El Alamein: The Line of Fire 2002

Overview

El Alamein: The Line of Fire is a 2002 Italian war-drama film written and directed by Enzo Monteleone. The story is told from the perspective of Serra, a university student from Palermo who volunteers in 1942 to fight in Africa. Assigned to the Pavia Division, he is stationed on the southern line in Egypt as Axis forces under Rommel face a stalemate. The narrative follows the experiences of Serra, his sergeant Rizzo, and his lieutenant Fiori as they endure the harsh desert conditions of boredom, heat, hunger, and thirst. As the British prepare an offensive in October, the soldiers face the reality of combat, which the film portrays without traditional depictions of luck or heroism. Following the attack, the unit is forced into a confused retreat. The film features Paolo Briguglia, Pierfrancesco Favino, Luciano Scarpa, and Emilio Solfrizzi. It received three David di Donatello awards for best cinematography, best editing, and best sound, as well as a Nastro d'Argento award. The film is also known as El Alamein: Bond of Honour.