Sirocco (1951) puts Humphrey Bogart in a familiar role, dancing on the line between legality and illegality, raising questions of morality, commerce, and conflict. He’s a gunrunner, Harry Smith, in Damascus, Syria, supplying whoever bids for his weaponry as the French Army invades under orders from the League of Nations. As an outsider, he has a few contacts in the local underground, and is making a mint supplying them.
The French Colonel in command of Intelligence also has a French woman with him, one who wishes to leave and tries to use Harry’s contacts to escape. At the same time, the French are trying to stop the flow of arms, and “Mr. Harry” finds himself caught in a squeeze, and his escape route is chancy at best. The world turns into quicksand, threatening to drag him down.
But the Colonel is also caught in a squeeze play, and Harry may have the contact the Colonel needs. He offers Harry a chance, and Harry takes it. The Colonel is looking for peace, for communication. Will the Syrians listen?
A few hours later, the French come to Harry again, offering him life … or the opportunity to do the right thing. Can he live with himself if he doesn’t accede to their request? Can he live if he undertakes the right thing?
While no Paths of Glory, this movie does not romanticize war, and does explore the impossible moral situations which war produces – but not as steadfastly, as thoroughly, as painfully as it might have. Harry doesn’t experience the full range of anguish he might have. He could have led us through a lot more of the lessons as a truly amoral gunrunner, and if he goes back into danger to rescue a man who, for all his own failures, is at least reaching for peace, it’s not entirely clear how painful the path to that decision might have been.
The movie has potential, with good actors and a fair script, but never quite gets their, as the story doesn’t have the guts to pursue the question as far as it might go. Bogart fans should certainly see this, but it’s not nearly as good as such classic fare as The Maltese Falcon.
