Vitória no Deserto

Here's a documentary about the lead-up to and battle of El Alamein, the turning point of the war from Britain's viewpoint. Like most of the best of British propaganda films of the Second World War, it offers a matter-of-fact attitude towards the events, explaining the strategy that Alexander and Montgomery planned, and the turning into a very noisy series of clips, interspersed with maps showing the movements of the British salients and German countermoves. It feels like it could have been briefer, but they wanted it to come in a touch over an hour to give it feature status.

I begins with a series of title cards, explaining that four British cameramen were killed making this movie, seven wounded, and six captured by the Germans.... and that movies of Rommel were captured by the British army's advance.

This documentary account of the victorious campaign in Egypt and Northern Africa is nearly 100% actual war footage. In the inimitable British tradition it is factual, not propaganda-based (although some emotive wording can be found in the commentary). The Brits are to be commended for making a film of the campaign so quickly (1943) so that the public were able to unravel what really happened and what part they, their friends & relatives might have played in supporting the effort. Highly motivational stuff. Superb footage of all the protagonists, including Montgomery, Churchill, & Rommel (captured German footage!) etc. For authenticity this would be as near as possible to faultless. A great story and one that deserves to be re-told. The film is just over an hour in length, and does not drag at all. Recommended for anyone interested in World War 2 or in great land battles.

This is another example of a film – or, in its case, a documentary – which was much lauded by critics once upon a time but which, when viewed today, does not come across as particularly outstanding (if eliciting occasional excitement throughout from the mainly dimly-lit barrage of various types of artillery). I mean this criticism towards it exclusively as a cinematic product, of course, since the events depicted – the Allies' defeat of Field Marshall Erwin Rommel's previously invincible North Africa campaign in 1942 – constitute one of the most decisive turning points of WWII. The fact that it was all captured live by respected British film people (albeit uncredited!) is all the more remarkable when considering that several cameramen were killed, wounded or imprisoned by the enemy during its shooting, as the opening text duly informs us; interestingly, then, the scenes showing Rommel himself and, briefly, Adolf Hitler was 'supplied' via confiscated footage in possession of German P.O.W.s! Many such 'classic' efforts were released during the course of the 6 year-long (1939-45) global conflict by notable British and American film directors, a good number of which I own and have watched in the past, while a few more will be included among my initial spate of 2014 viewings.

For the record, the print I watched of DESERT VICTORY had a 10-minute newsreel – FILM BULLETIN NO. 45: U.S. ATTACKS IN THE ALEUTIANS – appended to it, revolving around battles in the Pacific that were also officially 'reported' by John Huston. Incidentally, the latter competed with the film under review for Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars, but the British effort emerged victorious; besides, co-director Boulting made BURMA VICTORY (1946) in a similar vein.

This documentary was awarded an Academy Award during the midst of World War II. With film and stock footage, please be aware that quality may have effected it while viewing over time. The documentary covers Germany's General Rommel and British General Montgomery in the desert. This documentary shows actual footage of Rommel and Hitler themselves. During the making of this film, four British Army cameramen were killed, seven were wounded, and six were taken prisoners by the Germans. Wartime even during World War II was a dangerous time for even the cast and crew who were determined to show the world the enemy's path of destruction in the desert. World War II's primary motive was to overtake and control the world. Hitler and his men were on their way but thankfully they lost. But it was too late for the millions of casualties of war and the survivors left to rebuild and construct after wards.

This has to be one of the greatest documentaries of all time! The combat footage is all real! At the beginning, there is a notation that, in the fighting depicted, four of the cameramen were killed and thirteen others were either wounded or captured by the enemy. There is also footage taken by the Germans that was captured in the British advance. Watching this, think about one thing: everything you are seeing, a camerman was close enough to shoot with a camera and was, while filming, unarmed and a target. Hemingway defined courage as "grace under pressure". This marvelous masterpiece is a testament to incredible courage. Words fail to do these brave souls credit. But Desert Victory does. I salute them and the others whose courage is immortalized here on celluloid.