Giarabub (1942) User Reviews

Interesting bit of WW2 History

[gordonl56 · 7/10 · 29 June 2016]

GIARABUB 1942

This is an Italian flag-waver made in 1942 about the Dec 1940 to March 1941 defence of Giarabub oasis. The oasis is located 200 odd miles south of Tobruk. The garrison consisted of around 1,300 Italian and 600 plus Libyan soldiers.

The Italian garrison is caught behind Commonwealth lines after the collapse of the main Italian front at Tobruk. Australian mechanized troops are soon encircling the garrison. The Aussies prevent re-supply by ground.

The Aussies expecting the Italians to cave quickly try a quick assault attempting to overrun the garrison. A brisk counter-attack by the Italians takes back the lost ground. The Commonwealth forces pull back and stick to aggressive patrolling. They also whistle up the Desert Airforce to deliver a few bombs. The Airforce boys also prevent the Italians from flying in any supplies.

The Australians build up their forces before trying a few more probing attacks. The Italian officer in charge, played by Carlo Nichi, keeps a tight hand on his troops. The Italians are keeping Commonwealth troops needed on the coast busy by their stubborn resistance.

Finally the Aussies bring up a battery of 25 pounder howitzers. They slowly destroy one Italian position after another and occupy each in order. The Italian garrison is suffering from a lack of food. The Libyan troops have also deserted. The garrison finally surrenders and is bundled off to the Suez.

The Australians occupy Giarabub but evacuate after only 2 days. Rommel has launched his March counter-offensive and is rolling up the British forces. The Australians end up as part of the troops defending Tobruk during the upcoming siege by the Africa Korps.

The garrison officers and men were all hailed as heroes in Italy. (They were one of the few units at the time that held their own)The rest of the cast includes, Mario Ferrari, Doris Duranti, Carlo Romano, Elio Steiner, Ermino Spalla and Guido Notari.

The film was directed by Goffredo Alessandrini.

For a propaganda piece, this one is pretty good. There are plenty of real Italian weapons, including several Fiat Cr 42 biplane fighters on screen. The battle scenes are well handled with plenty of pyrotechnics on display. Worth hunting up if you are a WW2 war film fan.

Standoff in the desert.

[ItalianGerry · 17 December 2002]

Goffredo Alessandrini's GIARABUB, perhaps the most famous war film produced in Italy during World War II, gets its title from the name of an Italian military oasis-post in the Libyan desert. The Italians are under siege by enemy British forces, and the situation for the Italians is hopeless; they have few supplies, almost no food. It is a matter of time before they are overtaken. An emissary from the British forces gives the Italians an ultimatum for surrender. But to Major Castagna (Carlo Ninchi) surrender is not an option. The point of the film seems to be to send a patriotic message to the Italians as the worst days of the war approached, that they might maintain their calm and dignity and sense of sacrifice for the motherland in the face of overwhelming odds. The movie was required inspirational viewing for all students in Italy. The song written for the film's credits has the lyrics: "Colonel, I don't want bread, I want lead for my rifle. I don't want praise; I died for my country, but the end of England starts with Giarabub."

The movie does not deal with the thornier aspects of Italian/German military aims or fascism. Mussolini is never referred to. This is a kind of Italian DUNKIRK or LOST PATROL. Much of the film centers around the paternal major, his assessment of the situation he knows to be hopeless, his personal interest in his men (he writes addenda to their letters home noting that they are "bravi ragazzi"---good lads.) In the midst of all there very improbably appears Dolores, played by Doris Duranti, who provides some romantic appeal for as while, but is absent in her quarters for much of the movie. Alessandrini described her role as that of a soldiers' masseuse/manicurist. Doris Duranti was the great feminine icon of the Italian fascist cinema, and was reputed to have had relations with the Duce himself. Most of the film is quiet and talky, illustrating the camaraderie among men in war. The film's ending is filled with "optimism in defeat." In its way, for its human elements, the film is actually quite likable.

The battle scenes were convincing and incorporated footage from Luce documentaries that had been shot on location in Africa. The exteriors were shot in Italy. The fort itself was reconstructed in the Scalera Studio. At the same time at Cinecittà, Augusto Genina was shooting BENGASI, another North-African war film. Among the cast of GIARABUB is a very young Alberto Sordi as a wounded lieutenant. Renzo Rossellini, brother of Roberto, provided the musical score, as he did for his brother's fascist era films and post-war OPEN CITY and PAISAN.