shakercoola J. Lee Thompson would go on to direct some classic films like The Guns of Navarone and Cape Fear, but Ice Cold in Alex is perhaps a triumph for its sheer simplicity and avowed by Western Desert veterans as being realistic to the conditions they faced during World War II. It's a story about the 'enemy within' and humanity prevailing. The characters, a quaternity against the elements, are all very well acted and give a real sense of physical exhaustion, toruous heat, and impending danger. You'll accompany them in their thirst quenching deliverance by the end.

GUENOT PHILIPPE Another great desert war adventure movie, after so many others, as the comments about this film say. That's one of the best of Jack Lee Thompson's. But I am surprised no one IMDb user has thought of Denys De La Patellière's UN TAXI POUR TOBROUK. Yes, I am french, and proud that we - froggies - had also made a war desert odyssey, a famous one, starring Lino Ventura, Charles Aznavour and some others. And I think not only frenchies may have seen it. I will put the two at the very same scale. No problem at all. I watched some good US war flicks around the same topic, most of them not so widely known. The last I saw recently was THE STEEL LADY, starring Rod Cameron.

tomgillespie2002 Battle-weary alcoholic Captain Anson (John Mills) sets out across the Libyan desert after his British base is evacuated. Joining him is Tom Pugh (Harry Andrews), Anson's square-jawed and loyal friend, and two nurses Diana (Sylvia Syms) and Denise (Diane Clare). Joining them early on the road is Afrikaan-speaking Captain van der Poel (Anthony Quayle), a colossal man who seems rather attached to his bag who he claims contains bottles of gin. In their way are mine fields, thirst, swampy salt mines, the desert heat, and those bloody Nazis. Anson promises to quit drinking until he gets to Alexandria, Egypt, where awaiting him is an ice cold lager.Possibly the best thing about this very good film is the real feel of the desert. Many of the old films glam it up a bit, but Ice Cold In Alex revels in the sweat, dust and dirt of the perilous desert. You can literally taste the dryness of their lips and the scorching heat on their back, and really feel their struggle. Also refreshing is the lack of token gunfights and action scenes that plagued many of the old war films. It is more concerned with the individual mental and physical struggle of the characters, and draws up tension in the small moments, such as Anson biting his lip and breathing hard as he slowly makes his way across the mine field. Another film that came to mind during these tense scenes is Henri-Georges Clouzot's The Wages Of Fear.I never realised just quite how terrific an actor John Mills was until I saw this. Even though his male co-stars tower over the little man, he is a raging mountain of frustration, anger and fierce dedication. It is a sublime performance. His co-stars are impressive too, with Quayle another standout as a man who may not be quite who he claims to be. Combining this with the impressive cinematography and intelligent script, it makes for an exciting and absorbing war film that manages to be quintessentially British yet as gritty a war film that I've seen from this era.www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com

Red-Barracuda A group of medics become isolated in the North African desert when travelling to Alexandria to escape a siege. They pick up a South African soldier, and along with this enigmatic man they navigate the hostile terrain…This is a good war drama. The group have to contend with various dangers – the hostile environment, the Germans and an enemy within. The latter is posed by the South African whom they soon discover is a spy for the enemy. This provides dramatic tension as well as asking questions of the group. How do they deal with this spy? He may be an enemy agent but he has shown bravery and tenacity that they required in order to survive their dangerous adventure. So the theme of loyalty is an important one.Despite the war theme, there is very little action to speak of here. The confrontations with the enemy are more tense stand-offs. And the other exciting moments are based around navigating the dangerous terrain, such as the mine-field scene. The small cast are good, with John Mills playing an alcoholic officer; his affliction puts him in some compromising positions that he is forced to deal with, as well as being relevant to the title of the film.Ice Cold In Alex is a small-scale and character-driven war film. It's an adventure-drama as opposed to an action film. So if you prefer your war movies adrenaline-fuelled affairs this may not be the answer for you but if you like these flicks to pose some interesting moral dilemmas then this film should fit the bill.