User Reviews

The movie has the Nazi self sacrifice in it.As in many of the war films of the third Reich cinema.In 1933 why didn't Joachim Gottschalk, knowing what Hitler was going to do, got a visa to get he and his wife ,who was Jewish, and child out of Germany? They would of been alive after the war. For after 1941 all three committee suicide because of Hitler. Forced suicide is bad as self sacrifice.In this 1939 classic the Hun are in Arabia in world war 1 fighting the Arabs and the Syrians and the British, who are actually the good guys,The Hun legionnaires headed by the captain ,played by Hans Neilsen who lost an arm , and Joachim Gottschalk as lieutenant Keller. They just fought off a bunch of Arabs. The troops decide to go to Damaskus for relaxation and rest and more orders. The scene we see in the desert ,Brigitte Horney as Vera,on her camel riding with a caravan when she is pushed off and stranded in the desert.Lieutenant Keller and his troops see her and have her rescued.So they take her with them to Damascus.. When they go into the rail car, both Vera and Keller start to get to know each other. They arrive in Damascus Keller goes to the high command for more orders . The troops takes a break for leisure and relaxation. Vera straightens her apartment out. Later she and Keller go out with each other to a restaurant where there is a belly dancing going on. When they go back to her apartment the scene is interrupted then when you see her going to the door she has a wine bottle with her and lieutenant Keller is already in the house waiting for her.As they start to drink,an air raid warning happens . the British , the good guys are attacking Damascus.The lights go out ,they make love. The next day he's gone. She gets up and it reveals who she is. She's a nurse and she goes to the clinic where she works. The doctor is glad to see her and she mentions something about her father in a sad way. Another scene in which two men of the troupe are checking on a defense fort only to discover that most of the men are dead. So they bury them. Another scene in which the Hun are marching in the desert and they have to defend themselves cause ,another good guy , the British plane are attacking them killing one of their men. Then the soldiers go back to Damascus , as the good guys Arabs revolt. The Captain gets shot and the lieutenant is injured. They arrive at the hospital. Vera see him and they both embrace. The captain dies. They fix Keller's arm and put it a sling. But then the higher ups want Keller to go back before his arm is healed. This is the Nazis for you. Vera protest this but she is forced to give him up. You see him and the troops marching to the desert then the next scene shows an obituary column how he died in honor. What an inspired ending, Our own war films, many of them had hopeful endings. Available at Reichkino a part of propaganda films and Wochenschau dvds in amazon.de page pal and ntcs