The Desert Rats

The Desert Rats (1953)

  • 80% of critics liked it
    (5 reviews)

  • 63% of users liked it
    (1,446 ratings)

The Desert Rats was a quickly assembled follow-up to 20th Century-Fox's successful war film The Desert Fox. Richard Burton plays an officer in the British Eighth Army, battling Rommel's forces in defense of Tobruk. Put in charge of an Australian unit, Burton rides his men ruthlessly, with laudatory… More

Unrated, 1 hr. 28 min.
Directed By
Robert Wise
Written By
Richard Murphy
Genres
Classics, Action & Adventure
In Theaters
May 20, 1953 Wide
On DVD
May 21, 2002

Critic Reviews

  • Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

    Looks just like many other war films that salute the glories of war.

  • Kevin N. Laforest, Apollo Guide

    Doesn't fare very well as a work of cinema, but if you take it as a fictionalised History channel documentary, you might find it compelling.

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Randy T


    Sequel to <i>The Desert Fox</i>, based on the true-life exploits of Australian infantrymen in the North African campaign of WWII. James Mason is again Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, this time matching wits with Richard Burton during the legendary siege of Tobruk. A solid… More

  • xGary X


    A semi-sequel to The Desert Fox, The Desert Rats sees James Mason reprise his role as Field Marshal Rommel who meets his match in the form of British field officer Richard Burton during the siege of Tobruk. Mason and Burton are two of the greats of British acting and it's well… More

  • A B


    Excellent Richard Burton war movie.

Cast

See full cast

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