Desert Victory (1992)

As two WWII battle movies compete for 1998's Best Picture, this 1943 Oscar winner resurfaces with a vivid view of the real thing. Made by a team of gutsy cameramen (four were killed during filming), Victory chronicles the pivotal battle of El Alamein, where British forces routed Rommel in North Africa. Expert editing assembles the catch-as-catch-can footage into a compelling narrative, and though its voice-over badly needs digital remastering, the bracing visuals carry the day. B