The Desert Fox: The Story of Rommel Movie Download

8 / 10

Better than I would have expected.
For years, I avoided watching “The Desert Fox” because I assumed, like most Hollywood produced films of the era that the movie would play fast and loose with the facts. This is just too often the case with bio- pics of the era. So, I am usually much more likely to watch a documentary and get the facts instead of seeing a film which is intended much more as entertainment than a history lesson. And, given that I was a history teacher, of course I’d prefer documentaries. But in this case, I was surprised. While the film was far from perfect, what you saw was true and the filmmakers did a good job of establishing at the beginning that they conducted a lot of interviews in order to tell the story right–including consulting with Rommel’s widow. I really appreciate this–and that is why I rate the film an 8. Plus the acting and most of the production were very, very nice.

So, is it perfect? Nope. I had a few problems. I usually hate the overuse of stock footage and this film is no exception. In one case, I was really mad because its use was so sloppy. You see an American torpedo plane (an Avenger) become a British fighter plane in mid-air because of sloppy editing! Also, the film is NOT a comprehensive story about Rommel’s life or even his life during WWII. It’s much more spotty and emphasizes his progression from a loyal officer to a guy who had some knowledge of the plot to kill Hitler and kept his silence because he saw that this mad man was destroying his country. It’s not a bad choice to do this sort of study but I would love to have seen more–more about him as a man.

By the way, I did laugh at a scene between Rommel and von Rundstedt that would have occurred in June 1944. You see von Rundstedt putting on his scarf and picking up a heavy winter coat at the end of their talk. Where was von Rundstedt stationed…Antarctica?!Read More