TV-MA | 6 episodes | Historical Drama | Nov. 13, 2022
The Special Air Service (SAS) is a rather pedestrian name for Britain’s celebrated special forces unit, but there is nothing mundane about the corps and its missions. In fiction, Batman’s butler, Alfred Pennyworth, is a veteran of the SAS and, in real-life, so is survival TV host Bear Grylls.
The chaps who founded it were an even more colorful lot. They were not exactly the “Dirty Dozen,” but they probably would have got along smashingly with team of Lee Marvin’s character.
North Africa in WWII
In 1941, the war in North Africa is going very badly for the United Kingdom. Tobruk, a Libyan city on the coast of the Mediterranean controlled by the Allies, is hanging on by a thread. If Rommel takes the Suez, the Mediterranean will be lost. Unfortunately, SAS senior officers are largely incompetent fools, at least from Knight’s perspective.
To bolster Tobruk, corpsman David Sterling (Connor Swindells) hatches a scheme with his old comrade, Lt. Jock Lewes (Alfie Allen), to create a light commando unit to attack Rommel’s supply line. Even though he is hobbling about on crutches due to a rather foolish misadventure, Stirling sneaks into the British military’s Cairo headquarters to pitch their idea directly to Commander-in-Chief Gen. Claude Auchinleck (Adrian Lukis). As the fact-checkers would say, this incident is largely historically accurate.
In fact, each episode starts with the disclaimer (or boast): “Those events depicted, which seem most unbelievable … are mostly true.” However, the Eve Mansour character (Sofia Boutella) is entirely fictional. As the deputy head of Free French intelligence in Cairo, she meets Stirling through her pompous British counterpart, who is much less enamored with the SAS founder than she is.
Technically, Clarke believes he “created” the SAS to serve as a “ghost regiment” in his disinformation campaigns. By making the unit flesh-and-blood, Clarke fears Stirling will undo all his successes, such as they are.
Indeed, their first mission is a disaster, justifying his concern. Stirling recruited most of his hard-charging unit, particularly Paddy Mayne (Jack O’Connell), an Irish anti-fascist with an aversion to authority, promising they would never “stand down.”
However, Sterling quickly learns pedal-to-the-metal is not always the best tactical approach. Soon, the SAS hits its stride, conducting hit-and-run raids on Axis air fields. However, the toxic competitive rivalry between Stirling and Mayne threatens to undermine the unit’s effectiveness.
Lots of Swagger
The real David Stirling might not have appreciated Connor Swindells’ somewhat neurotic portrayal, but he should have approved of the romantic chemistry he develops with Boutella (who is, in fact, Algerian), as Mansour. Frankly, this might be the best work of her career. Regardless, she gives the film a suitably “Casablanca”-ish vibe, especially when verbally sparring with the wry Clarke, chewing the scenery with relish.
Of the SAS men, Paddy Mayne is the easiest to identify with, despite his self-destructive streak. O’Connell projects his poetic soul nicely. He also always looks credibly rugged, boozy, and all-together roguish.
Indeed, “Rogue Heroes” might be a British period war story but, like “Top Gun: Maverick,” it forgives and, to some extent, celebrates the swaggering, hot-shot mentality that is really necessary for military personnel to perform at such a high level, in harm’s way, and under fire.
The real story, adapted from Ben McIntryes’s nonfiction book, is quite a stranger-than-fiction yarn. Of course, the 1980s rock soundtrack is not at all era-appropriate, but AC/DC’s “Highway to Hell” certainly captures the vibe of desert warfare.
There is a good deal of humor in “Rogue Heroes,” but it is still highly realistic. Some warfighting sequences are a bit confusing to follow, but the action and explosive effects are vividly realized. Knight and the cast largely depict the SAS in positive, albeit messily human, terms.
“Rogue Heroes” also offers a reasonably sympathetic portrayal of Winston Churchill (Jason Watkins) as a bonus. Sure, Knight exaggerates and fictionalizes somewhat, but he remains “mostly” true to the historical record.
Highly recommended for its gritty perspective on the “good fight,” “Rogue Heroes” premieres on Nov. 13.
