Tobruk [1967]

Late 1960's war movie with some super explosions and set pieces. Well shot, and directed and featuring a cast of US stars and good British support actors - on location shoots which added to the grande feel, which, at the time of its cinematic release - would have been spectacular. (Sequences were pinched by movies/TV movies produced afterwards to bulk out their meagre budgeted efforts). A few twists, some decent stunts - a script which allows an element of depth to the story (with some stereo typical characters) can't hide that it is a sanitised war movie....but at that time audiences were not yet ready for the realism we now have (with the likes of Saving Private Ryan and Hacksaw Ridge). It is all very 'Let 'em have it' with gritted teeth, heroic stands and valiant sacrifices.....pretty bloodless and no bad language......historically inaccurate and lacking in authenticity.......but its also 'Commando War Stories for Boys' come to life and its great to see again! (If you're under 40 you won't get that reference - and will probably be too PC to watch this anyway).

This film opens with an attempt to put the action in its historical context. Set during the North Africa campaign of WW2, it is ostensibly about disrupting Rommel's supply lines, which were already overextended, to prevent the Germans defeating the British in Egypt. Thereafter it's all about a group of men on their mission to destroy a German fuel dump in Tobruk. Rock Hudson is the slightly insubordinate Canadian Major who knows the ground and the locals, Nigel Green is the upper-class British Colonel who puts his devotion to the mission first at all costs, and George Peppard is a German Jew fighting for the British. None of the three really trusts or likes each other, with Hudson's and Green's characters verging on the anti-Semitic towards Peppard's. This gives the film its edge, and without it, it'd be pretty much a standard Desert War cliché of mine-fields, strafing fighters and avoiding enemy patrols. There's a bit of cloak and dagger with spies and traitors, and a fairly effective Big Fight at the end. All in all a good solid WW2 film with pretty good performances all round (even if I'm not entirely convinced by Peppard's German accent!)

A great WW2 film with an interesting slant using a German - Jewish Brigade from the Special Interrogation Group (also known as the Special Intelligence Group). Peppard and Hudson are on top form. Much better than "Raid on Rommel" which reused much of the same scenes but re-edited them for inclusion of Burton, Colicos and Grieme.

The more interesting version of the 2 story shot around Tobruk Well cast and Techniscope shot cinematography effective 110 - screenplay and good taking into account Raid on Rommel 71 used a lot of the combat action sequence V good special effects also.

Gave this only 3 stars an old favourite on TV when was a youngster so thought would give it a screening on projector but is very grainy transfer in places although image is quite sharp for old movie. Also case arrived damaged.

Classic film, good transfer to bluray.

enjoyed watching, knew the basic story - how the men ever survived the horrors of the events is unbelievable.Makes me more appreciative of what our Armed Forced went through

No luck with my copy. It got the introductory titles out of the way and then there was just a blank screen..... Disappointed.