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+---- Thread: Rommel (2012) (/showthread.php?tid=7939)
Rommel (2012) - cranefly - 01-08-2024
I'm halfway through The Black Scorpions. Africa has fallen. Italy has switched to the Allied side. Mussolini is in an indefinite state--maybe horizontal. I got curious about Rommel. So I decided to watch Rommel (2012), which covers his last 7 months.
I found it on Kanopy. But the Mountain View library had reached its limit for the day. Then I found it on Hoopla. Same problem. Then I found it on Prime.
This is a German movie. And you know, after Hitler, Germany needed a father figure. I guess they settled on Rommel for this. He's played by Urich Tukor, a very likeable German actor, and he makes a very likeable Rommel.
Back in Europe, he's met with what seems jealousy. Other generals think he's overrated. He's the guy who lost Africa. Rommel is assigned to defend the beaches of Europe. Hitler has great admiration for him, but still balks at entirely listening to him. Rommel tries to discuss the appalling treatment of the Jews, but Hitler shouts him down, wants only to discuss military matters. Hitler asks if a particular city can be defended. Rommel says the beaches can be defended, or the city, but not both. Hitler seems to accept that, only to change his mind behind Rommel's back and commit many resources to defending the city. Also, other generals won't give Rommel the tanks he needs. It's a whole big shit-show of divided commands. At the top is an increasingly unstable Hitler. Some military higher ups decide Hitler must be assassinated to save Germany. They try to recruit Rommel. He declines, and says he ought to report them. But he doesn't.
Later on, when the assassination attempt fails, Rommel is dragged in as a co-conspirator. Because he knew about it, but said nothing. He nobly gets into a black limo with military high-ups and they drive off, during which he is made to take poison.
The German people are not told he was forced to commit suicide, because he has more value as a decorated hero. Later on (after the war?), it came out.
This is the way he is depicted here-in. The impression is that he would have defended the beaches more effectively if given more control of the German forces. But elsewhere I've read that there was good reason other generals balked at his approach, and who knows how it all would have turned out if Rommel had had his way.
But how about we don't replay WWII just to find out.
Back to the Black Scorpions.