DVDs

Sahara

Region 1

Region 4

By Richard Moore

Sahara is one of those few war movies that this chappie has not seen at some time or another. Filmed in 1943, a year after Casablanca, it is another 'yay-us' production from Hollywood meant to boost the fighting spirits of Allied forces.

Humphrey Bogart is Sergeant Joe Gunn, a tank sergeant assisting the Allies in North Africa. He loves his Lee tank and doesn't take kindly when even his allies are rude about it.

Retreating to a then little-known place called El Alamein, Gunn and his crew come across a number of Commonwealth troops stuck in the middle of nowhere. They hop aboard and then try to locate much-needed water.

Along the way they manage to pick up an Italian POW - who is very eager to surrender - and shoot down a German pilot. Of course he happens to be a dyed-in-the-wool Nazi that we can all hate.

This motley collection finally track down some water at a series of small wells and then discover hundreds of German troops, themselves desperate for water, are heading their way.

What follows is a terrific battle where the hugely outnumbered good guys have to hold off the nasties.

Sahara can be described as a propaganda movie, but one in which that aspect is underplayed. The action scenes are terrific, the film work first-rate and the storyline is a good one.

Transfer-wise Sahara is first-rate and its black and white imagery radiates the furnace-like conditions these guys fought a war in.

And, as you would expect, Bogie is wonderful and gives Gunn a mysterious edge that only he can.

Conclusion:

Movie: 75%