I am very prejudiced here as my Dad served out in the Western Desert with his courageous RNF comrades under such harsh conditions that few today can even begin to understand. I cannot speak for my Dad but I firmly believe that he would have liked much of this film (so that's why I like it for starters) whilst being very polite about its failings with his wry grin and a knowing glint in the eye. Its strengths are good characters who all play their parts in a story that does have you willing them on and on in their battle against the Nazi baddies, the unforgiving Sun and the relentless sand. Richard Attenborough is particularly excellent throughout, as is Percy Herbert when playing a solo part in one of the Fifties greatest short war scenes. If all directors were made to study this scene they could learn much, but what do I know! Thank goodness the film is still shown in black and white and this should always remain so. I liked this film so I say to all old fogeys and inquisitive but sensible youngsters just give it a watch and enjoy the film for what it is. The LRDG were incredibly brave men.
19 Reviews
Superb war thriller
rjkw196626 March 2006
Warning: Spoilers
Sea Of Sand is a superb example of British post war films which depict the gruelling conditions endured by soldiers during the Second World War. The performances are excellent, ranging from the hard-drinking regular soldier played by Richard Attenborough to the family man from a rural community played by Percy Herbert (Blanco White) who features in the most moving scene in the film. John Gregson, as the by-the book Williams, gives an understated solid performance and his antognism with conscripted architect Michael Craig is nicely portrayed, a mutual lack of understanding which ends during the mission to destroy the fuel dump during which Gregson's character reveals a hitherto concealed talent which saves the team from a bloodbath when a truck filled with Afrika Korps arrives unexpectedly. The superb final scene, which shows Williams finally deviating from the textbook military tactics (his comrades shout "what on earth is he doing!" - or words to that effect) is both compelling and moving.
Each character is well defined and their motivations and backgrounds are more detailed than many films of the genre. Once not to be missed!
Each character is well defined and their motivations and backgrounds are more detailed than many films of the genre. Once not to be missed!
Stiff upper lips all round
Leofwine_draca16 October 2016
SEA OF SAND is, unsurprisingly, another North African WW2 movie. Although they made literally dozens of such productions over the years, I never get tired of them as they have such great backdrops against which to present war-time action. This one's a very typical piece from the period, filled with a kind of brisk efficiency which goes hand-in-hand with the no-nonsense British cast.
The story follows the misadventures of a team of British soldiers sent behind enemy lines to blow up a fuel depot. They end discovering a massive depot of tanks ready to strike against Allied forces and, with their radio out, they must return to their own side to spread word of their discovery. The only problem is that the Nazi forces are well aware of this, sending soldiers out in pursuit.
SEA OF SAND is an admirably tough movie. There's little room for sentiment here, just necessity of getting the job done. The ensemble cast is fine with Michael Craig and John Gregson particularly standing out and more minor parts for the likes of Richard Attenborough (surprisingly underutilised in a comic part), Barry Foster, Ray McAnally, and Percy Herbert. I was delighted to spot an uncredited Dermot Walsh playing the guy who sends the team on their mission. It's solid stuff, at times exciting, heroic, tragic, and harrowing.
The story follows the misadventures of a team of British soldiers sent behind enemy lines to blow up a fuel depot. They end discovering a massive depot of tanks ready to strike against Allied forces and, with their radio out, they must return to their own side to spread word of their discovery. The only problem is that the Nazi forces are well aware of this, sending soldiers out in pursuit.
SEA OF SAND is an admirably tough movie. There's little room for sentiment here, just necessity of getting the job done. The ensemble cast is fine with Michael Craig and John Gregson particularly standing out and more minor parts for the likes of Richard Attenborough (surprisingly underutilised in a comic part), Barry Foster, Ray McAnally, and Percy Herbert. I was delighted to spot an uncredited Dermot Walsh playing the guy who sends the team on their mission. It's solid stuff, at times exciting, heroic, tragic, and harrowing.
An underrated, well-acted, British war genre movie
sibo13 October 1999
Sea of Sand ( Desert Patrol ) is seldom mentioned in the context of great British war movies but deserves to be since it is an underrated and well acted example of the genre ( and, incidentally, one of my favourite films ). The movie at one and the same time, conforms to the familiar aspects of the genre but also manages to put a 'spin' on them since the subject matter - the experiences of the volunteer Long-Range Desert Squadron who operated independently far behind enemy lines - allows for characters who are more than familiar war-movie stereotypes.
The cast are uniformally excellent, especially veteran character player Percy Herbert whose death scene is extremely moving. Clashes of class, rank and experience are familiar elements from other films of the genre but are here rendered a little more interesting and unpredictable. Director Guy Green never made his mark but on the evidence of Sea of Sand had plenty of talent and was good at getting the most out of his actors. Simple heroics are eschewed - though heroism is at the core of the film's denouement and anyone who derives pleasure from seeing British acting staples like Michael Craig, John Gregson, Richard Attenborough and Percy Herbert have a treat in store.
The cast are uniformally excellent, especially veteran character player Percy Herbert whose death scene is extremely moving. Clashes of class, rank and experience are familiar elements from other films of the genre but are here rendered a little more interesting and unpredictable. Director Guy Green never made his mark but on the evidence of Sea of Sand had plenty of talent and was good at getting the most out of his actors. Simple heroics are eschewed - though heroism is at the core of the film's denouement and anyone who derives pleasure from seeing British acting staples like Michael Craig, John Gregson, Richard Attenborough and Percy Herbert have a treat in store.
The big push is on
bkoganbing15 February 2015
Although he has a supporting role Richard Attenborough is top billed in Desert Patrol, a story of a group of men who operated behind Rommel's lines disrupting his supplies and communications. Watching this I learned where the American television series Rat Patrol originated from though this film is a lot better than that series.
The big push is on. Field Marshal Montgomery armed with the plan that his predecessor Field Marshal Auchinleck drew up is finally on the offensive against Rommel at El Alamein. This group has drawn a mission to destroy as many known German ammunition and fuel dumps as possible and make it back to report. That part is essential too, they have to know in Cairo just how much damage has been inflicted.
Heading one such patrol are Captains John Gregson and Michael Craig with Attenborough along. He's hardly a king and country volunteer, but he shows he has the right stuff.
They blow up their assigned fuel dump, but at a price. They've got a 100 miles to get back to their camp. El Alamein because of the wide Sahara desert terrains may have been the largest battle ever fought with rivalries being on the Russian front in the same war. In the end some don't make it.
Percy Herbert as one of the men is most outstanding as a wounded man who stands to make his own fight so his mates may live.
Very good World War II flick from the United Kingdom with minimal flag waving and lots of real heroics.
The big push is on. Field Marshal Montgomery armed with the plan that his predecessor Field Marshal Auchinleck drew up is finally on the offensive against Rommel at El Alamein. This group has drawn a mission to destroy as many known German ammunition and fuel dumps as possible and make it back to report. That part is essential too, they have to know in Cairo just how much damage has been inflicted.
Heading one such patrol are Captains John Gregson and Michael Craig with Attenborough along. He's hardly a king and country volunteer, but he shows he has the right stuff.
They blow up their assigned fuel dump, but at a price. They've got a 100 miles to get back to their camp. El Alamein because of the wide Sahara desert terrains may have been the largest battle ever fought with rivalries being on the Russian front in the same war. In the end some don't make it.
Percy Herbert as one of the men is most outstanding as a wounded man who stands to make his own fight so his mates may live.
Very good World War II flick from the United Kingdom with minimal flag waving and lots of real heroics.
1942 and the scorching heat and loneliness of desert conflict
shakercoola15 May 2019
A British war film; A story about a patrol raid made by the Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) during the North African Campaign in the Second World War. This is a film which captures the remoteness of the conflict and the boredom for the soldiers involved. It also depicts how British soldiers went out on a limb deep behind enemy lines to fight Rommel's Afrika Korps with all its risk and danger. While the screenplay is predictable and it is a routine war adventure, the dialogue is natural and the various characters are well drawn. As an aside, it has some excellent acting which led to a BAFTA nomination for the lead actor, as well as a nomination for Best Picture for the producer.
Sea of Sand
CinemaSerf25 March 2023
A squadron of hardy soldiers working on infiltration, enduring the searing heat of the WWII North Africa campaign, are despatched to blow up a fuel dump deep behind enemy lines. It's only when they reach the location they discover something way more perilous than petrol, and so much race back to HQ - with the Nazis hot on their trail - to inform their superiors of this potentially game-changing information. It's quite a familiar looking story that goes some way to depicting the harshness of desert warfare and of the gritty determination of those men sent to fight and survive in this most hostile of global environments. Richard Attenborough nominally heads up a cast of reliable British stalwarts including Michael Craig, John Gregson and the always dependable Percy Herbert and the Libyan photography adds an extra authenticity to the ghastliness and tenaciousness of their struggle. Like many films made some time after the war, it has less of a propagandist element to it and so the plot doesn't shy away from tragedy which, again, lends plausibility to their travails as they struggle to cross the sand. Guy Green has used his cast and the location well here - it is at times an uncomfortable watch and that adds to it's character. Well worth a watch if you get a chance.
Heroic Men Get The Job Done!
boblipton29 January 2024
A nine-man unit of the Long Range Desert Group is told off to drive deep behind German lines and make trouble. They discover the Germans are planning a major offensive and must get the information back to British command. The problem is that the Germans don't want them to.
The LRDG was a British unit founded by Major Ralph Bagnold in Cairo in 1940. It was intended to carry out patrols, reconnaiscence and raids behind Italian lines. It never numbered than about 350 men. Mostly drawn from New Zealanders, with a few Southern Rhodesian and British soldiers, it was disbanded in 1945. Many of its techniques have been used by elite military groups ever since.
With a capable cast, including Richard Attenborough, John Gregson, and Michael Craig, this turns into one of those films in which men heroically sacrifice themselves for the unit, interspersed with them talking about their civilian live to give them some individuality.
The LRDG was a British unit founded by Major Ralph Bagnold in Cairo in 1940. It was intended to carry out patrols, reconnaiscence and raids behind Italian lines. It never numbered than about 350 men. Mostly drawn from New Zealanders, with a few Southern Rhodesian and British soldiers, it was disbanded in 1945. Many of its techniques have been used by elite military groups ever since.
With a capable cast, including Richard Attenborough, John Gregson, and Michael Craig, this turns into one of those films in which men heroically sacrifice themselves for the unit, interspersed with them talking about their civilian live to give them some individuality.
Formulaic Fifty's Fare
screenman12 March 2011
Warning: Spoilers
This seldom seen, WW2 desert warfare movie boasts an excellent cast of the day. There's Dickie Attenborough and good old John Gregson for a start.
As other posts have mentioned; it's a wee bit formulaic. Most of the heat-'n'-sand issues are addressed, but there's an absence of gritty (no pun intended) realism. I think more stress could have been placed upon the hardships of driving over a rock-strewn nowhere in the scalding hot sun, to say nothing of their exposed circumstances. They never get a single puncture, and only sink-in once. There's a good mix of characters and some suitably fractious in-fighting, but nothing to cause a fight. It's filmed in Black & white.
They've got to destroy an enemy position and - like 'None But The Brave' - discover more than they bargained for and must return to base to give warning.
As I say; it's formulaic, there are no surprises. If anything it's the players that keep it going, though even they seem to be just working-by-numbers. It's a decent matinée that'll entertain if you've nothing better to do. Though it sure isn't collectible.
It is available on DVD; however, I'm advised that it is a very inferior transfer, which is why I've never bought it.
As other posts have mentioned; it's a wee bit formulaic. Most of the heat-'n'-sand issues are addressed, but there's an absence of gritty (no pun intended) realism. I think more stress could have been placed upon the hardships of driving over a rock-strewn nowhere in the scalding hot sun, to say nothing of their exposed circumstances. They never get a single puncture, and only sink-in once. There's a good mix of characters and some suitably fractious in-fighting, but nothing to cause a fight. It's filmed in Black & white.
They've got to destroy an enemy position and - like 'None But The Brave' - discover more than they bargained for and must return to base to give warning.
As I say; it's formulaic, there are no surprises. If anything it's the players that keep it going, though even they seem to be just working-by-numbers. It's a decent matinée that'll entertain if you've nothing better to do. Though it sure isn't collectible.
It is available on DVD; however, I'm advised that it is a very inferior transfer, which is why I've never bought it.
One of the Best WWII Movies You'll Never See
rodszasz26 June 2013
This movie seemed to be played a lot on late night CBC film when I was growing up. I watched it about 3 times as a lad and then found it in Japanese video store (Japanese have some of the best selections of old Western movies). It did not disappoint after all those years. It still carried a very hard thrill and had suspense in spades.
The story revolves around one of the first Long Range Desert Reconnaissance (LRDG) groups to attempt a trip to travel hundreds of miles behind German lines in North Africa and blow up a crucial petrol dump. In reality most LRDG groups were really sent out to gather intel, but that does not stop the believability of this story of daring Brits putting up the grit and getting whittled down, one lorry after another by relentless Germans pursuit.
They loose their lorries one by one... to the desert and to enemy action. Petrol and water run down as the suspense ramps up. Towards the end they are on foot in the desert as the last lorry runs out of water -- holed by a Jerry bullet in a previous firefight. With time running out and the Germans closing, they cannot carry their wounded... the wounded soldier insists on being left behind and the scene is powerful: after their good-byes the lone wounded soldier is set up under a camouflage tarp with a heavy machine gun and the rest of the water (left as a parting token of appreciation for his expected sacrifice). He dies hard, but gains the group time whilst they make their way across the desert in a last attempt to make British Lines.
Attenborough is young, and cocky. This is before he got into directing. There is fine mid-50s British talent here and the smattering of the regional accents, West Country, inners London, Lancashire, Upper-class, and one lone Australian, is very refreshing and very reminiscent of the British army that went to war in WWII.
I love this movie. Maybe it is because of the effect it had on me as a kid... I do not know. But you shall not be disappointed. You may also learn more about British Special Operations since they were the people who invented it in its modern sense.
Enjoy.
The story revolves around one of the first Long Range Desert Reconnaissance (LRDG) groups to attempt a trip to travel hundreds of miles behind German lines in North Africa and blow up a crucial petrol dump. In reality most LRDG groups were really sent out to gather intel, but that does not stop the believability of this story of daring Brits putting up the grit and getting whittled down, one lorry after another by relentless Germans pursuit.
They loose their lorries one by one... to the desert and to enemy action. Petrol and water run down as the suspense ramps up. Towards the end they are on foot in the desert as the last lorry runs out of water -- holed by a Jerry bullet in a previous firefight. With time running out and the Germans closing, they cannot carry their wounded... the wounded soldier insists on being left behind and the scene is powerful: after their good-byes the lone wounded soldier is set up under a camouflage tarp with a heavy machine gun and the rest of the water (left as a parting token of appreciation for his expected sacrifice). He dies hard, but gains the group time whilst they make their way across the desert in a last attempt to make British Lines.
Attenborough is young, and cocky. This is before he got into directing. There is fine mid-50s British talent here and the smattering of the regional accents, West Country, inners London, Lancashire, Upper-class, and one lone Australian, is very refreshing and very reminiscent of the British army that went to war in WWII.
I love this movie. Maybe it is because of the effect it had on me as a kid... I do not know. But you shall not be disappointed. You may also learn more about British Special Operations since they were the people who invented it in its modern sense.
Enjoy.
No women!
JohnHowardReid29 April 2017
Warning: Spoilers
With some astute trimming – especially of the last 30 minutes (the trouble is that we have seen far too many movies where our heroes walk through a hot sunny desert to their base) – this would be a more acceptable action pic. Certainly the pace up to the last half-hour is fast enough. There are some splendid action spots, excitingly staged, but otherwise director Guy Green's handling is rather humdrum and routine.
The script is the usual formula stuff. The total absence of any females will add to its appeal with some viewers – but not with me! The desert locations come across effectively and easily manage to dwarf the players, although Attenborough does manage to give his character a bit of depth. It's also interesting to see one of "B" movies' top stars, Dermot Walsh, in an uncredited role here as the commanding officer.
The script is the usual formula stuff. The total absence of any females will add to its appeal with some viewers – but not with me! The desert locations come across effectively and easily manage to dwarf the players, although Attenborough does manage to give his character a bit of depth. It's also interesting to see one of "B" movies' top stars, Dermot Walsh, in an uncredited role here as the commanding officer.
The War in the Desert.
gordonl564 October 2014
Warning: Spoilers
SEA OF SAND – 1958
This filmed on location UK war film is much better than I was expecting. It tells the story of a patrol of the "Long Range Desert Group". This unit was tasked with recon work behind Axis lines during the Western Desert campaign of WW2. They also engaged is destroying enemy fuel and supply dumps, as well as airfields.
This particular patrol is led by Michael Craig with John Gregson as second in command. The rest of the group includes, Richard Attenborough, Vincent Ball, Percy Hebert, Ray McNally, Barry Foster and Andrew Faulds among others. The men are being sent on a raid of an Afrika Korps supply dump.
Thing quickly hit a snag when they have a run in with a German armoured car. The duel results in the destruction of the German vehicle, but also the loss of one of the raiding trucks and several men killed. Evading further patrols and enemy aircraft, the remaining trucks come up on the supply dump. They sneak in at night and set explosive charges throughout the supplies. The German's tumble to their presence and a big firefight ensues. The explosives go off which provides some cover for their withdrawal from the area.
They however stumble into a German ambush and lose more men and trucks. The survivors need to make it back to headquarters to report on a number of armored fighting vehicles they discovered. These tanks could give the Allies a nasty shock when the Allies launch their upcoming counter-offensive against Rommel and company.
The German's were of course less than pleased with the attack on their supply dump. They send out a patrol of half-tracks to hunt down the British. The British are soon losing trucks and men as they try to get the vital info to their lines. Their radio is shot all to hell and of no use.
What I like about this film is the no nonsense approach to war it takes. None of that stiff upper lip stuff. Just people doing what they must to survive.
Everyone in the cast is quite good with Craig, Gregson, Attenborough and Hebert in particular shining.
The director was Oscar winning cinematographer, turned director, Guy Green. Green started out working the cameras for the great, David Lean. Well worth the time investment.
This filmed on location UK war film is much better than I was expecting. It tells the story of a patrol of the "Long Range Desert Group". This unit was tasked with recon work behind Axis lines during the Western Desert campaign of WW2. They also engaged is destroying enemy fuel and supply dumps, as well as airfields.
This particular patrol is led by Michael Craig with John Gregson as second in command. The rest of the group includes, Richard Attenborough, Vincent Ball, Percy Hebert, Ray McNally, Barry Foster and Andrew Faulds among others. The men are being sent on a raid of an Afrika Korps supply dump.
Thing quickly hit a snag when they have a run in with a German armoured car. The duel results in the destruction of the German vehicle, but also the loss of one of the raiding trucks and several men killed. Evading further patrols and enemy aircraft, the remaining trucks come up on the supply dump. They sneak in at night and set explosive charges throughout the supplies. The German's tumble to their presence and a big firefight ensues. The explosives go off which provides some cover for their withdrawal from the area.
They however stumble into a German ambush and lose more men and trucks. The survivors need to make it back to headquarters to report on a number of armored fighting vehicles they discovered. These tanks could give the Allies a nasty shock when the Allies launch their upcoming counter-offensive against Rommel and company.
The German's were of course less than pleased with the attack on their supply dump. They send out a patrol of half-tracks to hunt down the British. The British are soon losing trucks and men as they try to get the vital info to their lines. Their radio is shot all to hell and of no use.
What I like about this film is the no nonsense approach to war it takes. None of that stiff upper lip stuff. Just people doing what they must to survive.
Everyone in the cast is quite good with Craig, Gregson, Attenborough and Hebert in particular shining.
The director was Oscar winning cinematographer, turned director, Guy Green. Green started out working the cameras for the great, David Lean. Well worth the time investment.
Desert Rats
rmax30482328 October 2009
Warning: Spoilers
A by-the-book Second in Command officer, John Gregson, is posted to the LGRD in the midst of the Libyan desert during the fight against Rommel's Afrika Corps. His CO is Michael Craig, who allows considerable relaxation of the rules in this isolated and undersupplied desert outpost. (You can tell Craig disregards regulations because at their first meeting he invited Gregson to use Christian names.) Well, as you can imagine, Gregson finds these scruffy types a rather rum lot.
It doesn't help when orders are received to send three truckloads of men on a long-distance raid against one of Rommel's supply dumps.
It's a long trip. Water is in short supply and when one of the men, Richard Attenborough, fills his canteen with brandy he gets a proper pranging from Craig, who may be unconcerned about uniforms and all the stuff we called, well, chicken scat when I was in the military, but is stern enough when it comes to getting the job done.
There is an encounter with a German armored car, which our men win but only at some cost. There is a mine field which must be carefully probed as the men crawl through it. A sentry is stabbed to death. The petrol dump is destroyed and a narrow escape follows. The unit is pursued by three fully manned German armored personnel carriers. The trucks break down, one by one, until the last handful of survivors face a forty-mile walk back to the base. A badly wounded man, Percy Herbert, begs the others to leave him behind with a machine gun so they can save themselves.
If it all sounds familiar, that's because it is. It's not a bad film, in the sense that it's not insulting to the intelligence. The problem is that it might all have been written by a computer if the suitable equipment had existed at the time. The dialog adds nothing much.
There is one element that distinguishes this from most other desert warfare films, and that is the pain registered by the men who are wounded. People die according to the usual conventions -- they twirl around and fall dead. But the wounded seem genuinely to suffer. When they're picked up from the desert floor to be carried to the waiting truck, they HURT, and they let us see it. Not that they would whine about the pain. As Craig replies to an inquiry about his wounded arm: "I know it's there."
Otherwise, well -- if you want to see a fine movie along these lines, there are others available. Try "Ice Cold in Alex" for a start.
It doesn't help when orders are received to send three truckloads of men on a long-distance raid against one of Rommel's supply dumps.
It's a long trip. Water is in short supply and when one of the men, Richard Attenborough, fills his canteen with brandy he gets a proper pranging from Craig, who may be unconcerned about uniforms and all the stuff we called, well, chicken scat when I was in the military, but is stern enough when it comes to getting the job done.
There is an encounter with a German armored car, which our men win but only at some cost. There is a mine field which must be carefully probed as the men crawl through it. A sentry is stabbed to death. The petrol dump is destroyed and a narrow escape follows. The unit is pursued by three fully manned German armored personnel carriers. The trucks break down, one by one, until the last handful of survivors face a forty-mile walk back to the base. A badly wounded man, Percy Herbert, begs the others to leave him behind with a machine gun so they can save themselves.
If it all sounds familiar, that's because it is. It's not a bad film, in the sense that it's not insulting to the intelligence. The problem is that it might all have been written by a computer if the suitable equipment had existed at the time. The dialog adds nothing much.
There is one element that distinguishes this from most other desert warfare films, and that is the pain registered by the men who are wounded. People die according to the usual conventions -- they twirl around and fall dead. But the wounded seem genuinely to suffer. When they're picked up from the desert floor to be carried to the waiting truck, they HURT, and they let us see it. Not that they would whine about the pain. As Craig replies to an inquiry about his wounded arm: "I know it's there."
Otherwise, well -- if you want to see a fine movie along these lines, there are others available. Try "Ice Cold in Alex" for a start.
Great ensemble piece
frank_b_knuckles19 October 2006
Recently saw this on TV. I tuned in on a whim and was delighted I did. It features a really good line up of mid 50's talent and some lustrous black and white photography. It seemed to me a forerunner of the later "mission" movies which became the norm for WW2 films in the following decade.
There were a couple of hard hitting -for the time- action sequences, which were crisply filmed and edited. There was a smattering of officers v men tension, mostly supplied by Attenborough in his cheeky chappy guise. And a fantastic sequence of a lone British soldier waiting by his machine gun for German half-tracks to appear over the crest of the dunes.
My only slight problem with the film is the heroic display by one of the officers towards the end. It felt like a throwback to earlier, more genteel values, not in keeping with the tone of the rest of the piece. Apart from that, well worth a look. Would make an good double bill with De Toth's later Play Dirty.
There were a couple of hard hitting -for the time- action sequences, which were crisply filmed and edited. There was a smattering of officers v men tension, mostly supplied by Attenborough in his cheeky chappy guise. And a fantastic sequence of a lone British soldier waiting by his machine gun for German half-tracks to appear over the crest of the dunes.
My only slight problem with the film is the heroic display by one of the officers towards the end. It felt like a throwback to earlier, more genteel values, not in keeping with the tone of the rest of the piece. Apart from that, well worth a look. Would make an good double bill with De Toth's later Play Dirty.
Well worth watching
jonathangardiner-7756831 August 2018
Long Range Desert Group
jarrodmcdonald-112 February 2024
Warning: Spoilers
The Long Range Desert Group, known as the LRDG, was a British Army raiding unit during WWII. The group was initially formed in Egypt in 1940 and specialized in covert missions in North Africa, missions that were carried out to undermine enemy operations. The men in the LRDG were rugged and daring souls, and their story, both collectively and individually, is told in this fine motion picture.
Guy Green had previously directed star Michael Craig in the Rank Organisation's espionage thriller HOUSE OF SECRETS (1956). That proto Bond tale had underperformed at the British box office, so the studio put Craig into other genres. This was a chance for Craig to show what he could do in a war flick. While he was clean shaven and ever so dapper in HOUSE OF SECRETS, he would sport considerable facial hair this time, and he'd be filming on location in Tripoli.
The entire cast and crew were sent to Tripoli, and it would not be an easy shoot for them. Just as the characters faced harsh situations in the movie, the actors had to deal with sand storms and intense heat. Most days it reached 120 degrees Fahrenheit, so much of the filming was done during the cool morning hours. Careful attention was paid to the use of uniforms and the jeeps used, to accurately reflect conditions that took place on the eve of the Second Battle of El Alamein in late 1942.
In some ways, this picture plays out like other well-constructed war films that were made a dozen or so years after the actual war. There is a sense of looking back and reminding the audience about the costs of freedom. SEA OF SAND focuses on an eclectic group of men from various backgrounds, with very specific personality types. Craig one of the captains alongside John Gregson who is also a captain. They must work together with the other men to penetrate a German fuel dump in the desert. They go off with enough equipment, water and food rations to last a few weeks.
While they are out in the vast desert, they realize unexpected enemy tanks are heading towards the British army. So it becomes their job to thwart the advancement of the tanks. As these skirmishes occur, we learn more about the men in this group. Craig's heart is broken, apparently from a romantic relationship that has gone sour. Gregson is an engineer who knows a lot about minefields, and he has a young son at home who makes him proud.
Among the rest of the group is a trooper played by Richard Attenborough who prefers to fill his canteens with booze instead of water. It becomes increasingly obvious to Craig that Attenborough is drunk during some of their maneuvers and that Attenborough's unprofessional behavior may put lives at risk. At the same time Attenborough has formed a close bond with a corporal (Percy Herbert) in the unit. When Herbert is willing to sacrifice himself so that others may survive, Attenborough is humbled and reforms.
I think what I enjoyed about this film is that it didn't feel as if the men were inflated to be super heroes. They were ordinary guys who had issues but were all cooperating as a team. I figured they all wouldn't still be alive by the end, and sure enough, several of them were not. But I felt like I got to know each of them on a personal basis. The characters who died on screen somehow managed to have full lives, even if their lives were cut short because of the dangerous conditions in which they worked.
Guy Green had previously directed star Michael Craig in the Rank Organisation's espionage thriller HOUSE OF SECRETS (1956). That proto Bond tale had underperformed at the British box office, so the studio put Craig into other genres. This was a chance for Craig to show what he could do in a war flick. While he was clean shaven and ever so dapper in HOUSE OF SECRETS, he would sport considerable facial hair this time, and he'd be filming on location in Tripoli.
The entire cast and crew were sent to Tripoli, and it would not be an easy shoot for them. Just as the characters faced harsh situations in the movie, the actors had to deal with sand storms and intense heat. Most days it reached 120 degrees Fahrenheit, so much of the filming was done during the cool morning hours. Careful attention was paid to the use of uniforms and the jeeps used, to accurately reflect conditions that took place on the eve of the Second Battle of El Alamein in late 1942.
In some ways, this picture plays out like other well-constructed war films that were made a dozen or so years after the actual war. There is a sense of looking back and reminding the audience about the costs of freedom. SEA OF SAND focuses on an eclectic group of men from various backgrounds, with very specific personality types. Craig one of the captains alongside John Gregson who is also a captain. They must work together with the other men to penetrate a German fuel dump in the desert. They go off with enough equipment, water and food rations to last a few weeks.
While they are out in the vast desert, they realize unexpected enemy tanks are heading towards the British army. So it becomes their job to thwart the advancement of the tanks. As these skirmishes occur, we learn more about the men in this group. Craig's heart is broken, apparently from a romantic relationship that has gone sour. Gregson is an engineer who knows a lot about minefields, and he has a young son at home who makes him proud.
Among the rest of the group is a trooper played by Richard Attenborough who prefers to fill his canteens with booze instead of water. It becomes increasingly obvious to Craig that Attenborough is drunk during some of their maneuvers and that Attenborough's unprofessional behavior may put lives at risk. At the same time Attenborough has formed a close bond with a corporal (Percy Herbert) in the unit. When Herbert is willing to sacrifice himself so that others may survive, Attenborough is humbled and reforms.
I think what I enjoyed about this film is that it didn't feel as if the men were inflated to be super heroes. They were ordinary guys who had issues but were all cooperating as a team. I figured they all wouldn't still be alive by the end, and sure enough, several of them were not. But I felt like I got to know each of them on a personal basis. The characters who died on screen somehow managed to have full lives, even if their lives were cut short because of the dangerous conditions in which they worked.
Watchable, overrated though.
bombersflyup25 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Sea of Sand has an alright plot, but the characters and dialogue uninteresting.
Similar to that of "Tobruk - 1967" and like that film, should of been good, but isn't. Though marginally better, again doesn't feel serious and never immersive.
Similar to that of "Tobruk - 1967" and like that film, should of been good, but isn't. Though marginally better, again doesn't feel serious and never immersive.
Taut script, photography, editing; quality acting, direction
adrianovasconcelos23 April 2024
Director Guy Green began as cameraman and quality camera work is a trademark he retains in SEA OF SAND aka DESERT PATROL - no mean feat when the entire film is shot in the desert. Wilkie Cooper's cinematography deserves high praise.
Plaudits, too, to Robert Westerby for the credible, taut script, with sharp dialogue - particularly between Michael Craig and John Gregson as two captains with different leadership ideas. I found rather astute the decision to give the best known actor in the cast at the time - Richard Attenborough - a rather middling, unassuming role as a military vehicle driver partial to brandy, which turns out to be providential during a German pinch.
Acting rates top notch across the board, even smaller parts by Ray McAnally - the surname does him no justice, he does not act anally at all!; Barry Foster - possibly best remembered for his "tie serial killer" in Hitchcock's FRENZY; Tanganyka-born Andrew Faulds as the reliable supplies man; and Vincent Ball as the attentive Sergeant Nesbitt, all deliver flawlessly.
The famous British upper lip abounds and John Gregson, who I remember best for his comic role in GENEVIEVE, plays the understated, cultured officer who can actually speak German and so saves his crew from a hail of German lead.
SEA OF SAND is a fitting title: sand everywhere, vehicles get bogged down in it, wind blows tracks, the enemy appears in the middle of sand storms.
Thoughtful homage to LRDG in WWII. 8/10.
Plaudits, too, to Robert Westerby for the credible, taut script, with sharp dialogue - particularly between Michael Craig and John Gregson as two captains with different leadership ideas. I found rather astute the decision to give the best known actor in the cast at the time - Richard Attenborough - a rather middling, unassuming role as a military vehicle driver partial to brandy, which turns out to be providential during a German pinch.
Acting rates top notch across the board, even smaller parts by Ray McAnally - the surname does him no justice, he does not act anally at all!; Barry Foster - possibly best remembered for his "tie serial killer" in Hitchcock's FRENZY; Tanganyka-born Andrew Faulds as the reliable supplies man; and Vincent Ball as the attentive Sergeant Nesbitt, all deliver flawlessly.
The famous British upper lip abounds and John Gregson, who I remember best for his comic role in GENEVIEVE, plays the understated, cultured officer who can actually speak German and so saves his crew from a hail of German lead.
SEA OF SAND is a fitting title: sand everywhere, vehicles get bogged down in it, wind blows tracks, the enemy appears in the middle of sand storms.
Thoughtful homage to LRDG in WWII. 8/10.
Very talky
jordondave-2808529 May 2023
(1958) Desert Patrol/ Sea Of Sand
WAR
A film that is dedicated to the British Army in particular the Eight Division also known as "The Long Range Desert Group" a story centering on a suicide mission regarding a small group of commando's about ten of them, having to go across the deserts of Africa to destroy one of Rommel's major fuel supplies before returning back to base. On the first half of the movie, contains plenty of babble as the commando's converse with each another to the most boring effect that at times, making it almost unbearable to watch before and after the mission is completed.
A film that is dedicated to the British Army in particular the Eight Division also known as "The Long Range Desert Group" a story centering on a suicide mission regarding a small group of commando's about ten of them, having to go across the deserts of Africa to destroy one of Rommel's major fuel supplies before returning back to base. On the first half of the movie, contains plenty of babble as the commando's converse with each another to the most boring effect that at times, making it almost unbearable to watch before and after the mission is completed.
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