Death Race

I can still vividly remember the closing sequence to this film even after 10 years. It was just one of those movies that has stuck in my memory.I tried to recall the name of the movie on several occasions and it was only by chance that I found it on IMDB.

Excellent roles played by both the late Lloyd Bridges and Doug McClure. It was unfortunate that probably this being a "TV" movie it was not listed in the obituaries of these actors. I have tried unsuccessfully over many years of hunting to find a copy of this movie.

The portrayal of the increasing insane Pimler by Bridges was just brilliant. If anyone reading this review ever locates this movie, please get in touch.

In the North African desert , there World War II was just ending , appearing a German tank commanded by Gen. Ernst Beimler (Lloyd Bridges gives a mesmerizing acting) and along the way gun down most of British soldiers around . Then , there are two survivors of a down plane and the revenge-minded General carries on his own war , no matter what the cost to himself . Two airmen survive and return to a relentless manhunt . Beimler's war is about to begin from a settlement on the hot desert Sahara . An Encounter Against Death...In the Realities of a damaged American fighter plane that is unable to take off and being mercelessly pursued by a Nazi Tank . An unique look at the African campaigns' experience sympathetically told for both sides . You can escape from everything but justice. The Cause: freedom. The enemy: The world's deadliest fighting revenger. There is no room in a tank for a conscience. War brings out the beast in every man.

Thrilling and exciting screenplay concerning an obsessive General with an eagerly determination to seek vendetta on two fliers , even after he learns the war in North Africa has just ended , while the desperate and wounded allied pilots of a crippled airplane attempt to evade and destroy a pursuing Nazi tank . The tyrannical and increasingly unstable tank commander General Beimler pushes the moral boundaries of the tank drivers to the limits , with almost dire consequences . Interesting and moving script , saddling some nice action scenes at the ending , when it takes place a relentless final confrontation between the plane and tank , specially in the last reel . Sensational acting by Lloyd Bridges as the stubborn General who gunned down all around and seeks revenge when his garrison is defeated by the British under command of General Montgomery . However , his extreme obsession with desire for vengeance upon the Americans isn't believable , but the moments that click make the movie more than worthwhile . This character about an avenger who seeks revenge on those who previously vanquished him bears remarkable resemblance to ¨Captain Ahab's Moby Dick'¨ by Herman Melville and following a similar premise to ¨Murphy's War¨(1971) by Peter Yates and subsequent ¨The Beast of War¨(1988) by Kevin Reynolds . Filmmaker Rich delivers a professional direction , as he really had a talent for directing actors and getting the most out of them and with special mention for Lloyd Bridges .Other important players appearing and providing nice interpretations are the following ones : Roy Thinnes, Eric Braeden , the future comedian actor/director Dennis Dugan , and Doug McClure as a good-tempered flyer,

It contains magnificent color cinematography on location in desert and barren outdoors. Adequate as well as stirring musical score by Mooney and Milton Rosen. The motion picture was compelling and splendidly directed by under-rated producer and filmmaker of the 1960s and 1970s movies called David Lowell Rich . He was a prolific television director, an expert at made-for-TV movies in the 1970's and worked briefly at Columbia during the late 50's. Rich directed a lot of TV films and movies, such as : Northeast of Seoul , Bolt , A lovely way to die, Chu Chu and the Philly Flash , School for Girls , The Sex symbol, The Chadwick Family , Runaway , Convicted and many others . In the 1960s he directed episodes of several cult TV shows including Mission Impossible , and one episode of The Twilight Zone . In the 1970s he got caught up in the disaster movie craze by putting out atleast five disaster films, four for TV , such as : The Concorde...Airport '79 and Horror At 37,000 Feet (1973) combined a flight disaster with supernatural events and wonderful over-acting from William Shatner, most of them failed at boxoffice . However, all the above films, including The Concorde...Airport '79, are fun to watch and , unlike some other films of the disaster genre, were never tiring . Rating : 7.5/10 . Better than average warlike film . Worthwhile watching .

The equipment is worth watching in this movie. The two P-40's are nice to watch, and what other movie shows a P-40 being "bombed up" with a really big 500 pounder. The tank is a chance to see armor work in real sand. It is a late model M-4 but so what, it looks good and is fun to watch in desert terain, which is not all flat as it really was in North Afrika. And wasn't that sargent in Rat Patrol? All the actors give a good show and I liked this movie for its location, equipment and action.

This film is set in WWII and the Germans in North Africa are on retreat now that the Americans have gone on the offensive. When two P-40 pilots are sent to destroy a mine field (just HOW they would do that, I have no idea), they see a small column of German vehicles. One dives to engage them and is miraculously shot down by the tank*! The second plane lands nearby to rescue the downed pilot and in doing this, the tank damages the second plane so badly it cannot fly. So, it's forced to drive about the desert avoiding the German tank...sort of like a game of cat and mouse. What's next?

The one thing that startled me about the film was the casting of Lloyd Bridges as the German tank commander. His accent made him sound just like an American actor TRYING (and not succeeding in the least) in doing a German accent. Why they didn't have him play one of the pilots is beyond me. And, why they didn't have Eric Braeden (who was part of the crew) play the tank commander I do not know...especially since Braeden IS German and played a German commander in the TV series "Combat!" as well as "Rat Patrol".

So apart from the difficult to believe premise and odd casting of Bridges, is the film any good? Well, it is rather entertaining watching Lloyd Bridges play a bit of a maniac! Not the least bit realistic...but fun in a kitschy way. Otherwise, no...it's not a very good film.

*The German tank in the film is actually an American Sherman tank. This is because after the war, there were very few German tanks left....and there were thousands of Shermans. In fact, in most films the German tanks are American tanks and often Shermans or Walker Bulldogs sub for German tanks.

I remember seeing this movie during college at University of Houston and I remember being spell bound by the concept of a tank chasing a plane across a desert, and the psychological warfare that was taking place in side the tank,because of his endless pursuit of the enemy who was crippled like an animal, but was not ready to show mercy. until the surprising end.

A great movie that brings you into there struggle.

Would like to find a copy of this movie somewhere for purchase