The Desert Fox (1951)
A biopic of German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel during World War II which created the myth of what a great man the Field Marshal was and how respected he was by both his own men and the opposition Allied forces during the North Africa campaigns at Tobruk and El Alamein.
It's only when he returns to Germany and discovers the Atlantic Wall to stop any Allied invasion is inadequate that it brings him into conflict with Hitler and later into the plot to kill Hitler with Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg (Sadly not played by Tom Cruise as he later would be in the 2008 film Valkyrie) which results in his arrest for treason.
The great James Mason plays Rommel brilliantly, bringing out both his tactical genius and humanity quite beautifully as the film turns from war time adventure to that of a study in disenchantment. Henry Hathaway directs with assurance and poignancy and the fact real battle footage from the North Africa campaign was used gives the film a real sense of authenticity.
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