Sahara - Review

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Sahara
Bogie as Sgt. Joe Gunn	Sahara is a gritty actioner set in the desert of Northern Africa during WWII. Bogie (as Sgt. Joe Gunn) plays the leader of a small four man armoured tank battalion which has been ordered to retreat in the face of a massive onslaught of German troops following the fall of Tobruk. Low on fuel and water, and surrounded from the North, East and West they are forced to drive out into a huge expanse of unknown desert. Their precarious situation is further complicated when they come across a group of six stranded allied soldiers (a mixture of British, French, South African and Sudanese), who they take aboard. Then things get even more tenuous when they take two enemy prisoners (Italian and German).
With their water running out and facing death they finally find a small desert fortress that contains a well, and it seems they are home free. But when they discover that a battalion of 500 desperate water deprived Germans is headed their way, they have to make a choice - to run for freedom, or stay and fight against impossible odds in a valiant effort to delay the German advance against the overwhealmed allied forces, using the well and it's valuable contents as their bargaining chip. Although this film contains great action and suspense, it also stands out as an excellent ensemble piece in which all the actors are given a chance to shine, with a strong focus on the personalities and psychology of the diverse range of characters and the relationship between them in the face of extreme hardship and danger. A young and at the time relatively unknown Lloyd Bridges puts in a great performance (as Fred Clarkson) and Bogart regular Bruce Bennett also excels (in the role of Waco Hoyt). J. Carrol Naish (who portrays the Italian prisoner) was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. In fact all the supporting cast in this film are excellent. Shot in Black & White. The DVD presents the film in it's Original Aspect Ratio of 1.33 to 1. Extra Features include a gallery of 6 Sahara Movie Posters and filmographies of director Zoltan Korda and cast members Humphrey Bogart and Lloyd Bridges .