Mare di sabbia

SEA OF SAND is, unsurprisingly, another North African WW2 movie. Although they made literally dozens of such productions over the years, I never get tired of them as they have such great backdrops against which to present war-time action. This one's a very typical piece from the period, filled with a kind of brisk efficiency which goes hand-in-hand with the no-nonsense British cast.

The story follows the misadventures of a team of British soldiers sent behind enemy lines to blow up a fuel depot. They end discovering a massive depot of tanks ready to strike against Allied forces and, with their radio out, they must return to their own side to spread word of their discovery. The only problem is that the Nazi forces are well aware of this, sending soldiers out in pursuit.

SEA OF SAND is an admirably tough movie. There's little room for sentiment here, just necessity of getting the job done. The ensemble cast is fine with Michael Craig and John Gregson particularly standing out and more minor parts for the likes of Richard Attenborough (surprisingly underutilised in a comic part), Barry Foster, Ray McAnally, and Percy Herbert. I was delighted to spot an uncredited Dermot Walsh playing the guy who sends the team on their mission. It's solid stuff, at times exciting, heroic, tragic, and harrowing.

A squadron of hardy soldiers working on infiltration, enduring the searing heat of the WWII North Africa campaign, are despatched to blow up a fuel dump deep behind enemy lines. It's only when they reach the location they discover something way more perilous than petrol, and so much race back to HQ - with the Nazis hot on their trail - to inform their superiors of this potentially game-changing information. It's quite a familiar looking story that goes some way to depicting the harshness of desert warfare and of the gritty determination of those men sent to fight and survive in this most hostile of global environments. Richard Attenborough nominally heads up a cast of reliable British stalwarts including Michael Craig, John Gregson and the always dependable Percy Herbert and the Libyan photography adds an extra authenticity to the ghastliness and tenaciousness of their struggle. Like many films made some time after the war, it has less of a propagandist element to it and so the plot doesn't shy away from tragedy which, again, lends plausibility to their travails as they struggle to cross the sand. Guy Green has used his cast and the location well here - it is at times an uncomfortable watch and that adds to it's character. Well worth a watch if you get a chance.

A nine-man unit of the Long Range Desert Group is told off to drive deep behind German lines and make trouble. They discover the Germans are planning a major offensive and must get the information back to British command. The problem is that the Germans don't want them to.

The LRDG was a British unit founded by Major Ralph Bagnold in Cairo in 1940. It was intended to carry out patrols, reconnaiscence and raids behind Italian lines. It never numbered than about 350 men. Mostly drawn from New Zealanders, with a few Southern Rhodesian and British soldiers, it was disbanded in 1945. Many of its techniques have been used by elite military groups ever since.

With a capable cast, including Richard Attenborough, John Gregson, and Michael Craig, this turns into one of those films in which men heroically sacrifice themselves for the unit, interspersed with them talking about their civilian live to give them some individuality.

I am very prejudiced here as my Dad served out in the Western Desert with his courageous RNF comrades under such harsh conditions that few today can even begin to understand. I cannot speak for my Dad but I firmly believe that he would have liked much of this film (so that's why I like it for starters) whilst being very polite about its failings with his wry grin and a knowing glint in the eye. Its strengths are good characters who all play their parts in a story that does have you willing them on and on in their battle against the Nazi baddies, the unforgiving Sun and the relentless sand. Richard Attenborough is particularly excellent throughout, as is Percy Herbert when playing a solo part in one of the Fifties greatest short war scenes. If all directors were made to study this scene they could learn much, but what do I know! Thank goodness the film is still shown in black and white and this should always remain so. I liked this film so I say to all old fogeys and inquisitive but sensible youngsters just give it a watch and enjoy the film for what it is. The LRDG were incredibly brave men.

Sea of Sand ( Desert Patrol ) is seldom mentioned in the context of great British war movies but deserves to be since it is an underrated and well acted example of the genre ( and, incidentally, one of my favourite films ). The movie at one and the same time, conforms to the familiar aspects of the genre but also manages to put a 'spin' on them since the subject matter - the experiences of the volunteer Long-Range Desert Squadron who operated independently far behind enemy lines - allows for characters who are more than familiar war-movie stereotypes.

The cast are uniformally excellent, especially veteran character player Percy Herbert whose death scene is extremely moving. Clashes of class, rank and experience are familiar elements from other films of the genre but are here rendered a little more interesting and unpredictable. Director Guy Green never made his mark but on the evidence of Sea of Sand had plenty of talent and was good at getting the most out of his actors. Simple heroics are eschewed - though heroism is at the core of the film's denouement and anyone who derives pleasure from seeing British acting staples like Michael Craig, John Gregson, Richard Attenborough and Percy Herbert have a treat in store.