Review of Five Graves to Cairo (1943) by Jack G — 04 Feb 2017

I went into Five Graves to Cairo only knowing that this was Billy Wilder's attempt to make some pro-ally style war movie, and that it was one of Quentin Tarantino's favorite films - anyone with two eyes and ears can tell it's a big influence on Inglourious Basterds - and finally seeing it, it holds up, as far as it goes. It's not something that is reliant on a lot of battles or action in the sense one might expect from a lot of war films. The Tarantino connection is a lot thicker than one might expect; Wilder in 'Cairo' is all about mounting suspense and keeping up the rouse of Franchot Tone's JJ Bramble turned German spy turned English hotel waiter Paul Davros around a bunch of German officers occupying the hotel while planning an offensive maneuver in North Africa.

Every moment is tense and taut when this man is around these officers, and while Tone is not the best or most expressive actor of his time he does enough for what the role and Wilder ask of him, giving some charm and personality to a character who has to be different things at different moments. Part of it also comes from who knows what piece of information, the fact that from the start some p-eople know more than others (as, in a fantastic opening that sets much of the tone, Bramble stumbles sun-baked into the hotel after leaving his blown-apart tank, and Tamiroff and Anne Baxter have to do their best to make sure the Germans don't see him behind the bar, which does get moved mid-scene), and that there is other stakes going on, like with Baxter's man in a prison camp.

All the while, Wilder gives some wonderful scenes for Peter van Eyck, who's the Lieutenant overseeing the operation, and his commanding officer especially Erich von Stroheim. Von Stroheim is the strongest part of the film, as every time he gives this character dimension and presence, and how every line is delivered makes him a man who is clearly out to do his duty as a Nazi officer on the move towards Egypt (and those 'five graves', which becomes a plot point but isn't as important as seeing what the characters do about it), but is also a sort of a human villain, if that makes sense. I'd almost go as far as to say he makes this field Marshall cunning but also someone who you understand completely: he's doing his job the way he's been trained, and his ambition (some of his officers are astounded he wants to go as far as he plans, with salt shakers on a table demonstrating), and there's some of that same dimension he brought to Grand Illusion. We know he's the villain of the piece, but you can't take your eyes off of him from the moment he's on screen - and Wilder opens on him from behind his head giving orders!

I don't know if Tamiroff came off the best here, as he is sort of one-note through most of the run time as the nervous nellie (over?)reacting to every little or big move. And it does still operate on the wave of it being made during the war, with the side clearly drawn (though, again, the Germans are made to not be simply automatic monsters, but people you are meant to understand their motivations, cruel as they end up being, like Rommel's 'papers in triplicate' command to Anne Baxter). But aside from that, it's a generally smart and intense film that relies all on character motivation and that dialog IS the plot, in a sense here. It's a bottle-movie as about 90% of it takes place indoors, but it doesn't operate like a play, despite it being adapted from one. And the ending, or denouement I should say, packs a good emotional wallop redeeming any slow moments.