Spotlight

Spotlight Date: 1-January-12
Spoiler Rating: Medium

Sahara (1943)

Sahara is a fictional war movie about the ties between brothers-in-arms. The story contains fighting, heroism, and sacrifice, to be sure, but in the context of the true meaning of "allied forces." Near the Libyan front in 1942,* an Irishman, a Frenchman, a South African, and a few British are picked up by an American G.I. named Joe (Humphrey Bogart) in his beloved tank, Lulubelle. The men have been stranded in the desert after battles and troop movements, so Joe suggests that they join his two tankmates and follow his last received order to go south, while looking for water. There is friction at first (one of the Europeans makes so bold as to ridicule Lulubelle), but cigarettes, a shared predicament, and Joe's no-nonsense manner smooth the way. After a while the band encounters a Sudanese from the British army (Rex Ingram) leading an Italian prisoner (J. Carrol Naish). Joe's first test of leadership (and humanity) is deciding whether to accept an enemy as another mouth to feed and water when supplies are low. His last-minute choice earns him loyalty, which is critical for what lies ahead. Fortunately, the African knows the region and directs them to the nearest wells.

Bogart was exceptionally good at playing simple guys with above-average measures of courage and honor. One can believe it when Joe sells the men on a desperate plan. After they arrive at a ruined fortress under which is a precious drip of water, a Nazi scouting party appears in advance of a whole battalion. Hugely outnumbered and with nowhere to hide, Joe concludes that their only option is to hunker down and make a stand. With word coming over Lulubelle's radio that combat has resumed in the north, he and his comrades might at least keep the thirsty Germans out of the fight and kill as many as possible before they themselves go down. Slight rays of hope hinge on convincing the enemy that the well is abundant and a bargaining chip, and on the chance that one of his fellows can cross the sand and bring back the cavalry.

The men learn about each other as they prepare for battle, cementing their unity through talk of home and the banter of those about to die. Even the Italian is accepted into the fold, in large part because he is so different from the Nazi who was taken prisoner shortly before the group reached the fortress. The prisoners' contrast makes a point about how sides ought to be drawn, as does the rivalry between the Nazi and the Sudanese. The former is disgusted by the dark skin of the latter, but it is clear who is the superior human. Out in the desert where survival must be hard won, a man's country and skin color mean little. What matters is what he stands for.

*Like other movies in this month's "Desert Dreams" Spotlight series, Sahara was filmed far from its supposed location, in this case in California. See the Index by date for a list of films in this series.

Copyright © 2012 The Jujube (M. I. Kim). All rights reserved.