As soon as celebrated as a film triumph, this British WW2 movie has slipped into obscurity, but its gripping story of survival and camaraderie stays unforgettable
Captain Anson (John Mills) is drained and thirsty when he was compelled to depart his North African submit (Picture: FB)
Hailed as a “nice success” when Ice Chilly in Alex first appeared in British cinemas, this now underrated film is a British WW2 traditional that instantly captures its viewers.
Rated 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, this multi-BAFTA Award-winning movie was uncommon for a British WW2 film in additionally successful awards on the Berlin Worldwide Movie Competition, held within the capital of the previous enemy nation, Germany, quickly after WW2 had concluded.
Starring legend Sir John Mills because the jaded however relentlessly stoic Captain Anson, the officer commanding a British RASC Motor Ambulance Firm in Tobruk, is affected by battle fatigue and alcoholism.
Forward of the Axis seize of Tobruk by the Afrika Korps, Anson’s unit is ordered to evacuate to Alexandria.
Anson, MSM Tom Pugh, and two nurses, Sister Diana Murdoch and Sister Denise Norton, change into separated from the others in an Austin K2/Y ambulance nicknamed Katy.
Making an attempt to achieve British traces, they encounter an Afrikaner South African officer, Captain van der Poel, who persuades Anson to permit him to accompany them to security in Alexandria by revealing he has three bottles of gin in his pack.
A battle of endurance in opposition to the desert, Germans, and betrayal
What follows is a battle of endurance in opposition to the desert and a battle inside themselves, the enemy Germans, and even betrayal inside their very own ranks as craving for an “ice chilly in Alex,” a chilly beer within the British-administered Egyptian metropolis of Alexandria – is the little wartime luxurious that motivates the ragtag group as they battle their option to freedom from seize or loss of life.
Having fun with that second of refreshing pleasure solely a crisp beer can present is a timeless one most of us in Britain instantly relate to, which is amplified by the trials of the desert the protagonists endure as they make their means throughout dunes, gingerly cross minefields, dodge Nazi patrols, and take care of the last word torture: sheer thirst.
This film turns into far more than a struggle film – because the story develops, it turns into a determined story of survival in opposition to the chances and a examine on how people bond in adversity regardless of having to take sides in a struggle.
With fascinating photographs of the desert, the sharply clipped and witty dialogue solely a movie of this period can ship, and gritty characters that spar off one another with actual chemistry, there may be additionally the welcome ingredient of Golden Age film glamour supplied by 1960’s icon Sylvia Syms.
Accessible to stream now totally free on BBC iPlayer, reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes heaped reward (Picture: FB)
Ice Chilly in Alex #DrinkingBeerInASongOrMovie pic.twitter.com/exioNWYKEq
— mila (@mila255h) September 28, 2025
Compelling ultimate scene celebrates grudging respect between combatants
Essentially the most compelling scene is on the very finish of the film the place, regardless of battle and betrayal, the characters bond by way of adversity, reaching an final bond that transcends the struggle and celebrates the grudging respect the combatants on the 2 sides had been in a position to develop for one another when confronted with “the larger enemy”: the desert.
Accessible to stream now totally free on BBC iPlayer, reviewers on Rotten Tomatoes heaped reward on this elegant WW2 flick.
Neely Swanson mentioned, “‘Ice Chilly in Alex’ is white-knuckle thriller… Character and pressure, that is all there may be and that is greater than sufficient.”
Viewer Matt Brunson was filled with compliments: “Ice Chilly in Alex is a close to excellent image.”
MG_Claymore C added: “In terms of nice, suspenseful, really feel good, British struggle time classics…it does get a lot better.”
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One other reviewer mentioned, “My favorite movie, first noticed it as a toddler and it is captivated me ever since.”
This reviewer concluded: “Probably the greatest struggle films ever made…The tip scene with the beer is a traditional and at all times makes me thirsty. I really like this movie.”
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