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Sahara (1943)

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Sahara. Feature film. (1943, 97 mins) IMDB

...a predictable WWII film...

S

AHARA is an entirely predictable WWII film staring Humphrey Bogart.

Bogart is a sergeant of a tank crew in North Africa. The tide is turning against the allies. HQ orders him and his tank to retreat, to go south and they head south. It's just one tank and a few soldiers. Their concerns are the German troops and water.

They encounter a British hospital unit that is battered and bruised. The two forces hook up and continue south in search of water.

While Bogart is only a sergeant, the British officer in charge of his unit gives up command to Bogart. That's why he's the star.

Enter a Sudanese soldier who guides them toward a well.

Enter a German plane who attacks them. They fight back and shoot down the plane. They have a prisoner of war in this pilot who embodies the hatred towards Germans.

Enter an Italian officer who embodies the bon-homme sitting on the fence type. He hates El Duce and loves the US.

They arrive at an ancient fort with a well. The well is dry except for a trickle. The men are dehydrating and in desperate need of water.

At this point they have maybe thirty men plus POWs.

Enter a force of German soldiers. They are greatly outnumbered and nowhere to go and no support in sight. It looks bleak for our heroes. They setup up trenches and defence and manager to hold off the Germans. Then in the closing sequence, the Germans give up en mass. They need water and surrender to get it. During the bombing and fighting, the water in the well begins to flood. How ironic.

Posted 2009/04/26 at 22h19ET in Movie Commentary.

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