actors. As well their seem to be an American officer with the British and Australians ones, I don't know why? What makes the film work is the war scenes. They are well done and you get to feel the action and sweat of battle. The film is also a short, tort experience. Also there is an historical inaccuracy; the Desert Rats was the name for the 9th Armoured Division of the British Army, not the 7th Australian Army. However Rommel did call the army the rats of Tobruk.

Personally I would like to see a new film about the war in North Africa because their are many interesting stories and battles, from the Battle of El-Alamein, the story of Rommel and Montgomery, Operation Touch, the Birth of the SAS, etc... The Siege of Tobruk would also make an interesting story for a modern film.

Unusually well done war flick - well worth a look

[chall-5 · 7/10 · 24 October 2005]

This is a really enjoyable movie. Burton and Newton do a fine job, as do a cast of familiar British character actors. James Mason in his first outing as Rommel is especially fun. He reprised the role in a later Rommel bio-pic (titled "The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel").

Despite it's age, most of the attempts at special effects (artillery in the distance, explosions done via matte) come off well. As for the scenes where they really shoot off some pyrotechnics, they spared no expense! The overall portrait of the desert and army life looks very real and has the ring of truth. The plot is exciting and never drags.

The only problems are the over-patriotic script (I guess we should cut them some slack here, this movie was made much closer to the war than we are today!) and as noted elsewhere, the inappropriate German weapons. It's amazing that they used Thompson machine guns instead of MP40's, when for the next 30 years everybody from "The Man from U.N.C.L.E." to James Bond would use the MP40 all over the place. In summary I think this movie was a bit better than I expected and holds up well to repeated viewings.

Tell it to the Spartans

[rmax304823 · 6/10 · 16 April 2007]

Richard Burton gives his usual splendid, stiff, explosive performance as Lt. Col. MacRoberts, an English ("Pommy") officer put in charge of Australian and New Zealand troops at Tobruk. There is some natural resentment on the part of the colonials. On top of that, Robert Newton is in his company, and Newton was Burton's old schoolmaster, now turned into a semi-coward.

Tobruk at the time was a crummy seaport surrounded by the Afrika Corps. Rommel was dashing all over the place more or less at will, except that his attack on Tobruk had failed. Rommel would eventually take Tobruk too, but by then the Allies had landed in Rommel's rear and he was now facing two front instead of one. To his further disadvantage, the German code had been cracked by the British, so they knew when ships with Rommel's supplies were to leave Italy. Few of the supply ships got through to the German and Italian troops in Africa. By El Alamein Rommel was losing two-thirds of his supply ships. It was not just an inconvenience. At times the Germans had to drain several tanks and abandon them, in order to fuel another. Not knowing the code had been broken, the Germans blamed the Italians for blabbing after they were taken prisoner. Rommel distrusted the Italians and their generals, one of the more operatic of which, Ettore Bastico, Rommel nicknamed "Bombastico."

Anyway, Burton is quite good and his support is too, including James Mason as Rommel. I admire Burton a lot and it may be heresy to suggest this but I wonder if he was the great actor everyone seemed to think. It was his voice that did it for him. "My name is Richard Burton -- and I've bean through hell." His Hamlet was misconceived. During the famous soliloquy he shuffles back and forth like a plastic bear in an amusement-park shooting gallery and hustles through the lines.

James Mason comes up with an absolutely unbearable German accent as General Rommel. "Come now, MacWooberts, I shushpect dzat you alweady know dzah answer." A year earlier he had given us an unimpeachable Rommel in "The Desert Fox." Rommel was so humanized that there were objections from the critics. Mason was TOO NICE. So here, playing the role a second time, he goes back to World War II stereotypes and plays Rommel as formal, condescending, and sneaky. He listens to Wagner while snapping out orders.

This is still a good war flick within the limitations of the genre at the time. The action scenes are exciting. The dialog is crisp and believable, mostly. There are some chronological goofs. Planes attacking the German trucks in Africa are TBFs from the Pacific Theater. And the Germans seem to be using American water-cooled Browning machine guns. And makeup has failed. The desert rats don't look like desert rats; they look like sewer rats -- oily and pale. And instead of dust, dirt is indicated by a smear of grease on somebody's cheek. It's a retrogressive flag waver that commits an easily avoided sin; it doesn't even TRY to capture the majesty of a vast and empty desert.

old fashion war movie

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 7 March 2017]

It's 1941. Field Marshal Erwin von Rommel is pushing towards the Suez Canal. Allied forces are hold up in the port of Tobruk threatening his supply lines. Capt. Tammy MacRoberts (Richard Burton) is picked to lead a group of newly-arrived green Australian troupes. They struggle to hold on for two months and end up surviving for eight until relief.

The accuracy is questionable to be generous. The story of the raid feels especially unreal. At least, they get captured. This works as an old-fashion war movie. There are bits of good action. Burton and cast are good. It is good action but a little slow in long stretches.

Bad Times for the Anzacs in Tobruk

[bkoganbing · 9/10 · 11 February 2006]

Before Australia and New Zealand were threatened with attack on the home front, they sent as they did in the First World War, an expeditionary force to help Great Britain protect the Suez Canal, the lifeline of the British Empire. Aussies and Kiwis made a great deal of the army that General Wavell was commanding from Cairo.

They have always had a reputation as an informal people and it's with a bit of surprise that spit and polish Scots officer Richard Burton is put in charge of a batallion in a forward area of the defense perimeter surrounding Tobruk. The men and Burton don't take to each other too readily, but gradually the troops grow to respect Burton as a courageous fighting man.

Burton as it happens gets a bit of assistance from an unexpected quarter. His old schoolmaster Robert Newton had immigrated to Australia and enlisted in their army at the start of World War II. When not focusing on the battle sequences, The Desert Rats is about the relationship between Burton and Newton. All the rules about army discipline and separation of officers and enlisted men go by the boards here. Burton who's been under a strain like everyone else under siege at Tobruk gets a safety valve in Newton. An old friend from the past, a father figure if you will, gives Burton someone he can confide his innermost thoughts and fears to.

Sad to say the alcoholic Mr. Newton gives a refrained and dignified performance as a middle aged alcoholic schoolmaster. A role he could understand all too well from real life. He complements Burton's performance every step of the way in this film.

Look for some good performances from Australian actors Charles Tingwell and Chips Rafferty. Though this is a film about the Allied forces at Tobruk in 1941 and no Americans were officially fighting, this is an American production. So these two guys made their American cinema debuts. Tingwell never made another American film, but Rafferty came back a few times and his presence makes every film he's in just a bit better.

You might recognize Michael Rennie's voice doing the offscreen narration for The Desert Rats. The Desert Rats is a timeless wartime classic about the strain of command at every level of the Armed Services.

More accurate than most

[daveapps · 6/10 · 14 March 2006]

There are more than a few inaccuracies in this movie, starting off with the fact that 'The Desert Rats' was - and is - the nickname of the British 7th Armoured Division, and comes from their mascot, the jerboa. I wouldn't try to comment on the technical points of equipment, but, on the strategic side, the producers did a better job with their research than many other WWII movie makers.

The garrison of Tobruk at the start of the siege in April 1941 consisted of 9th Australian Division (the 'Rats of Tobruk', not the 'Desert Rats'), 18th Australian Brigade and a British Army Tank regiment (equipped with infantry tanks). The artillery and anti tank regiments at this stage were all British, as the 9th's artillery was still training at Gaza in Palestine.

Of Wavell's other forces, three infantry divisions were in Greece and one in Ethiopia. 7th Armoured was in Egypt, at only around half strength. Several independent regiments were also scattered around the Middle East.

Rommel's forces consisted of the Afrika Korps - 15th and 21st Panzer (armoured) Divisions and 90th Light Division - and the Italian forces -one armoured division, one motorised infantry division and four infantry divisions. This force of around 100,000 men was all the High Command would allow him for most of the campaign, because of the supply problems.

So, at the start of the siege, the allies were heavily outnumbered, just as the movie shows. With so little to hold Egypt, Wavell knew his best chance was to deny Rommel the use of the deep-water harbour of Tobruk, ninety miles west of the Libyan border. Without it, Axis supplies had to come overland from Benghazi, over two hundred miles further west. As the movie says, he asked for two months. True to his word, he launched his counter-offensive in June, but it was heavily defeated. It would be another five months before his successor, Auchinlek, could launch the successful Operation Crusader, which relieved the siege in December 1941. By this time, only a single Australian battalion, the 2/13th, was still in Tobruk. By October, the Australians had been on reduced rations for six months, and at the insistence of the Australian government they were gradually replaced by British and Free Polish troops.

The film is also accurate in the depiction of the final engagement of the siege, with 2/13th holding El Duda, just east of Tobruk. Rommel made a final attempt to take Tobruk, which he nearly did before withdrawing on 5th December, 17 days after the offensive began.

The battle scenes are fairly well depicted. The key to defeating Rommel's main attack on 1 May was for the infantry to hold the perimeter, allowing the German tanks through onto the anti-tank guns, but stopping the German infantry from following them. Not mentioned in the film, two weeks later Wavell launched a minor attack on the Libyan frontier, forcing Rommel to move forces east to garrison Sollum, Capuzzo and Halfaya. Also not mentioned is the role of the RAF on Malta, slowing down Rommel's attempt to build up forces and supplies for a new attack. Of course, the main reason he was not able to attack again before the Crusader offensive was the German invasion of Russia on 22 June, putting Africa a distant last on the priority list for supplies and reinforcements.

Rommel did finally take Tobruk in his Gazala offensive of May/June 1942, at which time it was held by inexperienced South African troops. This allowed him to advance into Egypt as far as El Alamein, where the rest, as they say, is history. Nevertheless, the defence of Tobruk in 1941 was a bright light for the allies at time of general gloom and disaster, and well deserving of a film that I consider quite entertaining. Just don't get me started on the 'Aussie' accents of most of the minor characters!

One of my favorites!

[eskeene · 10/10 · 29 January 2005]

This was the first movies I was ever allowed to stay up and watch on the old Saturday Night At The Movies show on NBC so it has always had a fond place in my heart. Although some might dismiss it as clichéd, it is a tight, well told story that some of today's films might do well to emulate. The realism, ambivalence, and irony of today's war films is definitely missing but one should remember that this was the "good" war. While the other reviewers may criticize its historical accuracy, as someone who grew up hearing war stories from American and Canadian WWI and WWII veterans, it does capture the feeling of a period without going overboard on heroics or far-fetched plot twists.

Thanks, Fox

[Siberian · 6/10 · 7 May 2003]

I remember seeing this movie as a kid, one of the umpteen B&W WWII movies that were shown as late night TV movies. As our TV was B&W then, it fit right in.

I just watched it again last night, this time on DVD. A very good period film, proving that Hollywood's current obsession with overpaid superstars and overwrought CGI special effects is no way to make a decent film.

I want to thank Fox for releasing this and several other older films as part of their FOX WAR CLASSICS on DVD, where the picture and sound are for the most part excellent, and at a reasonable price. Most of these films will never be digitally restored, so these budget DVDs are a great way to enjoy them.

Rats

[michaelarmer · 4/10 · 23 December 2019]

I don't think this is as good as others say it is, also made at the wrong time, not long after the war ended, it was more of a propaganda film made during austerity times to cheer up the public, particularly the British.

About a true story but only a little accurate, It has 2 great British actors in James Mason and Richard Burton, but the acting is a bit over dramatic, a young Burton over acts and Mason, although looking a bit germanic does not look anything like Rommel, and he is rather droll. There is not one German actor in the entire cast (only a token Austrian), not so surprising because of the year it was made, and not many Australians in the Australian company.

The photography is not good, the daylight scenes looked too dark, almost like night scenes, and with B&W film it looked poor, it was made in the Arizona desert so not the right place, but since the photography was bad it was hard to say where it was. The Direction by Robert Wise was ok but not one of his best, it was an early effort. The music tried to be stirring but did not succeed.

All in all it was poorly made, at the wrong time and the acting too dramatic, If made in the 60's it would have been made a lot better and much benefited from colour film. Maybe a modern remake is a possibility ?

A fine film that highlights an almost forgotten campaign in WWII.

[countryway_48864 · 30 August 2001]

The Desert Rats is an unpretentious war film that tells a good story with economy. The heroics come without drum-rolls.

The most fascinating part of this film is to watch both the marvelous Robert Newton and the under-rated James Mason give Richard Burton acting lessons.

Burton tends to chew the scenery when he snarls, "Good-morning," as though he were the youngest in a large family, doing anything for attention.

Newton counters Burton's unnecessary histrionics with a beautifully modulated realization of-himself in disguise as Prof. Bartlett, Burton's old instructor. I think this is the most honest look at the REAL Newton on film. The rueful man who clearly understands his inability to stay sober, but still has enough control to see his own and everyone else's situation clearly. He is the kind, timorous, brilliant failure who, in one burst of glory, up-stages his more successful juniors. Newton delivers a truly magical performance.

James Mason also delivers a balanced and multi-layered Rommel. Of course he practiced playing this brilliant German General in the better-known film, The Desert Fox.

Burton comes across as pure ham in The Desert Rats, but there IS one scene he has where he is honest and effective. He explains to Bartlett that the picture of the young woman in his wallet is his wife. The picture actually IS Burton's wife, pre-Elizabeth Taylor.

Otherwise, although Burton is billed as the star, the film belongs to Newton and Mason. See it for the pleasure of their company.

Solid enough desert war picture with a good cast to be enjoyed

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 6 November 2016]

THE DESERT RATS is something of a follow-up to THE DESERT FOX, which also starred James Mason as Erwin Rommel and covered some of the North African campaign. However the emphasis of this film is very much on the Allied forces, particularly an Australian platoon who baulk at their new captain, the Scottish Tammy MacRoberts.

First off, the title is a misnomer; this isn't about the 'desert rats' but rather about the siege of Tobruk and the dedicated men who fought back against the encircling Nazi siege. Richard Burton is well cast as the heroic leader of men and brings the kind of gravitas to the part that only he can deliver. The desert-set action is quite familiar from other war films (and there are a LOT of desert-themed war films in existence) but what makes this one work is a fast pace and some good supporting cast members.

Mason doesn't have a big role to play in this film although he does get to share a strong scene with Burton. The other soldiers are played by Robert Newton, the delightful Chips Rafferty, movie villain Torin Thatcher, and Charles Tingwell. The story runs the usual gamut of heroism and capture, escape and death, and builds to a suspenseful against-the-odds climax. It's certainly not one of the finest war films in existence but as war films go it's a solid enough effort.

"This isn't a game for children"

[Steffi_P · 7/10 · 30 November 2009]

In the decade following the close of World War 2, there seems to have been a need to document on film every significant allied operation (at least, every successful one), to give every hero a movie they could identify with. A worthy aim, but the sheer volume of these pictures meant there was a vast variety in quality and approach.

This one was produced at Fox and directed by Robert Wise, who had only recently joined the studio after having cut his teeth in the RKO B-unit. During the 40s RKO was making literally the darkest pictures in Hollywood, and much of that shadowy style seems to have rubbed off on Wise. He and cinematographer Lucien Ballard (who certainly knew a thing or two about shadows, having taken his earliest assignments alongside Josef von Sternberg) have created a war picture which is not exactly noirish in story, but is certainly full noir in looks. The gloomy, undefined edges of the interiors give a feeling of entrapment suitable to the situation of the beleaguered troops.

There is little opportunity for darkness in a desert, but the outdoor scenes also carry on that feel of confinement. The landscape is often obscured by smoke or sandstorms. We see silhouettes that could be friend or foe, and glimpse enemies through gun sights. There are few clear shots of the action, more often just mid-shots of the soldiers which make it hard to tell their position in relation to the combat. The impression we get is – quite accurately – that in the heat of battle the ordinary foot soldiers can rarely tell exactly what is going on, whether they are winning or losing, or how to proceed beyond the execution of the latest order. It was things like this – a bit of lateral thinking to give us a feeling for the protagonist's plight – that Robert Wise was really good at.

The post-war period had seen the rise of the UK film industry, and unsurprisingly the best British stars were being poached for Hollywood productions. So here we have Richard Burton, at his most inappropriately theatrical and unshakeably serious (how often have you seen Burton smile?), and yet somehow he is very enjoyable to watch. James Mason had gone in a few short years from dashing male leads to slightly sinister middle-aged types, but he could pull it off, and perhaps even enjoyed villainous roles like this a bit. Speaking of enjoying villainous roles, what have we here? Robert Newton, playing – of all things – an alcoholic ex-schoolteacher. He always showed some potential in his straight roles, but to be honest he is just a bit boring without snarling and eye-rolling.

The original music is by ex-Disney intern Leigh Harline (he wrote When You Wish upon a Star, you know). Actually there isn't very much original music to be heard in the Desert Rats, the score being mostly snippets of Waltzing Matilda, but there is one interesting point about the music. Take a closer look at that opening credits sequence. At one point, you see a soldier with a trumpet pick up the tune. This kind of makes sense – sounding the charge and all that. Then, a shot or two later, a soldier dives into a shell hole and pops back up… playing a clarinet! What is going on there? I actually whizzed the tape back and forth a few times to check if any more of the orchestra appears, but sadly they don't. I would have liked to see Richard Burton come on at the end, playing a trombone.

Anyway, enough of that. It's odd in a way that Hollywood put such a lot of energy into honouring the heroes of the recent combat, because by and large the veterans themselves stayed away from these pictures. The target audience was more often the younger generation who hadn't been old enough to fight at the time. Grim authenticity was becoming less of a priority (and while the Desert Rats is certainly gritty and respectful it does once or twice strain credibility and historical accuracy), and the anti-war mood had not yet caught on (although this picture is certainly far less gung-ho than was the norm a few years earlier). The most a war picture really needed to be at this point was entertaining, and the Desert Rats is victorious on this front. It is neither deep nor spectacular, but it is a good and easy watch for your eighty-five minutes.

Bitter Victory

[richardchatten · 7/10 · 10 January 2024]

The siege of Tobruk had already been filmed in Australia as 'The Rats of Tobruk' which explains why Fox had imported former cast member Chips Rafferty when they came to restage the Libyan campaign on the desert near Miami which acknowledges the contribution made by the Aussies through both the use of Australian actors and Alfred Newman's constant use on the soundtrack of 'Waltzing Matilda'.

Narrated like 'The Desert Fox' by Michael Rennie, James Mason returns as Rommel - this time employing a German accent since this film is from the point of view of the Allies - personified by a slim young Richard Burton when he was still able to make a convincing commando.

Study of Leadership .

[manojkumar · 7/10 · 14 August 2006]

This is a very tight and compelling presentation of a heroic stand off. A classic story of so few against so many. While the movie is a good narrative,what is also captivating in this movie, is the study of different characteristics of Great Leadership. The various protagonists, Captain Tammy Roberts, the General , General Rommel and even the crusty old school teacher Tom Bartlett all display some of the characteristics of outstanding leadership. It also presents several dilemmas that leaders face and their varying responses to them.. ... Fascinating stuff! So much so,that this movie can actually be used as a 'case study' in Leadership Development programs ...

Remember once this dump blows your on your own

[kapelusznik18 · 7/10 · 22 April 2017]

***SPOILERS***Excellent portrayal of the 242 day siege of Tobruk with Richard Burton as British Captain Tommy MacRoberts holding the line against wave after wave of attacking German and Italian assaults on the Lybian port city of Tobruk. There's again James Mason as German General Irwin Rommel leading the charge against the port city that he needs to supply his troops for his planned capture of Egypt and it's Suez Canal that can knock Great Britain out of the war.

With almost 90% of the troops under his command being Australians the British Captain MacRoberts needs to win their respect before their willing to risk their lives for him. One of those Aussies is MacRoberts former school teacher Tom Bartlett, Robert Newton, who's now a helpless drunk but wants MacRoberts to put him on the front lines to both overcome his drinking problem as well as get his courage back.

Ordered by the nameless general in charge-Leslie Morshead-in the films closing credited played by Robert Douglas to hold Tobruk at all costs and promoted to Let-Coronal MacRoberts is almost killed and eventually captured by the Germans and gets to have a chat with the German General Rommel about how helpless his situation is. That's before he and fellow British POW Sgt. Blue Smith, Chips Rafferty, escapes when the truck he's on is strafed by the RAF on it's way back to German controlled Benghazi. Back to the British lines Let-Col. MacRoberts now waits for the final attack by German/Italian forces on "Fortress Tobruk" knowing that if he and his men, who he has now gained their respect,can't repel their advance Britain and its both colonies as well as Commonwealth is kaput!

P.S The British and Australian troops do hold off Rommels assaults on Tobruk and eventually were relieved on November 27, 1941 in "Operation Crusader" lead by British General Auchinleck-Known as the "Auk"-after suffering some 6,000-Mostly Australian- casualties in the 242 day siege. With the Afrika Korps losing almost twice and many men in the desert fighting.

A Very Realistic War Movie

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 19 February 2005]

In 1941, during the World War II, Field Marshal Erwin von Rommel (James Mason) tries to conquer the city of Tobruk in Libya and the British battalion defends this location to avoid Rommel to reach the Suez Canal. The young, but experienced British Capt. 'Tammy' MacRoberts (Richard Burton) leads a limited number of inexperienced Australian troops in the defense of Tobruk, and uses raids during the night against Rommel forces to keep the balance between the strong German army and the reduced British-Australian forces, and MacRoberts' troops are called "The Desert Rats". "The Desert Rats" is a very realistic war movie, presenting strategies, battles, action scenes and a great duel between James Mason and Richard Burton. I am not sure whether Robert Wise used footage of some real battle scenes along the film, since the realism in the black and white photography is amazing and sometimes it looks like a documentary. There are also excellent lines between Richard Burton and James Mason, and Richard Burton and Robert Newton, in the role of the former teacher of MacRoberts. "The Desert Rats" is a highly recommended movie. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Ratos do Deserto" ("Desert Rats")

Come out of your holes you desert rats!

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 16 April 2014]

The Desert Rats is directed by Robert Wise and written by Richard Murphy. It stars Richard Burton, Robert Newton, Robert Douglas, Torin Thatcher, Chips Rafferty and James Mason. Music is by Leigh Harline and cinematography by Lucien Ballard.

The follow up to The Desert Fox (it's not a sequel) from two years earlier, was in essence an attempt to readdress the balance after The Desert Fox annoyed certain quarters with its admiration for what a great soldier Field Marshal Rommel was. So here we have the battle of Tobruk orchestrated by the astute Robert Wise, the plot is simple, but the characterisations are most certainly not, with lead men Burton and Newton terrific.

This important part of the war is given mature treatment, with the battle sequences realistically staged and the tactical nous of allied force leaders rightly given credence. Sadly Mason is barely in the picture, which is more frustrating when you witness the extended scene that is shared between Mason and Burton, a British film fan's dream right there. While elsewhere it should be noted that this is, perhaps inevitably, not an accurate history lesson, so students of Tobruk don't be basing your thesis on this telling.

Still, a good quality war pic for sure. 7/10

"Tommy Guns" factual not entirely true...

[loutootx2 · 9/10 · 6 November 2005]

The factual about the Germans using Thompson sub machine guns is only partially true....While the Germans did not outfit their troops with the extremely popular gun of American origin....it is an indisputable fact that throughout the war in all theaters....and especially in a hotly contested battle ...which the first "battle of Tobruk" certainly was....captured enemy weapons were frequently used as is evidenced even within the film when the "Rats" turned the Germans guns on them....by the way in one case it was clearly an "army surplus" 50 caliber heavy machine gun also American made.....but these little nits and picks do little to detract from the overall flow of the movie.

History into hokum?

[JohnHowardReid · 7/10 · 26 February 2018]

VIEWERS' GUIDE: The censor says, "Suitable for all". Who am I to argue?

COMMENT: Although Mason again essays the role of Rommel, he makes only a few brief appearances and plays the character differently from his study in The Desert Fox. Half the time he speaks German with an English accent, and the other half English with a German accent! What is more, he comes closer to the conventional Hollywood portrait of the Nazi officer, playing Wagner in his tent and exchanging "Ve will conquer zee vorld!" dialogue with Richard Burton's sassy British POW.

Of course, these changes are not directly attributable to Mason, but are the work of the scriptwriter and the director, who could not have anticipated that The Desert Fox and Desert Rats would be re-issued as a double bill. All the same, it is disconcerting.

Otherwise, both writing and direction are very smooth. Richard Burton and Robert Newton are ingeniously worked into the cast, Robert Douglas makes an acceptable C.O. and there are some dinky-di Aussies on hand including Chips Rafferty, Charles Tingwell and Michael Pate (most of whose part, he tells me, landed on the cutting-room floor).

The action scenes are excitingly staged, but on the whole the film is a mite disappointing. The direction is too restrained, too soberly realistic, and doesn't go all out for the grand adventure epic like Hathaway's Lives of a Bengal Lancer or Chauvel's 40,000 Horsemen that the film's publicity leads us to expect.

On the other hand, the fictitious narrative involving Newton and Burton, though ingenious, is neither convincing enough nor sufficiently realistic to put the film in the semi-documentary category. So the film tends to fall between two stools. This is unfortunate as within its limits, the film does well, and successfully accomplishes what it sets out to do, namely to provide an entertaining and action-filled if fictitious narrative, set against the realistic backdrop of the siege of Tobruk.

A Forgettable War Film!

[Sylviastel · 5/10 · 17 July 2015]

I am sure there were hundreds of films based on World War II. In this case, the Allies are in Northern Africa where they capture German Nazi Rommel. I just wanted to see Richard Burton act in this film. The location is in the desert with the oppressive heat. The Allies are fighting the Nazis. The film is a depiction of the battle of Tobruk. I don't know much about the Second World War in Northern Africa but Rommel was also known as the desert fox. The cast is fine but the story line appears to be slow moving too. James Mason is fine as Rommel. I can't compare his performance to anybody playing Rommel so he was fine to me. I hate to write that my ignorance fails me when it comes to the battlefields of any war.