I like this film despite its obvious flaws and I've always liked James Mason. I can't fault the acting as the cast were all good.
Two main points doubtlessly raised by other commentators.
a)The portrayal of Rommel as a good guy went a bit too far. True he became anti Hitler/Nazi in the end, but this seems to have been primarily due to having been abandoned in Africa and having his requests in Normandy turned down by Hitler, not due to any squeamishness about the Nazi state, who's brutality must have been self evident to him for many years or of Nazi aggression who he was all too willing to promote. Don't forget he was the mastermind Behind the Blitzkrieg in Holland France and Belgium in 1940 and saw no wrong in that campaign.
b) The use of incorrect stock footage, Such as a view of the Maginot line fortification to demonstrate the Normandy beaches. In the strafing attack we see a TMB Avenger transmute into 3 Spitfires who had gun flashes superimposed onto the incorrect section of their wings and also having the sound of whiny pre-war US fixed pitch radial engined planes dubbed over them as did the footage of the Beaufighter strafing. (something that still happens in films today - give em what they expect not what is real) and the tacky patriotic music. Probably taken from the first shelf in the effects room and couldn't be bothered to look any further.
I'm sure military vehicle/weaponry aficionados will have spotted some similar points about the MT/guns portrayed.
The scenes in the train and Rommel's house were authentic enough and seemed to have been filmed on location so its a shame they skimped on these other details.
One scene that did amuse me was when the Gestapo man followed the doctor out of the hospital and never shut the door properly behind him. Now this would have doubtless been re shot, in here the guard merely leaned over and pulled it shut.
Still a masterpiece of history when compared to 'Battle of the Bulge'
Two main points doubtlessly raised by other commentators.
a)The portrayal of Rommel as a good guy went a bit too far. True he became anti Hitler/Nazi in the end, but this seems to have been primarily due to having been abandoned in Africa and having his requests in Normandy turned down by Hitler, not due to any squeamishness about the Nazi state, who's brutality must have been self evident to him for many years or of Nazi aggression who he was all too willing to promote. Don't forget he was the mastermind Behind the Blitzkrieg in Holland France and Belgium in 1940 and saw no wrong in that campaign.
b) The use of incorrect stock footage, Such as a view of the Maginot line fortification to demonstrate the Normandy beaches. In the strafing attack we see a TMB Avenger transmute into 3 Spitfires who had gun flashes superimposed onto the incorrect section of their wings and also having the sound of whiny pre-war US fixed pitch radial engined planes dubbed over them as did the footage of the Beaufighter strafing. (something that still happens in films today - give em what they expect not what is real) and the tacky patriotic music. Probably taken from the first shelf in the effects room and couldn't be bothered to look any further.
I'm sure military vehicle/weaponry aficionados will have spotted some similar points about the MT/guns portrayed.
The scenes in the train and Rommel's house were authentic enough and seemed to have been filmed on location so its a shame they skimped on these other details.
One scene that did amuse me was when the Gestapo man followed the doctor out of the hospital and never shut the door properly behind him. Now this would have doubtless been re shot, in here the guard merely leaned over and pulled it shut.
Still a masterpiece of history when compared to 'Battle of the Bulge'