Raid on Rommel
Raid on Rommel

Movie spotlight

Raid on Rommel

1971
Movie
99 min
English

Captain Foster plans on raiding German-occupied Tobruk with hand- picked commandos, but a mixup leaves him with a medical unit led by a Quaker conscientious objector.

Insights

IMDb5.8/10
Director: Henry HathawayGenres: War, Action, Drama

Plot Summary

During World War II, a British commando unit, led by Major Alex Horsfall, is tasked with a daring mission into North Africa. Their objective is to infiltrate enemy territory and destroy the formidable coastal defenses of Tobruk, manned by Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps. Facing overwhelming odds and relentless German resistance, Horsfall and his men must rely on their courage and cunning to achieve their goal before they are captured or killed.

Critical Reception

Raid on Rommel received a generally mixed to negative reception upon its release. While some appreciated the action sequences and Richard Burton's presence, many critics found the film's plot predictable and its historical accuracy questionable. Audience reception was similarly lukewarm, with its commercial performance being modest.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its action-packed battle scenes and military spectacle.

  • Criticized for a weak and uninspired plot, and deviations from historical facts.

  • Richard Burton's performance was noted, but often seen as wasted on the material.

Google audience: Audience reviews are scarce, but general sentiment suggests it's a passable war film for its time, though not particularly memorable. Some viewers enjoyed the military action, while others found it formulaic and lacking depth.

Fun Fact

The film was shot in Spain, with the desert landscapes and set designs aiming to evoke the North African campaign, though it was not filmed on location in North Africa.

AI-generated overview · Verify ratings on official sources

My Review

TMDB Reviews

1 reviews
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

Is it just me, or is this just a fairly straightforward remake of “Tobruk” (1967)? Instead of Rock we have Richard, Burton, as he sets off deep behind enemy lines in North Africa to destroy a fuel dump that is going to help mobilise a coupl...