La battaglia del deserto (1969) User Reviews

The BEST Italian Spaghetti-Style War Movie

[SgtSlaughter · 7/10 · 26 March 2003]

One of the finest Italian war films, directed by the famed producer Mino Loy.

Captain Bradbury (George Hilton) is assigned to lay mines to stop a German advance. His squad is made up of a crazed Canadian ex-con (Frank Wolff), a motorbiker (Rik Battaglia), and a young lover-boy (Fabrizio Moroni). They band together with survivors from a German tank (Robert Hossein and Ivano Staccioli) who have badly needed water.

Okay. With the stage set, not much more has to be said. The film is basically one long trek across the desert, focusing on the characters and their emotions and personalities. While most war films of the era rely on big spectacle and action, here the producers rely on acting talent for success. The tension between these guys feels real, as the water and petrol run low and the sun becomes intensely hotter.

Bruno Nicolai's memorable music score is haunting and fits the mood perfectly. Zanni's breathtaking photography captures the bleak desert with amazing authenticity, adding a degree of realism rarely seen in Italian war films of the time.

While George Hilton (THE BATTLE OF EL ALAMEIN) does a fine job as a stiff British officer, it's really Frank Wolff (A STRANGER IN TOWN) who steals the show. He's a crazed Canadian ex-thief who goes madder and madder until he meets his climactic fate. The rest of the cast all do a great job, especially Moroni as a fatally wounded grunt who is constantly flashing back to his pregnant wife back home. Staccioli (COMMANDOS) is also very good as a loyalist Nazi NCO, and Rik Battaglia (BATTLE FORCE) is decent in a small role as the one who goes along with the crowd. Goffredo Unger (THIRTY SIX HOURS TO HELL) is great as a burly, short-tempered career soldier. Loy uses the flashback technique again and again to paint his characters, and these scenes are appropriately edited either very choppily or very fluidly, depending on the intensity of what's going on in the present. Throw in some big tank battles near and the end and a slam-bang antiwar ending, and you've got a fine little film.

I saw this on an old Interglobal Home Video. I had no idea this existed existed on video and was quite surprised when a contact was able to send me a copy. The film is titled DESERT ASSAULT and not the common title, DESERT BATTLE. The original credits have apparently been removed, and this print has cheap video-generated credits about 10 minutes into the film. It's presented full frame which is occasionally annoying, cutting both speakers out of frame in some scenes. The colors are pretty accurate and there is not too much print damage. FIND THIS ONE TODAY!

Also of note: Lenzi uses a good deal of the tank battle footage for his later epic BATTLE FORCE.

It's not often that I come across a gem like this. Definitely a must-see.

Macaroni Combat in which a group of British and German soldiers crossing the Libyan desert and suffering starving , thirst , famine and a lot of confrontation

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 5 September 2020]

Good warlike movie focusing on the futility of war in the desert , in which a British unit stranded in Libyan desert in the path of Nazi infantry joins a pair of German soldiers . Regarding a certain depth of the roles that were portrayed in it and showing the true face of war : total nonsense. The events set in Lybia , as Mussolini occupied Tobruk as part of his campaign to invade the Suez canal, but the British easily took it from him on January 21, 1941. Hitler sent Rommel and the Africa Korps to retake the city and after a siege of 242 days they entered the city in December 1941 . Then Montgomery launched a successful contra-offensive against the Germans that were defeated by Eight Army in the battle of El Alamein which occurred in July, 1942 . It deals with Captain Bradbury who is tasked to lay mines through the desert . Their objective is to avoid a German advance , as Bradbury commands a varied team of misfit soldiers . They are the following ones : the tough commander officer (George Hilton) , an unsettling , crazed Canadian (Frank Wolff) , a wounded young soldier (Fabrizio Moroni) and a veteran (Rik Battaglia) . The squadron of British Commandos are making their way back to Allied lines after a raid , but they end up stranded in the middle of nowhere after their truck is partially destroyed by a German tank . They meet two survivors from a German tank (officer Robert Hossein and tank driver Ivano Staccioli) , all of them join forces and decide to attempt to run the several hundred miles along the desert . As the motley goup formed by British and German soldiers are trapped in the desert . The small group of British and German militay has to try to work together in order to survive back to their own lines . The expedition to rejoin their command must contend with warming desert , minefield , German patrols and a nutty Canadian ex-con soldier in the midst . The truck becomes stuck in a hole surrounded by explosive mines and all are busy digging the vehicle out . Of course this does not last long , as fatigue soon catches up with all the unfortunate soldiers . As they travel through the desert , they have no food, and very little water , needless to say the bad luck continues when the vehicle runs into a German recon patrol .

Story takes place during 1942 in the Libyan desert at the crucial battle in El Alamein , when the British finally defeated the German "Afrikakorps" , as a varied Brit/German group get together with their jeep , on a trip through the desert back to El-Alamein . It shows faithfully a lot of warlike feats , with few characters , few accurate words and in the overwhelming emptiness of the desert . The basic storyline is quite simple : during a tank raid , the British commando gets killed and the remaining members of the squad have to make their way back to friendly lines , along the way they lose some members but then capture an enemy tank , together with a German captain and a soldier . There are some brief biographic remarks about the main characters , and portraiting partially the madness of war, including several flashbacks with a German officer : Robert Hossein and his Brit sweetheart Evelyn Stewart or Ida Galli , and the soldier Fabrizio Moroni along with his pregnant girl Laura Belli , as well as the motorbiker Rik Battaglia . A number of stereotypes here ; a movie about an unlikely band of people , attempting to survive in the desert . This is a pretty good film with nice work from the entire cast and crew . The film , made in Libya ; in fact , producers thanksgiving the Lybian Army , features several authentic German tanks , this is an enjoyable movie about wartime adventures , courage , betrayal and craziness . Interesting screenplay by the prolfic writer Ernesto Gastaldi based on his own story . Although routinely directed and inclined to be talky , the film does have a fair degree of special appeal for people like me who like to watch films that present characters that are way different from the norm. It is especially recommended for the art to use stereotypes in nice style and the image of the other in war times . The film bears a certain resemblance to ¨A Taxi for Tobruk¨ (1961) by Denys De La Patelliere concerning a similar plot . It displays an atmospheric cinematography by Federico Zanni , as well as a rousing and moving musical score by Bruno Nicolai who usual collaborator to great Ennio Morricone . The motion picture was well directed by Mino Loy , though it has some flaws and failures . Rating : 6.5/10 . Intense performance , fascinating plot , keeps one glued to the yarn . A really entertaining war movie and even today still worthwhile watching . A pity this film is far underrated and not very well known.

Other films dealing with the African campaign include : ¨Desert Rats¨ by Robert Wise , ¨Tobruk¨ by Arthur Hiller, ¨Raid on Rommel¨ by Henry Hathaway, ¨Rats of Tobruk¨Terence Young. And Macaroni Combat films as ¨Kill Rommel¨by Alfonso Brescia , ¨War devils¨ by Bitto Albertini , ¨Desert commando¨by Umberto Lenzi , ¨The Battle of the Last Panzer¨by José Luis Merino and ¨Battle El Alamein¨ by Giorgo Ferroni.

Above average Italian war movie

[JohnSeal · 5/10 · 7 January 2007]

I'm not sure this film deserves a rave review, but it is certainly far better than the vast majority of Italian war movies from the period. The set-up is an interesting take on the existential dilemma--five British and two German soldiers find themselves in a co-operative struggle for survival in the North African desert, where they're running short of both water and petrol. Desert Battle benefits tremendously from an impressive cast of Euro-trash stars: Robert Hossein, George Hilton, and Frank Wolff are all talented actors, and Rik Battaglia is, well, Rik Battaglia. The film suffers when it goes into flashback mode--though it is certainly one of the few films in the genre to feature bare female breasts--but maintains interest to the end. Bruno Nicolai's score is excellent and is, if anything, underutilized. An unlikely but deserving candidate for DVD reappraisal.

Reminds me something....

[searchanddestroy-1 · 7/10 · 6 April 2021]

When I watch this film, I of course think about UN TAXI POUR TOBROUK, ICE COLD IN ALEX or LES PORTES DE FEU but without women. The scheme of English and Germans prisoners of the desert and who has nothing else to do except surviving side by side. This kind of topic is never boring, because it brings some character study, good or less good but never bad. This one makes no exception.

Spaghetti WWIIestern

[GianfrancoSpada · 7/10 · 15 April 2024]

In the panorama of World War II dramas, "La battaglia del deserto" stands out for its exploration of the human condition amidst the relentless backdrop of the Libyan desert. Directed by Mino Loy, the film opts to intimately portray its characters, whose emotions are laid bare against the harsh desert landscape.

Loy's direction skillfully captures the essence of the desert, using simple cinematography to convey both its austere beauty and oppressive vastness. The sparse yet powerful dialogue heightens the tension, while Bruno Nicolai's emotive soundtrack adds depth to the emotional resonance of the film.

The ensemble cast delivers solid but not masterful performances, with each actor bringing just the right amount of depth to their respective roles without any one standing out exceptionally. Particularly noteworthy is the portrayal of a volatile ex-convict soldier, whose descent into madness serves as a poignant and tragic focal point of the narrative.

Like many productions of the time, it suffers from the trends of the moment, both in terms of visuals, such as makeup, hairstyles, and costumes in the flashback scenes, as well as the "spaghetti western" approach that permeates the entire film. Perhaps it's an attempt to bring this highly successful genre into the world of World War II, but I believe it's a misstep, as the spaghetti western has forged its reputation for having a highly recognizable and difficult to replicate style of its own.

Despite numerous flaws in terms of props, such as tanks not from the era, incorrect uniforms, inaccurate insignias, and invented weapons, "La battaglia del deserto" remains a standout in its genre, offering a poignant reflection on the futility of war and the resilience of the human spirit.

A Rather Slow and Muddled World War 2 Film

[Uriah43 · 4/10 · 30 September 2020]

Concerned about an attack by German tanks the British high command in North Africa decides to send out soldiers to place landmines at certain key points. However, when their headquarters is attacked one small British unit--consisting of only a jeep and 5 soldiers--is left in the desert with no food or water and without the necessary gasoline to reach their main lines over 300 miles away. So when they come upon a German armored personnel carrier they consider surrendering since one of their soldiers is badly wounded and in need of immediate care. The only problem is that the Germans are also in a bind as their vehicle has been badly damaged beyond repair. Recognizing that they cannot stay in the desert for any great length of time, the Germans agree to share their limited food and water with the British in exchange for transportation to whatever British or German forces they might encounter before their supplies run out. Complicating matters is the fact that neither side trusts one another causing both to consider ways to get the upper hand. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a rather slow and muddled film due primarily to several flashbacks which weren't adequate enough in their presentation. So rather than improving the overall story they tended to detract from it. At least, that is how it seemed to me. In any case, while this wasn't a bad film necessarily, it could have used some improvement and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Slightly below average.

Sloppy and bogged down by endless flashbacks

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 7 February 2018]

DESERT BATTLE is one of the less well-known WW2 movies made by the Italians, although the plot is very familiar to those who are au fait with the genre. A bunch of troops find themselves stranded in the desert and must work together in order to survive and return to inhabited lands. The twist here is that the British and German soldiers have to band together to battle a greater enemy, namely Mother Nature herself. Despite that engaging set-up, this is a sloppily-made little movie that lacks decent battle sequences and suffers a lot from poor picture quality and bad dubbing in the English version. It doesn't help that the light and limited storyline is constantly bogged down by endless flashbacks revealing the lives of the soldiers before the war; at times these seem to have been inserted for mere sexploitation value.

Fine Italian war film.

[Cranstonman · 8/10 · 9 June 2002]

Every genre that the Italians turned their multi talented hands to, be they peplums, giallos,westerns, crime movies or horrors, you will find that the great and the good outweigh the bad. Sadly, the Italian war film cycle produced very few films that are of any great worth, there are exceptions to the rule however, the classic Orsini movie CORBARI springs to mind right away, one of the finest films i have ever seen, and this enthralling movie which after a shaky start soon becomes a quite compulsive piece of work. Hilton always gives good value for money, and Robert Hossein is wonderfully unlikeable, but it is the great Frank Wolff that steals the show, surely one of the best actors of his generation. Mino Loy keeps a tight rein on the direction, and the film plays almost like a parable on greed, jealousy and pride, the war simply being a background to a superb play on the human condition.A film to be treasured, you actually feel thirsty and dirty along with the flawed characters. A great viewing experience.