Overview
A lone soldier must navigate a web of deception and danger in a war-torn desert.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- suspenseful
- grim
- classic cinema night
- war film marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard it as a crisp, dynamic wartime spy thriller distinguished by Billy Wilder's suspenseful handling and vivid performances, despite some objections to its fanciful comic touches.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
John Bramble adopts the identity of Paul Davos while the desert hotel operates as Rommel's German headquarters.
The remote Egyptian hotel becomes both refuge and trap as German officers occupy it.
Bramble seeks to uncover Rommel's secret strategy, code-named five graves, before it determines the fate of British forces in Egypt.
Erich von Stroheim's Rommel dominates the hotel and exerts pressure over Bramble, Mouche, Farid, and the German officers.
Films like Five Graves to Cairo, and why
The 39 Steps
wartime espionage, assumed identities, and suspense built around military secrets
Sahara
desert warfare, moral ambiguity, and a tense struggle between isolated soldiers
The Train
world war ii intrigue, psychological pressure, and a confined setting dominated by deception
The Ministry of Fear
classic wartime thriller structure, covert intelligence, and sharply drawn enemy officers
Movie Details
- Director
- Billy Wilder
- Release Date
- 1943-05-26
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (158)
Cast
- Franchot Tone
- Anne Baxter
- Akim Tamiroff
- Erich von Stroheim
- Peter van Eyck
- Fortunio Bonanova
- Philip Ahlm
- Roger Creed
- Hans Moebus
- Leslie Denison
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Five Graves to Cairo about?
- A stranded British corporal infiltrates Rommel’s desert headquarters by impersonating a dead German officer, turning a remote hotel into a pressure cooker of wartime espionage.
- What is Five Graves to Cairo like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Five Graves to Cairo as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Five Graves to Cairo violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Five Graves to Cairo as moderate.
- What did critics think of Five Graves to Cairo?
- Critics broadly regard it as a crisp, dynamic wartime spy thriller distinguished by Billy Wilder's suspenseful handling and vivid performances, despite some objections to its fanciful comic touches.
- Which films are like Five Graves to Cairo?
- Films with a similar feel include The 39 Steps, Sahara, The Train, and The Ministry of Fear.
- How long is Five Graves to Cairo?
- Five Graves to Cairo runs 96 minutes.
- Where can I watch Five Graves to Cairo?
- In United States, Five Graves to Cairo is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
