Brainsbell The story-telling is good with flashbacks.The film is both funny and heartbreaking. You smile in a scene and get a soulcrushing revelation in the next.

Sarita Rafferty There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Francene Odetta It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

JohnHowardReid Yet another drama that focuses on the futility of war in the desert, "Taxi for Tobruk" presents viewers with some rousing action and a marvelous music score (which was later swiped by Michel LeGrand for a similar movie, "Play Dirty"). 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 see movies that present characters that are way different from the norm. We critics get damn tired of seeing the same characters over and over and over - even if the plot lines are slightly different and the actors strive not to totally repeat the same old characterizations. In this particular case, for instance, the lead characters bungle their way along. Now, that's different! And even better, they actually develop an uneasy camaraderie with their German prisoner.

hstaurati Un taxi pour Tobrouk was one of the very first war movies I watched as a child, and I was impressed with the depth of the characters that were portrayed in it. No stereotypes here; just a movie about an unlikely band of people, trying to survive in the dessert. One thing that I will never forget, (please do not count it as a spoiler!!!) is when the French soldiers discuss about what they should do with their prisoner, and they say that "you should kill them before you get the chance to know them". If that does not portrait the madness of war, then I wonder, what is? Others have already written a lot about the plot, so I will not go into details. All I can say is that it is bad that this movie is not available on a subtitled version, for all of us, the poor people who do not know French, to buy.

ma-cortes At the beginning there are some brief biographic remarks about the main characters . As a sergeant , Theo Dumas or Dudu , who is presented at the start of the film as a former boxing champion of Europe (Lino Ventura , he was actually champion of Europe of Greco-Roman wrestling in 1950) commands a group of French soldiers (Charles Aznavour , Maurice Biraud, and the Spanish German Cobos) escaped after destructing their unit . They then penetrate German lines going to El Alamein . The expedition must contend with warming desert , minefield , German patrols and a Nazi officer (Hardy Kruger) in the midst . The misfit group with a prisoner crosses the Libyan desert to rejoin his command after falling their regiment . Their objective is to avoid the Germans and somehow encounter Allied lines . As they travel through the desert , they find an oasis where is a German army and get oil , thanks they impersonate Nazis .This is an enjoyable movie about friendship , warlike feats , courage and good feeling . Interesting screenplay by Michel Audiard and Denys de La Patellière based on a story by René Havard . The movie broke box office records after bringing in a lot of money at the box office during its opening weekend and was one of the top 5 grossing movie of its year (1961) in France . Extraordinary acting for all casting , as Lino Ventura plays a sergeant and boxer in civil life , he's an experienced Brigadier who fought in Norway (Narvik) and other European scenarios ; German Cobos as a tough soldier who wishes hard methods over the German prisoner ; Maurice Biraud as a doctor of the group ; the singer Charles Aznavour is a Jew-French and Hardy Kruger as an intelligent Nazi captain who lived longtime in Paris . The exciting story displays a quietly observant character studio and light critical remarks about the French people . It packs a great number of haunting black and white images by cameraman Marcel Grignon and appropriate musical score by George Garvarentz . This French/Spanish/West Germany co-production picture was well realized by Denys De La Patelliere (Rififi in Paris , Marco Polo) and helped by assistant director Pierre Granier-Deferre (Le Train) .The story is proceeded during the African war , the events were the followings : 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. In 1942, the British surrender the city because they needed troops to fight the Japanese and Rommel retook Tobruk in June 21, 1942. 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 was not until November 13, 1942 that Montgomery and his Eight army were able to secure Tobruk once and for Allies . Other films dealing with the African campaign include : ¨Desert rats (Robert Wise)¨ , ¨Tobruk ( Arthur Hiller)¨, ¨Raid on Rommel (Henry Hathaway)¨, ¨Rats of Tobruk (Terence Young)¨, and ¨Battle El Alamein (Giorgo Ferroni)¨.

pete36 Story takes place during 1942 in the Libyan desert at the crucial battle in El Alamein, when the British finally defeated the German "Afrikakorps". But this is a French movie so it deals with the Free French troops who were fighting alongside the British.The basic storyline is quite simple : during a raid on a German supply dump, the French CO gets killed and the remaining members of the squad have to make their way back to friendly lines. Along the way they lose their patrol car but then capture an enemy truck, together with a German captain (Hardy Krüger).Lino Ventura, one of France's most famous actors, is the grumpy ex-prizefighter turned NCO (very close to his real-life personae). He was already a respected actor but this really launched him to French super-stardom. Also well-known singer Charles Aznavour co-stars, but movie's main reputation lies with its script and dialogues (a mix between comedy and tragedy) by Michel Audiard, who was the scriptwriter of countless other successful Frrench movie classics (usually starring JP Belmondo or Jean Gabin).This war movie may not so be well known outside of France, but up to this day it remains a true French classic. French public TV choose to air 'Taxi to Tobruk" on May the 1st this year, an important holiday in France.