Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Bogart film
Review: I finally picked this up on DVD. I had seen in on video previously. This is a excellent war film with strong acting on all parts. The story moves well and you really get the feeling of being in a hot sandy desert. It is jingoistic for sure but I dont mind, as were most of the war movies during that period.
The international composition of Bogarts tank and passengers I felt was a way to show that international cooperation was going to be essential in overcoming the germans and that the Italians really were in this conflict over their head.
Anyway very enjoyable film
Rating: 
Summary: A war film ahead of its time
Review: I found 'Sahara' to be a spectacular film. Bogart's performance is brilliant, just like in 'Casablanca.' He plays a no-nonsense American tank commander stuck behind enemy lines in North Africa at a crucial time when the Germans are pushing east towards Egypt. (I had no idea that American forces were even in North Africa at this time in the war, even before Patton landed at Morocco in late 1942). Though at first glance the film appears to be an action war movie, it's really much more. It addresses subjects such as race, politics, and certain ethical questions. And the visual imagery is quite creative - notice how in one scene the falling sand appears to be like a cascade of water. All in all, this film was ahead of its time. I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: A war film about diversity and unity.
Review: I had first seen part of 'Sahara' on television. Unfortunately I had to go somewhere and was not able to watch the full movie or even learn its title. I later found out it was called 'Sahara' and sought out a copy on VHS. I found 'Sahara' to be a gripping tale that holds your attention from start to finish. It is wonderful how they have made a war movie that so effectively integrates the action and character development into a story that moves with seamless continuity. 'Sahara' is the story of an American tank crew in North Africa forced to retreat to the South through the Sahara. Along the way they pick up some British soldiers, a French soldier, a Sudanese soldier and his Italian prisoner, and take a Nazi fighter pilot prisoner. This ragtag group has to deal with running out of water in the desert and trying to find water. They are not alone in their quest as a much larger contingent of Nazi troops is after the same water and this presents our heroes with a decision to retreat or stand and fight. The backbone of this film is a diverse group of men of different cultures and race who fight together against an enemy driven by hatred. In a time when the world faced an enemy that sought to classify humans by their preference and extinguish millions without batting an eye, this movie presented a message of equality by stripping away superficial differences and yet embraced culture as something to be shared. Unfortunately Hollywood and the American public had not quite embraced that message as other films continued to be littered with stereotypes and the public did not embrace equality; and yet that is still a work in progress today. Perhaps some may feel that I have over rated 'Sahara' or even read too much into it. Irregardless, it was a stand out for 1943 and it is just as pertinent today.--Bob
Rating:
Summary: I'm 22 and I love this movie
Review: I saw this movie 3 years ago and I just had to have it. I'm somewhat of a war movie fan and I must say this film does it for me. Humphrey Bogart is tough as nails and is one hell of a soldier in this film. I got this for Christmas after I came across it on AMC one year and I have left it on my top 20 list of all time films ever since. It is a must have if you know anything about war films or great actors.
Rating:
Summary: Good War Movie
Review: I saw this on TCM a few weeks back, and it really is a good movie. The quest for water is the main plot, and once Bogart and friends find some, the Nazis want it. Great supporting cast members, like the Italian prisoner and Sudanese soldier. The last quarter or so had Bogart and his small band fighting off desperate Nazi hordes bent on obtaining water. Good movie that is well worth your time, even though there is some propaganda in it.
Rating:
Summary: 'An all round clasic'
Review: I would have to say that this 1943 classic rates in my top 3 war films of all time. The acting, script, filming and soundtrack is superb. 'Sahara' tells the story of a mixed allied unit seperated from its own armies by the advancing German forces in the North African campaign of World War 2. Their desperate struggle for freedom turns into a fight for survival as they endure the many familiar (and not so familiar) hardships of war. In the seemingly endless search of desert wells, Bogart's 'small army' unwillingly stumble across the path a German Motorized unit whos interests in water is as desperate as its enemies. What transpires is a life and death decision which will leave you on the edge of your seat. A must see for any war film enthusiast.
Rating:
Summary: Timeless and tough...
Review: I've seen this movie to many times to count. This is one of the great epics of men in war. All the sorrow, joy, and evil of war is wrapped up in one dynamite package. Bogart at his best. The penultimate "tough guy" with the soft spot that makes the character so human. The scene where the Nazis front Bogie and tell him all about how many they are, how they'll just come and take the water are reminiscent of Leonidas and the Spartans at Thermopylae where the Persians tell the Greeks to lay down their arms and Leonidas replies, "Come and get them." This is Bogie at the cutting edge. See it-again and again!!!
Rating:
Summary: What? You haven't seen Sahara?
Review: If that is true, then you are missing one of the best war films ever made. Forget 'Saving Private Ryan'. For the cost of a couple of seats in a theater for that less than adequate flick, you can be moved by this simple gem over and over again. Bogart at his best, outstanding direction. Why can't they make them like this anymore?
Rating: 
Summary: Great classic-spotty mastering
Review: If you've never seen Sahara you're missing out on a great Bogey performance and all out terrific WWII movie. It has all the elements of a great classic: Solid characterizations, stirring action, an excellent story, and one of America's greatest stars. Sahara really gets moving in the second half and I was surprised how violent and realistic the fighting was. I was a little disappointed in the DVD transfer. While the contrast and clarity are excellent, there are several white specks that pop in and out of the image especially in the first half. I've seen many pictures from the 30's and 40's that are perfectly clean, so I'm surprised that this big boxoffice hit didn't look better. The mono soundtrack is in need of restoration also, as the music is brilliant. Someday this one will be back out in a totally remastered collectors edition. This is not it.
Rating:
Summary: A classic war film from WW II
Review: In 1942 Humphrey Bogart had finally become a major star. After accidentally establishing himself as a leading man in HIGH SIERRA, and the unexpected brilliance of THE MALTESE FALCON, his star turn in CASABLANCA proved that these two prior successes were not flukes and that Bogart was the real deal. SAHARA was, therefore, the first film to be released after Bogart had become Bogart. In the aftermath of December 7, 1941, the studios turned out a plethora of war films in an attempt to rally public opinion in support of the war (as if that were necessary). Most of these films are forgettable. All of them today have an odd appearance, for the simple fact that the military was so short of equipment that it was unable to lend and the films were made with outdated equipment. One of the things that is striking about SAHARA is how much they manage to achieve with virtually no equipment at all. We usually imagine war films as involving epic struggles between contending armies, but SAHARA instead focuses on a lone tank crew and the few stragglers that they pick up along the way. They use the small scale of the film to their advantage, with the unseen but threatening enemy more omnipresent by their absence.Given the absence of equipment and armies, the emphasis in the film is on the relations between the members of the tank crew and the individuals they encounter. Bruce Bennett, who first came to fame as an Olympic shot-putter in the 1920s, is excellent as one of the crew members. And there are a host of other veteran supporting actors. Also in a significant role is one of my favorite 1940s actors, Rex Ingram, who was one of the very, very few black actors before Sidney Portier to carve out a career as an actor despite refusing to play in any degrading or stereotypical "negro" roles. Ingram never played a cook or a red cap or a house servant, but instead portrayed soldiers as in SAHARA, genies (THE THIEF OF BAGHDAD, also directed by Zoltan Korda), the devil (CABIN IN THE SKY), and even God (GREEN PASTURES), as well as a very memorable performance in THE ADVENTURES OF HUCKLEBERRY FINN as the escaped slave Jim. Many of the films of 1942 with war themes are embarrassing today with their jingoistic patriotism or-in the case of the Japanese-borderline racism. That is certainly not the case with SAHARA. The director, Zoltan Korda, was a dedicated leftist (a source of conflict with his more conservative brother Alexander, the producer of most of the top films Zoltan worked upon), and there is a liberal optimism that under girds this film that would be far rarer only there years later in Hollywood. I think this lack of jingoism has helped prolong the life of SAHARA beyond many of the other war films of 1942.
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