Five Graves to Cairo

Released May 4, 1943

1h 36m

War

List

100%

Tomatometer

17 Reviews

79%

Audience Score

500+ Ratings

It's World War II, and British soldier John Bramble (Franchot Tone) is the lone survivor of a brutal battle in Egypt. After wandering through the desert, Bramble finds a remote hotel. There, in order to stay alive, he assumes a false identity. When the famed German general Rommel (Erich von Stroheim), aka the Desert Fox, arrives at the hotel, Bramble realizes he's being taken for a German spy. Can this lowly British soldier turn the tide in the war and foil Germany's plans in North Africa?

Read More

Read Less

Variety Staff

Variety

Director Billy Wilder handles the varied story elements, countless suspenseful moments and vivid portrayals in excellent fashion.

Aug 14, 2007

Full Review

Bosley Crowther

New York Times

It has a little something for all tastes, provided you don't give a darn.

Rated: 3/5

Mar 25, 2006

Full Review

Geoff Andrew

Time Out

An impressive wartime espionage thriller.

Jan 26, 2006

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

... a smart, well-tuned World War II thriller with a terrific cast of characters actors and a sharp wit.

Aug 19, 2022

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

An early and often overlooked effort from writer-director Billy Wilder.

Rated: 3.5/4

Oct 3, 2020

Full Review

Kevin Wight

The Wee Review

The fast pace and sinewy plot strands ensure a surprisingly brisk, jaunty romp for a film released in the midst of the conflict it depicts.

Rated: 3

Aug 11, 2020

Full Review

Read all reviews

steve d

I thought it was a lot of fun.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Really good ! Great cast included

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/30/22

Full Review

matthew d

Peril during World War II like you've never seen before. Director Billy Wilder's WWII espionage thriller Five Graves to Cairo (1943) is one of his greatest films. His use of shadowy hallways, striking dynamics between the British and Germans, and intricately mysterious clues to what the Fives Graves to Cairo are is all fascinating spy stuff. Seeing a film that takes place during World War II while the war was still being engaged is eerie as you see where certain troops advanced and others fell in real time. I love Billy Wilder's dark and moody direction as the film also balances this serious story with tons of comedy and a sense of adventure. I honestly prefer when Wilder directs dramas like Witness for the Prosecution, Sunset Boulevard, Double Indemnity, and Five Graves to Cairo as opposed to his endless onslaught of comedies. Five Graves to Cairo is the embodiment of film noir direction and a classic war movie. Franchot Tone is pretty cool and cunning as the British tank trooper Bramble, who pretends to be the old waiter Paul Davos. Tone is a reassuring presence of confidence, arrogance, and intellect as the often sly hero Bramble. Anne Baxter is absolutely glowing with radiant beauty as the poor French maid Mouche. You feel her indignant rage at the British for abandoning troops at Dunkirk, while feeling devastating at her futile pleas to the German officers for her brother's freedom from a concentration camp. Anne Baxter is one of my favorite actresses of all time, so it's neat to see her so young and vibrant with a fierce will, effortless grace, adorable French accent, and steadfast intelligence. Akim Tamiroff is hilarious as the Egyptian hotel owner Farid. You'll laugh at all of his exaggerated mannerisms and feeding the Germans' egos for his survival. Erich von Stroheim is absolutely terrifying with his booming German voice and imposing gravitas as Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. Peter van Eyck is so disgusting as the forceful and manipulative liar Lieutenant Schwegler. Fortunio Bonanova is pretty funny as the ever complaining and jolly singing Italian General Sebastiano. Writers Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett clearly influenced Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds with their unique and clever ruse to trick Germans. You get many parallels to Tarantino's beloved war epic here. Five Graves to Cairo features a complex and fun series of people hiding out in Egypt to avoid German capture. I do appreciate how the film centers about the fact that this picture is a testament to those who died sacrificing themselves to defeat the Nazi German scourge upon humanity. It's interesting to see a British, French, Egyptian, Italian, and German perspective in Five Graves to Cairo. Editor Doane Harrison's sharp cuts keep Five Graves to Cairo moving right along at a steady pace for 96 brief minutes. I love all the cuts from lighter comedic moments to deathly serious war strategy and espionage intrigue. Cinematographer John F. Seitz' black and white shots use shadows like textures for a haunting mood inside this dreary hotel. I love the striking wide shots everywhere with this aura of light around faces during Seitz' close-up shots. Anne Baxter's face reveal is a wondrous moment in cinema. Hans Dreier and Ernst Fegté's art direction wields shadows and darkness against harsh Sunlight for a uniquely breathtaking aesthetic throughout Five Graves to Cairo. Bertram C. Granger's set decoration looks realistic for this dingy and run down Egyptian hotel. Composer Miklós Rózsa finds a stunning main theme that repeats his gorgeous music for Five Graves to Cairo. I was pleasantly surprised at how memorable this score remains. Edith Head's dresses are lovely on Anne Baxter, while her uniforms all match the German military outfits of the era. Wally Westmore's make-up always looks perfect in these old films. In conclusion, I highly recommend Five Graves to Cairo for an enthralling and tense series of spy work and war drama.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Tom M

Very good war movie that is part mystery and part propaganda (as most US war films of that era are). Tone is very good but Baxter is even better. von Stroheim is great as Rommel .

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/27/20

Full Review

Audience Member

Una de las primeras peliculas del maestro Billy Wilder. Se nota su gran talento.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/15/23

Full Review

kevin w

Literally in the middle of the Sahara Desert a small but desperate drama unfolds during the early days of World War 2: the British are being beaten back by the incomparable Desert Fox, Rommel (von Stroheim, in his very element!) and it looks as if they'll lose Africa altogether. A lone British soldier, delirious with heat exhaustion, beaten in battle, wanders right into the very path of the German war machine. What happens next is expertly handled by Wilder in this forgotten wartime tale of suspense and intrigue. The scene with Anne Baxter and von Stroheim alone in his bedroom is nearly worth the price of admission by itself.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Billy Wilder

Director

Franchot Tone

Cpl. John J. Bramble

Anne Baxter

Mouche

Erich von Stroheim

Field Marshal Erwin Rommel

Akim Tamiroff

Farid

Peter van Eyck

Lt. Schwegler

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

91%

93%

Stalag 17

60%

57%

Passage to Marseille

79%

73%

G.I. Joe

100%

75%

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo

86%

72%

Objective, Burma!

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

It's World War II, and British soldier John Bramble (Franchot Tone) is the lone survivor of a brutal battle in Egypt. After wandering through the desert, Bramble finds a remote hotel. There, in order to stay alive, he assumes a false identity. When the famed German general Rommel (Erich von Stroheim), aka the Desert Fox, arrives at the hotel, Bramble realizes he's being taken for a German spy. Can this lowly British soldier turn the tide in the war and foil Germany's plans in North Africa?

Director: Billy Wilder
Screenwriter: Billy Wilder, Charles Brackett
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Genre: War
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 4, 1943, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 30, 2016
Runtime: 1h 36m