Taxi for Tobruk (1961)
"Un taxi pour Tobrouk" (original title)

Director:

Denys de La Patellière

Writers:

Michel Audiard (dialogue), René Havard (screenplay),

Stars:

Hardy Krüger, Lino Ventura, Maurice Biraud

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Hardy Krüger	...	Le capitaine Ludwig von Stegel
Lino Ventura	...	le brigadier Theo Dumas
Maurice Biraud	...	François Gensac
Charles Aznavour	...	Samuel Goldmann
Germán Cobos	...	Jean Ramirez

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

prisoner of war | desert | north africa | world war two | tobruk | 

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Taglines:

The most exciting, explosive journey the screen has ever taken through a minefield of human emotions.

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Genres:

Drama | War

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Details

Country:

France Spain West Germany

Language:

French German English

Release Date:

10 May 1961 (France)

Also Known As:

Taxi for Tobruk

Filming Locations:

Almería, Andalucía, Spain

Company Credits

Production Co:

Franco London Films, Continental Film, Procusa

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Optiphone

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

One of the top 5 grossing movie of its year in France.

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Connections

Referenced in Assassin in the Phonebook (1962)

User Reviews

One of the greatest films on WW2

This film is simply one of the best I've ever seen about WW2. It shows, with few characters, few accurate words and in the overwhelming emptiness of the desert, the true face of war: total nonsense!

The plot, which puts 4 French soldiers in the situation of taking a German prisoner, together with his car, on a trip through the desert back to El-Alamein, is brilliantly written by Michel Audiard. The author shows us how enemies, being held away from fighting, can learn to progressively appreciate themselves... or not. Irony and emotion just stick together along the whole film to the end. True, human and disabused.

I don't have anything more to say. Or just one thing: it's the fourth time I watch that film, it's the fourth time I'm caught by it until the last second!