This 1951 Bogart vehicle, produced by the great man himself, and directed by the estimable Curtis Bernhardt, is a slow-moving rehash of some of Bogart's better known films, going back to Casablanca. This one's set in 1925 Syria, with the Trenchcoated One working both sides against the middle. He's a gun runner selling arms to the Arabs, which at the time was illegal, since Syria was controlled by the French. Bogart had an affinity with the Levant, and was most at ease in an occupied city, with terrorists, revolutionaries and criminals,--often hard to tell apart--running around, blowing up things, and making life difficult for the authorities. As usual, Bogart couldn't care less who wins as long as he gets paid.

Sirocco is a back lot picture, yet an attractive one. It was made at a time when movies of its type were getting either a whole lot bigger or a whole lot smaller. As such it was somewhat of an anachronism when it came out, and its box-office was modest. This was really the end of the line for the old-style Bogart pics, which it is the last of; and Bogie's next movie, The African Queen, filmed on location and in color, would open up a whole new career for him. I like this one better than most people do, for its cast (Marta Toren, Lee Cobb, Everett Sloan, Gerald Mohr),and its shabby fatalism. A good deal of the picture is set indoors, in cafés, hotel rooms and warehouses. There is a circular, labyrinthine aspect to the movie, as it seems at times as if all the action were taking place literally underground, with the various characters moving from cavern to cavern.

In 1925, in Damascus, the patriotic rebels of Syria are fighting against the invader French forces. The powerful weapons smuggler Harry Smith (Humphrey Bogart) is an amoral dealer taking advantage of the situation. He meets in a restaurant, Violette (Märta Torén),the girl of the idealistic French Col. Feroud (Lee J. Cobb). Feroud is trying to make a deal with the rebel leader Emir Hassan (Onslow Stevens),and he forces Harry to be his liaison and arrange a meeting with Hassan.

I am a great fan of Humphrey Bogart, my favorite actor, but "Sirocco" has a very disappointing and inconsistent screenplay. The story presents Harry Smith as an amoral and ambitious man, but never explains the reasons or motives for his final act, since he had his visa and the girl with money. In Casablanca, the love for Ilsa is the motive for the sacrifice of Rick Blaine, but in "Sirocco" there are no explanations for his final redemption. Along the story, something is missing to make "Sirocco" a great movie. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Sirocco"

Sirocco was one of those independent productions that Humphrey Bogart's Santana productions did for Columbia Pictures after Bogey's long term contract with Warner Brothers expired. Bogey had a mixed record of success and Sirocco didn't exactly set the movie world on fire.

The story takes place in Damascus after World War I with the French given a mandate by the League of Nations over the former Ottoman Empire territory of Syria and the Syrians not really too crazy about it. They've got a guerrilla war going against them and it is being led by Onslow Stevens as Moulay Hassan.

The French occupying troops are led by General Everett Sloane with Lee J. Cobb as the Colonel in charge of intelligence. They're having no luck even trying for a cease fire. And there's a lovely black market in weapons being sold to the Syrians.

Which is where soldier of fortune Humphrey Bogart comes in. Bogey is at his most cynical here, too cynical probably to get a real rooting interest from the audience. He really has no inner core of decency that was apparent in Casablanca to which this film bears a superficial resemblance.

The Ingrid Bergman character is played by another Swedish actress Marta Toren who is Lee J. Cobb's girlfriend. Can you imagine Elsa Lund as a selfish slattern, than you've got what Toren is. Somehow her domestic problems also and fling with Bogart also don't arouse the audiences interest.

There are some good performances from supporting players like Zero Mostel, Nick Dennis, and Ludwig Donath as various Arabic types. You will enjoy them.

But I would also have to say that Sirocco takes place at a time when certain movements and issues were coming to the fore. Great questions were being raised and Sirocco answers none of them.