History Film / Rommel

The film's AllStarCast includes Creator/UlrichTukur as the titular Desert Fox, Benjamin Sadler as Dr. Hans Speidel, Aglaia Szyszkowitz as Lucie-Maria Rommel, Hanns Zischler as Gerd von Rundstedt, Vicky Krieps as the Comtesse La Rochefoucauld and Johannes Silberschneider as Adolf Hitler.

* CorpseLand: Most of the Normandy beaches as Operation Overlord progresses, as well as a battlefield near Caen. A badly injured soldier even chooses to shoot himself in response to seeing such a massacre.

** All generals in the German Army wore ornate collar patches known as arabesques. In 1941, field marshals were authorized to wear special arabesques with [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Collar_tabs_of_Generalfeldmarschall_of_the_Heer.svg three]] rather than [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Arabesque_generas_Germany.png two]] iterations of the same pattern. Many marshals promoted before this point (and some after) chose not to trade in their two-pattern arasbeques for three-patterns or did so only on their dress uniforms. Those who chose the former like Rommel and Rundstedt wear three-pattern arabesque in the film, presumably to differentiate them from lower-ranked generals.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: The film focuses on Rommel but as a whole covers his failed defence of Normandy against the reach of the Allies and the 20 July plot in Paris. Much of Rommel's central staff, his family, fellow Western Front commanders and German administrators in Paris appear throughout the film. Still more clinch [[TheCameo cameos]] and verbal mentions, including frontline commander Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben and field marshals Walter Model, Maximilian von Weichs and Erich von Manstein.

[[caption-width-right:350:''The last days of a tyrant's most feared general.'']]

%%TEMP: Sandbox/CharactersRommel2012 here.

* DoomedByCanon: The history-savvy should already know that Hitler survives his attempted assassination and that Rommel will die as a direct result of it.

* CustomUniform: A [[DownplayedTrope downplayed example]] for the most part. Officers in the German military purchased their own uniforms, so minor variations in collar patches, shade of field grey and number of buttons abound among any given group of officers. To illustrate, Rommel's five-buttoned uniform has a bottle green collar, placket with bright red lining and bright yellow-gold arabesque patches in comparison to Gerd von Rundstedt's five-buttoned uniform with a bottle green collar, darker, more metallic arabesque patches and placket with no red lining or Günther Blumentritt's six-buttoned uniform with a lighter shade of field gray and red lining for the collar. PlayedStraight with Hermann Göring (only a background character) since he dresses as usual in his ostentatious double-breasted grey uniform with special ''Reichsmarschall'' collar and shoulder patches.

* TheChainsOfCommanding: The turning tide of the Second World War takes its toll on everyone involved, especially Rommel. With mounting pressure and dissatisfaction from opportunistic higher-ups like Rundstedt, Hitler's overbearing expectations, the scrutiny of the fanatically loyal SS and the urging of the 20 July plotters to join their cause wears down Rommel's resolve in spite of his attempts to remain positives. Pressure from the Allies getting closer and closer to liberating France only worsens the situation. [[FromBadToWorse Then the 20 July plot fails and it's downhill from there...]]

* FrontlineGeneral: Several throughout the film. Generals Erich Marcks and Hans von Salmuth are leading troops in Normandy on the fateful day of Operation Overlord from headquarters less than several kilometres away. Marcks dies in an Allied air attack as a result. Surprisingly [[AvertedTrope averted]] for the historically frontline commander Rommel who leads from his headquarters in Normandy, the Chateau de Bernaville. This is somewhat [[JustifiedTrope justified]], since as Germany's most famous general and commander of the Western Front's largest army formation, his life is highly valuable for the continued morale of the soldiers. Rommel ''does'' make a concerted effort to monitor the state of the Atlantic Wall and visit the front lines often, only to leave the second enemy attack is inbound.

* PropagandaPiece: As the face of the German Army in the west, Rommel is filmed for propaganda newsreels and films on the beaches of France to strengthen the morale of citizens in the Third Reich.

** NumberTwo[=/=]CunningLinguist: Hans Speidel (Rommel's chief of staff)

* StaffOfAuthority: The ceremonial baton is a trademark symbol of authority for German field marshals, so Rommel and Rundstedt notably bring their red marshal's batons to a situation meeting with Hitler. Rommel also carries a less ostentatious black staff on his person which breaks at one point but is quickly repaired.
* StateSec: The SS (''Schutzstaffel''), the Nazi Party paramilitary arm and ''de facto'' policing arm of the government plays a major role in the story.
** InterserviceRivalry with the Wehrmacht is implied through the Army's infringement on their authority to enforce the Commando Order, stipulating that all captured Allied commandos, saboteurs and agents not in uniform are to handed over to the SD (''Security Service'') for interrogation. Army officers extract a captured British commando from their custody to personally meet with Rommel, who arranges for his protection in a subtle violation of the order.
** The 20 July plot in France sees over 1000 SS officers and soldiers disarmed and arrested by the Army, including Carl Oberg, the head of SS forces in occupied France. The conspirators are forced to set them free upon learning of Hitler's survival, but Oberg agrees to broker a deal that lets the lower-ranking traitors go free in exchange for the inner circle taking full responsibility (Hofacker, Stülpnagel, Finckh and Horst).

* StormingTheBeaches: Rommel is tasked with reinforcing the Atlantic Wall against such an invasion by the Allies. Unfortunately for him, a series of unfortunate circumstances leaves German forces on June 6, 1944 helpless against what will become the largest seaborne invasion in history, Operation Overlord. Disagreements between Rommel and overall commander von Rundstedt, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradummy paradummies]] launched hours earlier as a smokescreen and the fact that Rommel returns home to celebrate his wife's birthday only worsens both marshals' standing with Hitler. The humiliating defeat indirectly leads to [[PutOnABus Rundstedt's dismissal]] for expressing defeatism.

** Hitler dismisses von Rundstedt for failing to hold the Rhine (covered up as charges of defeatism)[[note]]though he would be recalled again to his post until March 11, 1945 when he was replaced by Albert Kesselring[[/note]] and quickly dismisses von Kluge and summons him to Berlin. Kluge's response is to commit suicide, certain that he has been implicated in the 20 July plot.

** Rundstedt and Rommel argue several times over who should accept responsibility for crucial defeats such as the fall of Cherbourg. At one point when Rommel brings up that Rundstedt should take the blame as his superior and commander in the West, he remarks that he'll make both of them take the blame.

* DramaticThunder: A loud clap of thunder forces a nearby window in Rommel's headquarters open, startling Kluge and Model who were discussing the former's relief of command. Immediately after closing the window, Speidel informs Model that the Americans are crossing the Seine into Paris - pointing to the impending liberation of Paris and the end of German hold over Western Europe. The loss of such territory start the death roll that leads to the LastStand in Berlin and Hitler's suicide.

** All generals in the German Army wore ornate collar patches known as arabesques. In 1941, field marshals were authorized to wear special arasbesques with [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/Collar_tabs_of_Generalfeldmarschall_of_the_Heer.svg three]] rather than [[https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Arabesque_generas_Germany.png two]] iterations of the same pattern. Many marshals promoted before this point (and some after) chose not to trade in their two-pattern arasbeques for three-patterns or did so only on their dress uniforms. Those who chose the former like Rommel and Rundstedt wear three-pattern arabesque in the film, presumably to differentiate them from lower-ranked generals.