I tuned into this movie half way through. I was immediately surprised by what seemed to me to be realistic portrayal of the German military leaders. I am of course taking in to account the fact that this movie was made in 1951 - a time when the history of WW2 was very fresh in the minds of everyone and when movies aimed at large audiences were not noted for portraying characters with any nuance. Movies then were stories about bad guys and good guys with a lot of heavily exaggerated romance thrown in for good measure. But this movie seems to be exceptional for the period.
The leading role of Rommel is played excellently by James Mason. But most of the supporting actors are also convincing in their roles. Perhaps only Luther Adler's interpretation of Hitler seems a bit off the mark. He seems much too 'responsive' in the way he reacts to the people around him. From the many film clips of the real Hitler we see someone who is consumed by his own self image. Such a person who is fulfilled with a sense of grandiosity does not respond to his entourage. People around him are functional - he needs them and uses them. But he does not 'respond' to them as a normal human being. Take a look for instance at Donald Trump, the current US president. Trump is hugely narcissistic and completely consumed by a sense of grandiosity which leaves no room for normal interaction with the people who surround him. I suspect that Hitler was very similar in this respect. But despite this, it was a great movie. It deserves an A+ rating - at least a nine out of ten!
