Luke
stu-kicks
CibbuanoThe Battle of Britain
December 15th 2006 04:26
Battle of Britain (1969)
This is one of those films that you pick up almost anywhere fairly cheap these days thanks to the DVD boom. In regards to it's merits as a war film, this would have to go down as one of the staples of the genre, and is one of the better efforts to come out of Britain. It features an all-star cast and some truly stunning aerial sequences.
The Battle of Britain is, of course, about the actual Battle of Britain - when the Allies repelled the Nazi air attack on Britain and hence saw Hitler's plans for an invasion of the U.K. abandoned. The film is extremely faithful to the real events, portraying the intricacies of war strategy and the plethora of factors and variables that influenced the battle's outcome. As such, it's a must-see for any war buff.
The film is also famed for it's astounding dogfight sequences... I was gobsmacked with what they achieved here. I mean, the film was made in 1969! I have no idea how they managed the level of realism in sequences that involved planes exploding in mid-air and crashing andthings like that. To be honest, it was these action-y bits that kept me interested in the film throughout.
The all-star, high profile British cast is impressive - Laurence Olivier, Trevor Howard, Robert Shaw, Christopher Plummer, Michael Caine, Edward Fox, Susannah York, Ian McShane, Ralph Richardson and Michael Redgrave all appear - but the fact that the cast is so huge and the text is so faithful to the historical facts ensures that no one actor really gets a role large enough or interesting enough to do anything particularly memorable. Likewise, as the plot is so documentative of the real events, it also comes across a little dry at times. So, as I said, it was the action that kept my interest levels up.
Anyway, this is one for the war buffs and action-fans. The dogfights were definitely a highlight.
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Comment by LaurenD
Thanks, Luke.
LaurenD
Comment by LaurenD
Thanks, Luke.
LaurenD
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
A DVD must.
Comment by Cibbuano
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I wish I could fly one of those old school planes. All that fresh air...
Comment by Cibbuano
Hunt Famous
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